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One of the most enjoyable, eccentric moments in "Honeymoon in Vegas" (where Nicolas Cage loses Sarah Jessica Parker to James Caan in a poker game) involves a group of skydiving Elvises, complete with chunky black sideburns. Hero-worship never looked so daft. Until, that is, you spot The Imperials, back-up vocalists for Elvis' Vegas season, who - with sideburns, quiffs and attitude - look like a dotty parody of the King himself.
This is only one of many amusing moments in this completely re-cut version of the 1970 documentary which tracks the build-up to the opening night of Elvis in Vegas and, naturally, captures the show itself. Gone are the intrusive fan interviews, the chats with hotel staff and the mono sound; instead we have a film which emphasises the performance, and it is beefed up by digitally-revamped image and sound. Moreover, 40 per cent of the picture (now 13 minutes shorter but containing four new songs) is composed of unused footage.
The trouble with this documentary is less to do with its assembly than its content. Allowing for the fact that it would have been a much richer experience had it cemented Elvis to his era and included interviews with the star and his band, Elvis himself by 1970 was a hot-and-cold experience: an intense, all-blitz version of "Heartbreak Hotel" shows Elvis fully in the moment, yet "Don't Be Cruel" becomes just another excuse to goon around, another snogging session (he strolls through the theatre, entertaining ladies in the audience). Don't forget, by 1970 Elvis was nine-parts showbiz, one part rock 'n' roll. Yet his voice and charisma were very much intact, and he was some years away from becoming the full-fat version we know from the final photographs. In this film he comes across as a kindly, concerned man, with his showing-off born of innocent fun, not egotism. I saw this in the company of a sizable chunk of the British Elvis fan-club who gasped at his every move, chuckled at his every aside. But for the rest of us, "Elvis: That's The Way It Is" is pleasant, not essential, and shows up the limitations of the rock documentary.
Read about the Rise and Fall of Elvis the Actor and a review of his 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas.
