THE SEARCHER - I've seen it and I liked it, but . . .

[Norman]

Was there any footage from 1977 to be seen?

It amazes me why people want to see footage of Elvis in 1977. Not exactly at his physical peak or even musical creativeness.

Unless your the morbid sort.

Or humanly interested in both highs and lows throughout the whole life – as shown in the Bio-pic, This is Elvis and the EPE-sanctioned Elvis The Great Performances.

Getting the wagon back on track, it clearly appears this is not a programme that deserves full marks, but it sounds like it’s still pretty good overall. It does makes some schoolboy errors. The Man and the Music Magazine criticised the recent Vegas comeback documentary for using 1970 footage for 1969, and logically would be expected to do the same for the same reliance in this film (though I can live with it in both documentaries). Though other inaccuracies exist in The Searcher and have been rightly pointed out, it looks like, from the objective assessment provided by Jukebox, that it works for the audience who perhaps were not particularly fascinated with Elvis up to now.

[WalterHaleJnr]

Was there any footage from 1977 to be seen?

How dare you !

It did not happen !

The first rule of 1977 is: You do not talk about 1977.
The second rule of 1977 is: You DO NOT TALK ABOUT 1977!
Third rule of 1977: Someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, 1977 is over.
Fourth rule: only two guys (Elvis and Charlie) on stage.

they never actually said there would be anything from 1977 in the first place. 1976 was the cutting point. Not that kind of a doco. Perhaps if the Estate wasn't involved there might've been.

[a mess of Polk salad]

Please are there any photos from 1969 , press conference, on stage etc...? Thank you

[Jukebox]

I'd like to ask what new 1950's footage was to be seen - if any, in this final edit?
Anything from 1955?

Also how was the Hawaii `61 benefit show covered - did they show the plane arrival footage etc?

Yes, they used a few colored film frames from the '57 Hawaii concert and stills from 1954 and '55.
Sorry I can't recall more specific examples at this time.

As for Hawaii '61, they played some of "Reconsider Baby" and commented about all of the wonderful musicians that Elvis had access to during
this time of his career such as Boots Randolph, Hank Garland, Bob Moore... and how Scotty Moore & D.J. Fontana were now playing a lesser role.
The voice-over also added that it was such a shame and waste that this was to be Elvis' last live concert until 1969.

[Mountain Mist]

Thank you, Jukebox, that took you a lot of time, very kind of you.



Are you in the photo that I posted?

[Jukebox]

Love to read that they took other singers that HE liked and put them up on screen.

Roy Hamilton was barely seen in a photo from the '69 Memphis sessions, but there was no mention of him being one of Elvis' favorite singers. And speaking of the '69 Memphis sessions... there was a big nod in favor of Chips Moman being a major factor for Elvis' recording success from those sessions.

So it seems the TCB band interviews regarding the JR sessions never made the cut ...

That's correct... no in-depth interviews, but Ronnie Tutt and Glen D. Hardin had some voice-over spots during Part 2. I find it strange that there was nothing from James Burton or about James Burton.

Early in Part 2 the producers also included a small segment about Elvis meeting Charlie Hodge in the military and how they became friends with Charlie going to work for Elvis.

[DarylR]

During the pre-show, the intermission between films, and the post show, was there any mention by any of the people involved with the film (Priscilla, Thom Zimny, Jerry Schilling, etc.) of when we might see a home video / DVD / BluRay release? Also was there any talk of an extended cut of the film being released to home video or possible bonus features found on the home video release? I know Priscilla mentioned at SXSW that initially they wanted to make the film 6 hours long. I presume she mentioned this only because I have a gut feeling that there will be an extended version released to home video / BluRay / DVD.

[Jukebox]

Please how good regarding picture quality was the Elvis & Frank Sinatra "Welcome Home Elvis" footage?
Had it been cleaned up?

Well, we saw it on a big theater screen, so I was able to see all of the imperfections in the film. It might look a little better from a DVD source.

One important thing to know about a lot of the Elvis television film footage:
In some segments it was as if they were deliberately trying to make the '68 Comeback footage, and the '73 Aloha footage look old and dated as if the viewer is looking back in history. Therefore, I think there'll be a lot of disappointed fans not getting certain footage in pristine condition.

I think the strangest decision they made was not including any footage at all from the main Aloha satellite concert! What they did include was all from the rehearsal show, but they were passing it off as the Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite show. I find that bizarre.

Please are there any photos from 1969 , press conference, on stage etc...? Thank you

Strangely enough, they used one 1969 press conference photo to pass it off as a 1968 press conference photo to discuss the then upcoming production of the NBC-TV Special. Of course, I noticed right away that his sideburns were too big for early '68. However, for those not knowing much about Elvis' career, it'll do.

[Jukebox]

During the pre-show, the intermission between films, and the post show, was there any mention by any of the people involved with the film (Priscilla, Thom Zimny, Jerry Schilling, etc.) of when we might see a home video / DVD / BluRay release? Also was there any talk of an extended cut of the film being released to home video or possible bonus features found on the home video release? I know Priscilla mentioned at SXSW that initially they wanted to make the film 6 hours long. I presume she mentioned this only because I have a gut feeling that there will be an extended version released to home video / BluRay / DVD.

I sure wish I had thought to ask that, DarylR. Nobody mentioned anything about a possible DVD in the future, but of course that doesn't mean there won't be a DVD release.

After seeing this, I personally do feel that Elvis' life & career deserved at least a 6-hour documentary.
As it was, Part 1 covered 1935 thru the end of 1959. Part 2 covered early 1960 thru 1976, but of course the docu. does mention Elvis' death.
The voice-over described Elvis as dying "during a break in his tour"... as if the June shows and the coming August shows were part of the same tour.

I would've preferred an even more in-depth documentary . . .

Part 1 - Two hours ~ 1935 -thru- 1959
Part 2 - Two hours ~ 1960 -thru- 1968
Part 3 - Two hours ~ 1969 -thru- 1977

Bonus DVD disc... Part 4 - Two hours ~ August 16, 1977 -thru- August 16, 2017

[WalterHaleJnr]

Please how good regarding picture quality was the Elvis & Frank Sinatra "Welcome Home Elvis" footage?
Had it been cleaned up?

Well, we saw it on a big theater screen, so I was able to see all of the imperfections in the film. It might look a little better from a DVD source.

One important thing to know about a lot of the Elvis television film footage:
In some segments it was as if they were deliberately trying to make the '68 Comeback footage, and the '73 Aloha footage look old and dated as if the viewer is looking back in history. Therefore, I think there'll be a lot of disappointed fans not getting certain footage in pristine condition.

I think the strangest decision they made was not including any footage at all from the main Aloha satellite concert! What they did include was all from the rehearsal show, but they were passing it off as the Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite show. I find that bizarre.

Please are there any photos from 1969 , press conference, on stage etc...? Thank you

Strangely enough, they used one 1969 press conference photo to pass it off as a 1968 press conference photo to discuss the then upcoming production ohttp://www.theelvisforum-phoenix.com/index.phpf the NBC-TV Special. Of course, I noticed right away that his sideburns were too big for early '68. However, for those not knowing much about Elvis' career, it'll do.

Jukebox, in your observation and photographic memory, how many times did it happen,where they 'passed off' a film, a photo, or whatever on an event and replaced it with either a later or earlier shot? Surely they could've used the '69 vegas silent film that circulates and spliced with august 1970.

[shanebrown]

In the end, though, the passing off of footage as something else us, in the great scheme of things, likely to annoy us but not be detrimental to the documentary itself. I agree that some of it is bizarre (Aloha), but on the other hand I can understand why they show opening night 1970 and let the viewer assume it is 1969. Explaining that it isn't would be cumbersome. Having a subtitle on the screening saying it was 1970 would only lead to questions as to why it wasn't from 1969. And so on. If this was a book with wrongly dated images, I would be more concerned. There is no excuse for any factual errors in the narration etc, though.

[Jukebox]

Jukebox, in your observation and photographic memory, how many times did it happen,where they 'passed off' a film, a photo, or whatever on an event and replaced it with either a later or earlier shot? Surely they could've used the '69 vegas silent film that circulates and spliced with august 1970.

I wish I did have a photographic memory, but thanks anyway.
It's difficult to remember how many times they did that during the documentary. I might be able to recall some more instances later.

In the end, though, the passing off of footage as something else us, in the great scheme of things, likely to annoy us but not be detrimental to the documentary itself. I agree that some of it is bizarre (Aloha), but on the other hand I can understand why they show opening night 1970 and let the viewer assume it is 1969. Explaining that it isn't would be cumbersome. Having a subtitle on the screening saying it was 1970 would only lead to questions as to why it wasn't from 1969. And so on. If this was a book with wrongly dated images, I would be more concerned.
There is no excuse for any factual errors in the narration etc, though.

You're right on all accounts, shanebrown.

~ I just recalled another instance where they misdated something, but it was probably deliberately done to cut corners --
Does everyone remember the press conference in Las Vegas on Labor Day 1972 to discuss the then upcoming Aloha From Hawaii special?
Well, they showed about a 30 or 45-second segment of that, and they had it dated as 1973. They didn't bother taking the time
to explain that there was a press conference about 4 months before the actual event.
>> http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pic ... rence.html

[DarylR]

How much input did Ernst have as far as the voice over interviews?

[Mojo Filter]

Was there any footage from 1977 to be seen?

It amazes me why people want to see footage of Elvis in 1977. Not exactly at his physical peak or even musical creativeness.

Unless your the morbid sort.

Or humanly interested in both highs and lows throughout the whole life – as shown in the Bio-pic, This is Elvis and the EPE-sanctioned Elvis The Great Performances.

That's all well and good, but that's not how a lot of fans see it, they just want the footage no matter how the footage is presented in a film documentary. You can put such Elvis footage in a Wildlife program and it wouldn't bother some fans as long as they see it and got it in their collection.

It seems that the film doesn't touch upon much of the 70s in the way of footage, except to tell the story of Elvis' gruesome touring schedule that eventually burnt him out. And I'm personally glad it doesn't but more concentrates Elvis at his best which is how a film should be presented and made him proud as an artist which seems to be there aim.

[WalterHaleJnr]

During the pre-show, the intermission between films, and the post show, was there any mention by any of the people involved with the film (Priscilla, Thom Zimny, Jerry Schilling, etc.) of when we might see a home video / DVD / BluRay release? Also was there any talk of an extended cut of the film being released to home video or possible bonus features found on the home video release? I know Priscilla mentioned at SXSW that initially they wanted to make the film 6 hours long. I presume she mentioned this only because I have a gut feeling that there will be an extended version released to home video / BluRay / DVD.

I sure wish I had thought to ask that, DarylR. Nobody mentioned anything about a possible DVD in the future, but of course that doesn't mean there won't be a DVD release.

After seeing this, I personally do feel that Elvis' life & career deserved at least a 6-hour documentary.
As it was, Part 1 covered 1935 thru the end of 1959. Part 2 covered early 1960 thru 1976, but of course the docu. does mention Elvis' death.
The voice-over described Elvis as dying "during a break in his tour"... as if the June shows and the coming August shows were part of the same tour.

I would've preferred an even more in-depth documentary . . .

Part 1 - Two hours ~ 1935 -thru- 1959
Part 2 - Two hours ~ 1960 -thru- 1968
Part 3 - Two hours ~ 1969 -thru- 1977

Bonus DVD disc... Part 4 - Two hours ~ August 16, 1977 -thru- August 16, 2017

Now that would rival what was done for the Beatles 1995 Anthology television and subsequent dvd productions. Bring it On !