Partridge Family Star Danny Bonaduce Recalls Elvis Presley’s Unique Dressing Room Faucets: “He Was So Proud”

Danny Bonaduce, best known for his role in The Partridge Family, recently shared a fascinating and humorous memory about working with Elvis Presley during the late 1960s. Appearing on the That’s Classic! podcast with John Cato on September 24, Bonaduce reminisced about his experience on the 1969 film The Trouble with Girls—and an unforgettable moment inside Presley’s dressing room.

A Peek Inside Elvis’s Dressing Room

Bonaduce, who was only 12 years old at the time, described Presley as charismatic and full of enthusiasm, even about the smallest details. He recalled that when he and his mother visited Elvis’s dressing room, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll couldn’t wait to show off the room’s décor—specifically, the unusual design of the faucet handles.

“He was so excited about the handles to the faucets,” Bonaduce remembered with a laugh. “Every handle in his dressing room was either 14-karat gold or looked like it. But they were all shaped like women’s legs. Every one of them.”

The actor compared the decorative fixtures to the iconic silhouette designs often seen on vintage mud flaps, adding that Presley “was so proud” of the extravagant and playful design choice.

A Gift from the King

In addition to his flair for showmanship, Presley also left a lasting impression on Bonaduce with his generosity. The young actor recalled that Elvis gave the children working on The Trouble with Girls an extraordinary gift: miniature Cadillac push cars.

“Elvis bought, I don’t know, a dozen of these little push cars and gave them out to the kids in the movie,” Bonaduce shared. “No, I don’t have mine anymore—but I wish I did.”

Working with Elvis Presley

The Trouble with Girls, released in 1969, featured Presley as Walter Hale, the manager of a traveling entertainment troupe in the 1920s. Bonaduce appeared in a small, uncredited role as a one-man band—a job that, at the time, he considered just another day on set.

“I don’t think it occurred to me that I’m in a movie with Elvis Presley,” Bonaduce admitted. “It was just a day at work. Then when I mentioned it later, people would flip out that I did a movie with Elvis Presley.”

It was only in hindsight that the actor realized how special the experience had been. “So then I started talking about it,” he said. “But at the time, it was just a job—and I got a cool push car Cadillac out of it.”

Remembering the King’s Lasting Influence

Elvis Presley passed away in 1977 at age 42, but memories like Bonaduce’s help keep his larger-than-life persona alive. The story offers a glimpse of Presley not just as a legendary performer, but as a man who found joy in creativity, generosity, and the small details that made his world uniquely his own.

For Bonaduce, that brief encounter with Elvis remains a treasured memory from his early acting years—one that perfectly captures the King’s charm, humor, and unforgettable sense of style.