Elvis '56: In the Beginning

Narrated by musician Levon Helm of The Band, Elvis '56 is a sometimes jittery but never dull record of "The King's" first full year of superstardom. The early Elvis is depicted through family photos and generic shots of the places where he grew up, drove the truck, twanged the first guitar. The ...more

Using Alfred Wertheimer's magnificent collection of photos of Elvis Presley as a jumping-off point, filmmakers Susan and Alan Raymond fashioned the most coherent and touching documentary about the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Wertheimer trailed Elvis through his annus mirabilis, just after he had signed his contract with RCA and began to take the national stage. The film adeptly mixes the familiar clips of Elvis on various TV shows (it can be argued that he was the first pop music star created, in ...more