Elvis: That's the Way It Is

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Elvis: That's the Way it Is)
Jump to: navigation, search
Elvis: That's the Way It Is
Directed by Denis Sanders
Starring Elvis Presley
Music by Elvis Presley
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date(s) 1970
Running time 108 min. 97 min. 2001 Special Edition
Country U.S.A.
Language English

Elvis: That's the Way It Is is a documentary movie directed by Denis Sanders about Elvis Presley that was released on November 11, 1970. The film documents Elvis' Summer Festival in Las Vegas during August 1970. It was his first non-dramatic film since the beginning his movie career in 1956, and the film gives us a clear view of Presley's return to live performances after years of making movies. The original concept as devised by Colonel Tom Parker was in view of Elvis's triumphant return to live performances was a closed circuit television presentation of one show but the concept developed into this movie. Although the lion's share of the footage takes place onstage at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, there are several other parts to the film:

  • The opening credits sequence contains footage of Elvis' show at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix on September 9, 1970. This was the first show of Elvis' first tour in 13 years.
  • Elvis and his band are seen rehearsing for the Las Vegas engagement at MGM Studios in Culver City, California. There are scenes of Elvis running through such tunes as "I Just Can't Help Believing", "What'd I Say", "Little Sister", "Words", "That's All Right Mama", and "The Next Step Is Love." The rehearsal sequences were filmed during late July 1970.
  • There is also a session of rehearsals that takes place in the Showroom Internationale of the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Together, Elvis and the entire group run through songs from "Mary In the Morning" to "Polk Salad Annie". These rehearsals took place on August 7, 1970.
  • Footage of an Elvis Appreciation Society convention in Luxembourg was shot on September 5, 1970. Radio Luxembourg DJs Tony Prince and Peter Aldersley are on hand to lead the festivities. A tandem bicycle owned by Elvis is raffled off to a lucky fan in the audience. Additionally, various musicians are seen performing their own versions of Elvis' songs.

Contents

[edit] Cast

All credited cast as themselves:
Elvis Presley, Terry Blackwood, Estell Brown, James Burton, Richard Davis, Joe Esposito, Joe Guercio, Glen D. Hardin, Charlie Hodge, Felton Jarvis, Millie Kirkham, Armando Morales, Joe Moscheo, Jim Murray, Jerry Scheff, Sylvia Shemmell, Myrna Smith, Ronnie Tutt, Del 'Sonny' West, Red West, Roger Wiles, John Wilkinson, Ann Williams.

[edit] Onstage in Las Vegas

The Elvis Summer Festival at the International Hotel began on August 10, 1970, and the MGM movie crew was on hand to film this show as well as the evening and midnight performances of August 11, 12 and 13. He sings many well-known songs, including several of those that he had been seen rehearsing earlier in the film. The songs are:

Elvis is also seen relaxing in his hotel suite with various members of his entourage. The movie is also intercut with footage of fans offering commentary about what Elvis means to them; officials at the International Hotel; and celebrities (including Sammy Davis Jr., Cary Grant, Charo, George Hamilton, Juliet Prowse and Xavier Cugat) arriving for opening night of the show.

[edit] Musicians with Elvis

[edit] Shows/Rehearsals Filmed for Elvis: That's the Way It Is

  • 14 July rehearsal (M.G.M. Stage 1, Culver City, California)
  • 15 July rehearsal (M.G.M. Stage 1, Culver City, California)
  • 24 July rehearsal (R.C.A. studios, Hollywood, California)
  • 29 July rehearsal (M.G.M. studios, Culver City, California)
  • 4 August rehearsal (Convention Center, International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada)
  • 7 August Stage rehearsal
  • 10 August Stage rehearsal
  • 10 August Opening Night Show
  • 11 August Dinner Show
  • 11 August Midnight Show
  • 12 August Dinner Show
  • 12 August Midnight Show
  • 13 August Dinner Show

[edit] Soundtrack album

Main article: That's the Way It Is (album)

A soundtrack album was released in conjunction with the film. It was Presley's first full-length film soundtrack album since 1968's Speedway, and the last as his final film, 1972's Elvis on Tour, did not have a soundtrack release. It was only a partial soundtrack release, as it did not include all of the live performances, and substituted studio recordings for some of the songs performed in the film (some of these recordings can actually be heard playing during the film itself).

A Special Edition was released in 2001 in conjunction with the Special Edition of the movie. This consisted of three discs:

  • Disc one  : Original album plus bonus songs
  • Disc two  : 12 August Midnight Show
  • Disc Three : Unreleased Live songs and rehearsals

However the following shows are also available on CD:

  • One Night in Vegas (10 August Opening Show)
  • Live in Las Vegas (Disc 2) (11 August Midnight Show)

[edit] 2001 version

In 2001, a new version of That's the Way it Is was compiled. The new version eliminated much of the documentary and non-Elvis content of the original in favor of adding additional performances of Elvis rehearsing and in concert. The final film runs 12 minutes shorter than the original, but contains more music, although several performances included in the original film are omitted (most notably the concert performance of "I Just Can't Help Believin'").

The special edition was released on January 19, 2001, when this new version made its worldwide debut on the cable network, Turner Classic Movies.

In August 2007 a two-disc DVD "special edition" was released by Warner/Turner that has both the reworked version plus the original cut. The original, however, has only a mono soundtrack [it was made with 4 track stereo]. The DVD also includes approximately 35 minutes of additional performances and other footage that was not included in either edition.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] DVD reviews

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis:_That%27s_the_Way_It_Is"