Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Show—The Classic Performances

The footage of Elvis Presley's three stints on The Ed Sullivan Show in the mid-1950s (totaling 15 songs) will surely be familiar to even the King's casual fans; indeed, the distributor's claim that this is the first time these performances have been made available on a single disc seems to be its principal raison d'être. Of course, seeing Elvis in his prime never grows old. The first Sullivan spot, September 1956, reveals a talent who, though inexperienced, was a unique combination of disparate qualities: self-effacing but supremely confident, charming and somehow dangerous (by the standards of the time), sincere yet insouciant. With a rockin' band and the Jordanaires on backup vocals, this collection features multiple performances of “Don't Be Cruel” (ditto for “Love Me Tender” and “Hound Dog”), but the lesser known tunes—such as the rip-roaring “Ready Teddy,” the swinging “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again,” the dirty blues “Too Much,” and the gospel standard “Peace in the Valley”—make at least as great an impression. The highlight of the bonus material (which includes interviews; home movies of Elvis, Priscilla, and daughter Lisa Marie; and Elvis and friends on a film set) is some color (and silent) home-movie footage of Presley performing outdoors in Houston in 1955. What will still charm viewers is the young Elvis—before the awful films and schlocky songs—whose sheer ebullience and sexual charisma led the director of The Ed Sullivan Show to film him only from the waist up on his third appearance. Highly recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)