Review: ‘Reinventing Elvis’ – the ’68 Elvis comeback documentary
For all the new Elvis fans who discovered Elvis from Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 ELVIS movie, part of the reason they loved the new Reinventing Elvis documentary shown in theaters on July 30, 2023 is because they got to see the REAL Elvis on the big screen. I remember how exciting it was for me to see the REAL Elvis Presley in his 1968 Comeback Special shown in theaters in 2018 for the 50th anniversary of the special. It even included a bonus segment for the making of the special, which was produced by Meteor 17, the same company that produced this documentary, Reinventing Elvis.
However, since there weren’t many new revelations in the documentary, fans who know more of Presley’s history may not be as impressed by the special. So this review is more for the longtime fans who are looking for what’s new in the documentary.
In 2017, it was announced that Steve Binder (producer and director of the ’68 special), and Alanna Nash were working on a biopic about Colonel Parker based on Alanna’s book, The Colonel. Since that never came to pass, this was their chance to include info about the Colonel in this documentary. Alanna Nash was a creative consultant on this film, and Steve Binder was an executive producer. However, it seemed kind of excessive to include so much about Colonel Parker in this documentary, especially only a year after Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 ELVIS movie which focused heavily on the Colonel. In the theater, I kept thinking, “when will they get back to Elvis?”
In addition to author Alanna Nash and Steve Binder, many people were interviewed for the documentary. Gillian Gaar, author of Return of The King: Elvis Presley’s Great Comeback, offers great insights about Elvis in the film. Author and Presidential historian, Douglas Brinkley, brought context to the political events of the 1960s when Presley’s ’68 special took place.
They also had various musicians and singers give their perspective on Presley’s performance in the NBC-TV Special. Darius Rucker (from Hootie and the Blowfish fame), Maffio (a Dominican artist), and Drake Milligan (a former Elvis tribute artist recently featured on America’s Got Talent) were all interviewed for the special.
Things that stood out to me were interviews with people involved in the special besides Steve Binder, like choreographer Jaime Rogers, writer Allan Blye, dancers Susan Henning, Tanya Lemani George (“Little Egypt”) and Anita Mann. Susan Henning (pictured on right) finally gets her due when describing what it was like to film the “bordello” scene with Elvis. She described her character in the segment as a “virgin hooker.” Then, Steve Binder explained how the segment was deemed too risque for the network, and the executives cut it from the original broadcast.
It was also great hearing from fans who were actually in the audience like Darice (didn’t catch her last name) and Joan Gansky. They both shared how exciting it was to be there watching Elvis during this momentous occasion. One of two sisters described how Elvis came and sat between them when he sang the song “Memories.”
However, there was one thing they didn’t include in the film from Joan Gansky. It was the fact that she was sent her ticket for the show in the mail as were several other fans in Elvis fan clubs. This contradicts Steve Binder’s story about how Colonel Parker didn’t distribute any of the audience tickets, and they had to find random people at the last minute to attend.
In an article about the 40th anniversary of the special, Joan said: “This is a fun and often repeated story. However, since I was there I don’t think that it can be totally correct. I, for instance, had my 2 tickets arrive in the US Mail! In fact I had returned to England to decide if I would stay there with my family or return to the USA. I wonder how many people made life-changing decisions involving the 68 Special!
Also a number of the “gate people” – the fans who waited at Elvis’ gates constantly to chat with him as he came and left, received tickets to the ’68 Special from Elvis personally! Looking at the ’68 Special footage it certainly doesn’t seem that the audience were ‘dragged in off the streets and hamburger restaurant nearby” – as they looked pretty much dressed up for the occasion.'”
However, the truth is that the “arena” segments where Joan most likely saw Elvis perform were taped on a different day (June 29, 1968) from the “improv” segments (taped on June 27, 1968) where Elvis performed informally with other members of his band. The “arena” or “stand-up” segments where Elvis is performing alone on the square in the middle of the audience were planned well in advance. Those tickets were sent out to fans. However, the “improv” or “sit-down” segments were arranged at the last minute. These are the segments that Binder claims Colonel Parker did not distribute the audience tickets. So, it seems both of their accounts are correct.
[August 2023 Update: Joan Gansky clarified that she was actually at the “sit down/improv” taping on June 27. This makes Steve Binder’s story even more perplexing… “I sat behind Alan Fortas’ head – which would keep getting in the way of Elvis when he moved!” Joan said. “When I heard he was to do this TV special, I had written to many places all over the USA that I thought might have tickets – film studios, recording studios, and NBC. In all my requests, I included a stamped self-addressed envelope – and my tickets arrived in one of those. I never could be sure where they were sent from… but assumed it was NBC studios. As I wrote in one of my articles, I had returned to England at the time – and my friend who was collecting my mail, contacted me that I had received the tickets! This sure helped me decide to get back here ASAP!”]
Regarding all the complaints Steve Binder and Alanna Nash express over Colonel Parker in the film, many of these same issues are brought up in an exaggerated and often misleading style in the 2022 ELVIS movie (and alas, Baz Luhrmann is also listed as a creative consultant in the credits of Reinventing Elvis). For example, for all the ridicule Colonel Parker gets over wanting Elvis to sing at least one Christmas song in the ’68 Special, I ask you, Elvis fans: do you realize that without his insistence, there would be no video of Elvis singing a Christmas song whatsoever?! Every Christmas, Elvis fans so desperately want to post something on social media relating to Elvis and the Christmas holiday. The main thing they have to rely on is that one and only video of Elvis singing “Blue Christmas” during the unplugged segment of the ’68 special. Thank you, Colonel Parker!
Most people don’t realize that there was a method to Colonel Parker’s madness. Parker had a good reason for wanting Elvis to sing Christmas songs in the special. Guess what has been the biggest selling Elvis album of all time, in addition to the biggest selling Christmas album of all time – Elvis’ Christmas Album! That’s right – Elvis’ Christmas Album, first released in 1957 and then re-issued in 1970, has sold 20 million copies and counting.
One of the dancers interviewed for the film was Anita Mann (pictured on left) who also appeared in three Elvis movies. When researching her on the internet, I discovered that she credits Elvis for starting her career as a choreographer, and the first time that she met Elvis she witnessed him giving a donation to a group of nuns. But, unfortunately, you won’t hear personal stories like this about Elvis in the film. While Reinventing Elvis is basically guided from Steve Binder’s perspective, in my opinion, the film would have been more captivating if it included more personal stories about Elvis behind the scenes of the special. For example, when interviewing the dancers who worked on the special with Elvis, I wished they asked them what Elvis was like on a personal level, instead of asking them what Steve Binder and Colonel Parker were like.
I was surprised that they didn’t interview Darlene Love, whose female group The Blossoms, performed in the gospel segment with Elvis. In previous interviews, Darlene (pictured on the far right) revealed: “In those three or four days that the Blossoms were shooting, I felt like I’d known Elvis all my life,” Darlene said. “Pure joy. At lunchtime, he’d get his guitar and we’d sing old gospel songs. In the ’68 special, he did those songs real, like you’d do with your friends.”
I also would have liked to hear more from writer, Allan Blye, who said in the film that, along with his co-writer, Chris Bearde, they spent weeks talking to Elvis about his life. They wrote the script for the TV special based on those conversations.
Overall, I’d rate the movie an 8 out of 10, asking for a little less Colonel and a little more Elvis.
***
This review was written by the Elvis News Examiner, Trina Young. She is the author of 4 Elvis books, including her latest, Fact vs. Fiction in the 2022 ELVIS Movie. Read a free excerpt at ElvisBiography.net.
For those who didn’t catch the film in the theater, Reinventing Elvis will be streaming on Paramount Plus starting on August 15.
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