In Elvis, Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker refers to himself as "The Snowman," but the nickname was far from a joke for Parker. The biopic first released in theaters on June 24th, 2022, with Baz Luhrmann's glittering tale of the fallen king managing to wrest the top spot at the box office away from Top Gun: Maverick. And, while Luhrmann is known for his fanciful filmmaking style, Elvis' Colonel Tom Parker is a character that remains remarkably faithful to history.
Unlike the traditional format for a biopic, Elvis is narrated by Hank's character, Parker. So, while the film covers Presley's life from birth to the grave, the film focuses on the relationship between Presley and his greedy manager, Parker. As the film shows, Parker first saw Presley perform at the Louisiana Hayride in 1955, and shortly after that, Parker became Presley's manager. As is seen in Elvis, Colonel Tom Parker's relationship with Presley bordered on predatory, with Parker taking more than half of Presley's income and mismanaging Presley's career to further benefit himself.
Being a predator was a source of great personal pride for Parker, however, so much so that Parker dubbed himself "The Snowman"—a sly turn on the word "showman" using the slang term "snow" (which is another word for "con" or "trick"). Claiming there was no one more gifted at deceiving or "snowing" someone, Parker leaned heavily into his own joke, as Luhrmann shows in Elvis with Colonel Tom Parker's office overflowing with snowmen. Parker even went so far as to create a club, "The Snowmen's League of America," with membership cards and stationary proving the term was no joke to Colonel Tom Parker.
Beginning with his days in the circus, Parker had a deep passion for swindling people out of their money. From chickens cruelly made to "dance" because they were on a hotplate covered with straw to lies told as a palm-reader, Parker discovered he had a keen ability to make people believe he knew about something special. This was never more so the case than when he was managing world-famous musician and movie star Elvis Presley, making millions off of him by taking over fifty percent of the earnings from merchandise, including Elvis lipsticks, perfume, hats, shoes, and buttons.
Parker so fully embraced his persona as "The Snowman" that he created a club he called "The Snowmen's League of America," complete with envelopes, stationery, and membership cards. "Membership of the Snowmen's League was strictly by invitation only and it indicated that you had gained Parker's respect or professional admiration," says George Smith (via George Smith Publications). "Presley was a member, so too were several famous politicians and numerous celebrities."
Yet, even the name of Parker's club was a pun on the circus' union called "The Showman's League of America" - and seems to further reveal Parker's overall idea that showbusiness was nothing but a con in itself. This is certainly pointed to in Elvis when Tom Hanks' Parker tells Butler's Presley that they are a team, referring to them as "the showman and the snowman." This may also allude to the idea that Parker never left his circus days behind him and saw the whole world as pennies to be plucked, with Presley as his dancing chicken. Parker remained Presley's manager until his death and even managed Elvis' estate for several years after - with his schemes as "The Snowman" not coming to light until 1980.