The year Elvis shot to stardom is explored in Alan & Susan Raymond’s 1987 documentary Elvis ‘56, now on Blu-Ray via Lightyear Entertainment.
To pull from the Pulp Fiction deleted scene, I’ve always been a Beatles guy over an Elvis guy. I’ve appreciated Mr. Presley; he’s one hell of a musical artist and a good enough actor- the man’s got charm to spare. I’ve enjoyed the handful of movies he starred in, and the movies about and around him, mainly Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla and the first Kurt Russell/John Carpenter hook-up: Elvis in 1978. (Fun note: Russell’s first film role was the kid who kicked Elvis in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair, set in my town of Seattle!). Now I get to add a documentary to that mix, assuming Bubba Ho-Tep was fiction. I’ve not really watched that many documentaries about him, though. My knowledge of the man comes from pop culture, the above works, and a several-page paper I wrote on him in eighth grade in 1996. Thus, Elvis ‘56, the made-for-TV 1987 documentary, as the title suggests, looks at a single year in the life of Elvis Presley.
Academy Award-winning documentary pair Alan and Susan Raymond (for 1994’s I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School) present a tight one-hour package of a year in the life of Elvis. Hell, hardly A year in the life but THE year in the life. 1956 is the year everything changed, making it a heck of a year for a documentary. Elvis turns 21, meets Colonel Tom Parker, signs with a new label, and explodes into the public eye in music and movies. Even seventy years removed from the events, and nearly forty from the documentary, I’ll let the program speak to itself. But it is interesting how a “we’re looking at January to December” of a specific year, one wouldn’t expect a real climax, but a mere stopping point, but with the rise of a star, it did it on its own.
The Raymonds provide this rundown with, what is most interesting to me, a series of little-seen clips and footage of Elvis, linked together by a serviceable narration from Levon Helm of The Band (another fantastic music artist). Appearing on Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, and other programs, see the rise. It’s fascinating to compare the small, intimate appearances on a wee local show to the massive viewership of Ed Sullivan in September to stadiums in December. What a rise. One can see just how much he cared and put into these performances. Elvis was one hell of a showman. And he took it seriously. In an interesting touch, they present two versions of Hound Dog back-to-back. One in which the host seems to disparage Elvis by having him sing to a literal dog, and one in which he’s allowed to break free. The difference between the two is astounding. This comes after the juxtaposition of following the conservative performance of Perry Como on some show, highlighting the cultural shift in the rise of rock and roll, adding another layer. Even without the documentary around it, I couldn’t help but move with the music as I watched his electric performances. One might say, “I can watch these online,” but remember, it’s 1987, and a TV special such as this was the only easy way to look back at the icon.
However, perhaps to match the aim of the documentary, it’s a little Wikipedia summary: this happened then this then this, all with appreciating’ it’s a glowing appraisal. There are notes of what Elvis might be thinking or reflecting from the filmmakers over how everything would change, but it doesn’t get into the weeds. Elvis never speaks for himself; we don’t get into his head over how he’s dealing with or approaching the increased pressure of fame. Don’t expect a warts-and-all depth of this game-changer of a year. But for what it is, Elvis ‘56 is a nice glance at how Elvis became Elvis.
As a student of pop-culture history and the media around it (heck, even took a few TV classes as part of my film degree), I was personally drawn in by just seeing how this sort of thing worked in the 1950s, variety shows of early TV bringing the stage to the home, early personalities, and figuring out the format. The documentary casts a small net to the side about how entertainment flowed in 1956, and that was right up my alley.
As a Ghostbuster, I have to finish with the line from that movie: “How is Elvis? And have you seen him lately?”
Whoa, mama.
The Package
Lightyear via MVD presents Elvis ‘56 on a single disc Blu-Ray, adding to the DVD from 2018. It’s a standard release, with the disc within a see-through case with a sleeve. Poster on the front and synopsis and track listing (it is a music doc after all) on the back. The interior of the sleeve features the same image of Elvis on his guitar that features as the poster and disc art.
The Presentation
Here’s a big positive. One might expect seventy-year-old TV footage to be dark and murky, recorded and copied so many times over the years. But to my happy surprise, it looks great. Remastered, it’s easy to see with solid clarity. It holds some of the age and time, so don’t expect a crisp Technicolor flick, but it serves very well. The sound is good as well, free from too many artifacts,
In English with no subtitles.
The Features
No takin’ care of business here. The disc contains only the feature.
Final Notes
While the package is anemic in more than just the show, it is released at a bargain price, so it matches. For an Elvis fan, or one looking to get a slice of his story in a momentous moment or see life and TV of 1956, Elvis ‘56 is an interesting watch.