The 2022 theatrical biopic Elvis reignited (assuming it had ever gone away) interest in the personal life of Elvis Presley. Shelves may find synergy with the (re)appearance of this 2014 long short subject, a sort of souvenir built around the 1955-56 remembrances of Elvis from his first public girlfriend (and, in fact, a media-acknowledged fiancee, at the time), a beautiful Mississippi teenager named June Juanico.
Juanico—author of a 1997 memoir about the relationship—is interviewed, still a striking woman at the time of the filming. But visuals that will attract attention (and marketability) are excerpts from some 15 minutes of color 8mm film opportunistically shot by June's brother, as the family hosted Elvis on fishing trips and early-stardom appearances. We are told in the epilogue that the precious original reels vanished in Hurricane Katrina (sorry eBay bidders), but these cine images were copied first.
Witnesses describe the rising rock-pop-Hollywood icon as a sober, unspoiled, companionable young Tennessee gentleman. With his small but growing entourage, Elvis is said to have bonded to the Juanicos, one good old boy to another, though of course, Col. Tom Parker had to hover in the background. June was privy to Elvis' initial reaction to his first movie project, the Civil War tragedy Love Me Tender (it was not altogether favorable). And it is repeated that the household thoroughly trusted Elvis around June. Thus the "hunk'a-hunk'a burning-love" question of whether she was ever intimate with him is left hanging in the air.
Where the narrative thins out, stock-photo stills and inserts of interviews from other Graceland insiders, such as George Klein and Trude Forsher (the Colonel's secretary) pad in the biographical blanks.
No Presley music was licensed for the short documentary, a conspicuous absence. As a result of the tinny, generic rockabilly-ambiance soundtrack, the item feels somewhat like a public-domain cash-in. But "Don't Be Cruel"; there is merit. Seen in the wake of the blockbuster Elvis movie (or other properties that chronicled the singer's larger-than-life rise and decline), the effect is poignant, even if the time-capsule visit to a small portion of Mondo Presley is an optional purchase.
What public library shelves would this title be on?
Music shelves of almost any library might be interested, but those with special claims to the Elvis/June romance (territories in Tennessee and Mississippi and Louisiana, for example) should get "All Shook Up" with the local-history aspect.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
American-music studies, with the accent on Elvis and the dawn of rock, might find they "Can't Help Falling in Love".
What type of classroom would this documentary resource be suitable for?
There are a few PG swear words (quoted), though the running time is very apt for most classrooms in high school and above. So don't "Return to Sender."