DVD Review: Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows - Page 3

By his third appearance, 6 January 1957, Elvis was introduced sans introductory Mercury commercials or novelty dog acts. He had the collar popped, and the formless sports coat was replaced by a glitter vest, foreshadowing what he would become in his Vegas years. He opened with a medley of his greatest hits, once again foreshadowing what would be Elvis in his later years. He zipped through snippets of "Hound Dog", Heartbreak Hotel" and "Don't Be Cruel" in a matter of moments, with the camera all focusing on his face.

This was the infamous appearance wherein American censors decreed that anything below the waist might hurl civilization into an age of darkness. The strangeness of it all nonetheless worked. It was an oddly surreal night in which Carol Burnett made her national debut, and Sullivan offered boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson defensive tips. There were clown acts, ventriloquists, and dancers, not to mention Mercury commercials that played up the '57 Merc Montclair as a utopian vehicle without peer.

It was a momentous program in more ways than one. The Sullivan shows were, at heart, the last of the vaudeville revues. But they also ushered in the new medium of television and were the foundation for the direction variety shows would take. Elvis Presley was arguably the first superstar of video and rock and roll. He closed that evening's show with the gospel standard "Peace in the Valley." Suddenly, rock and roll didn't seem all that dangerous, after all. America had its first idol.

Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows preserves all three performances exactly as they were presented fifty years ago, commercials and all. It's the first time that viewers have been able to see Elvis in such an accurate context, but more importantly, it affords us a glimpse of a culture that was radically different from the world in which we now live.

These three discs are essential viewing for anybody with a passing interest in the evolution of pop culture. Besides their purely historical significance, they're vastly entertaining. Special features include Elvis Presley's first film appearance ( a silent 8mm fillm snippet of him performing outside Houston), promos for the shows, reminisces of the times told through interviews with his friends and associates, and an Elvis-only performance option. I don't recommend utilizing that option. To get the full impact of the performances, it's best to see the entire program. I do, however, advise the option of 5.1 Surround Sound. Mono is okay, but digital stereo makes it all the more vivid.

Article Author: Ray Ellis

Ray Ellis is a freelance writer who has been dissecting pop culture and its effect on how we view ourselves for over twenty years, ruffling feathers and dragging unsuspecting pedestrians along for the ride whenever possible.

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