Lightyear Entertainment: Elvis '56 (1987) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of Lightyear Entertainment

With the compounded theatrical package of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic as well as the concert film currently in release EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert and the recent Sofia Coppola film Priscilla, the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ has had a full-blown renewal of interest in the court of 2020s theatrical media.  It stands to reason that at some point, preexisting documentaries naturally would resurface and such is the case with Lightyear Entertainment’s 1080p bump of Alan and Susan Raymond’s 1987 made-for-television hour-long special Elvis ’56. 

 
A film that encapsulates many of his career highlights and frequent controversial television appearances, comprised largely of still photographs supplied by Alfred Wertheimer and narration by Levon Helm, the short documentary plays a lot like a typical PBS special at the height of the Ken Burns documentary phenomenon.  While this new Blu-ray upgrade doesn’t look a whole lot like 1080p and more closely resembles a videotape source and no extras to speak of, the 2.0 stereo audio is fine and Elvis completists who have owned the tape and laserdisc of this for decades will be inclined to upgrade.

 
In a short amount of time, we’re shown performances throughout his career heights from The Ed Sullivan Show where cameramen were instructed not to film the performer’s lower half due to his propensity for offending bodily gyrations infamously captured on the Milton Berle program.  From his rise through radio play to small time gigs and eventual national attention on television exposure as well as fierce negative criticism of his music and talent, we’re given a broad overview of 1956 as Elvis’ breakthrough year.  Made in conjunction with the Elvis Presley Estate, the film refrains from discussing later career controversies and instead remains trained on the period where he became an icon and not just another musician. 

 
If you already own the older tape and laserdisc releases of Elvis ’56, chances are this Blu-ray 1080p upscale isn’t going to look or sound a whole lot different from those editions.  For someone like myself who missed out on those editions which you can still find on eBay, the Lightyear Entertainment release is a welcome addition to the discourse surrounding Elvis Presley’s music and image.  While not digging very deep, mostly entrenched on the musical career rise and not on any of his more interpersonal problems, it was an entertaining music documentary.  Not a seismic upgrade but purists will be pleased to see and hear nothing was changed.

--Andrew Kotwicki