Mother Dolores Hart Recalls Filming With Elvis Presley

Mother Dolores Hart is revisiting memories of what it was like to film alongside Elvis Presley.  

Hart was a 1950s film icon but in the early '60s walked away from Hollywood to become a nun. Prior to that, she appeared in several films including 1957's "Loving You" and 1958's "King Creole," both of which starred Presley. In an interview with Fox News, Hart admitted she initially had no idea who Presley was.

"To be honest, I did not know who he was," she said. "In fact, when I first met him, I asked him what he did. I remember him being very courteous. He was an absolute gentleman and would call me 'Miss Dolores.' And then I learned what a talented singer he was. By the time we did our second film, we couldn't walk down the street because there were so many people waiting for him, just wanting to touch him."

During their time on set, Hart recalled a heartwarming moment when she and Presley bonded over faith.

"I remember one moment when we were taking a break from filming. He walked over to me, handed me a Bible, and said, 'Miss Dolores, would you open this book? What do you see? What does it mean to you?'" she said. "And so, I offered my opinion on what I was seeing. And from there, we spent the time in between the scenes talking about the Bible."

Hart admitted she did not expect a fellow actor to have such a curiosity in the Bible, but it was different with Presley. It was not a publicity stunt; he was genuinely interested in learning more.

"He did it because it was in his heart," she explained.

During the interview, Hart also recalled a steamy kissing scene she shared with Presley, which left her blushing.

"I remember I had to put my arms around him and kiss him," she said. "There were about 100 people on the soundstage. Seconds into it, the director, Hal Kanter, yells 'Cut!' I thought, 'Oh no, how can I kiss wrong?' He immediately asks for the makeup man to come over to fix me up. I thought, 'What’s going on? That's it, it's over for me.' Well, Hal tells me, 'Dolores, you're blushing in your ears. They're red. We need makeup.'"

Hart said she was so embarrassed, especially after it happened for a second time.

"After they fixed me up, we started again. And again, seconds later, he yells 'Cut! Get some makeup for Mister Presley!'" she recounted. "When I looked, he was red! But that's the way it was. We were just a couple of kids. But he was a simple and true man."

After achieving fame in film, Hart branched out to Broadway, according to a biography that appears on the website for Abbey of Regina Laudis, which is where Hart celebrated 50 years of vowed life in 2016. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the 1959 theatrical production "The Pleasure of His Company." She appeared in several hit films and was also nominated for a Golden Globe, but then, at the height of her career in 1962, Hart stunned the world by making the decision to become a nun.

Speaking with Fox News, Hart said her calling was a gift from God.

"I think it's important for anyone to understand that it was a dramatic change. It wasn't something I planned on," she said. "I thought I would go through my time in Hollywood. However, this vocation showed me my life’s purpose. Then I started to ask myself, 'What am I doing in Hollywood? Where is this going to take me?' The realization became clear and really, it’s a gift. I was so lucky. God called me."

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