FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the release status of Elvis's MGM concert films Elvis, That's the Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972)?

MGM produced two theatrically released Elvis concert documentary films during Elvis' lifetime. They are Elvis, That's the Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972). Years later, some footage that had been shot for these films but not included in the original releases were assembled for a home video called Elvis, The Lost Performances (1992). These three programs have been available on home video for many years. That's the Way It Is has also been available on DVD.

The original version of Elvis, That's the Way It Is is now off the market, replaced by Elvis: That's the Way It Is, Special Edtion. Elvis, The Lost Performances is no longer in wide distribution. Elvis on Tour continues to be available on video, but there is no DVD release at present.

Turner Entertainment owns the MGM film catalog, including all the Elvis MGM concert footage and all the movies Elvis did for MGM as an actor. Turner is owned by Warner Brothers.

Elvis, That's The Way It Is

The year 2000 marked the 30th anniversary of the MGM concert film Elvis, That's the Way It Is. Turner Entertainment, the owner of the MGM films, introduced an exciting, long-anticipated new edition of the film, entitled Elvis: That's the Way It Is - Special Edition. The film premiered on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) channel in 2001 in widescreen "letterbox" format and was released on Warner Home Video and DVD that same year. The new version contains many of the performances you know and love, but around 40% of the content is previously unreleased material. Eliminated are the documentary-style interviews and other non-Elvis-himselvis material so prevalent in the original 1970 release. All of the footage and the sound are splendidly remastered. Even the performances you have already seen look and sound different due to the remastering and re-editing. Both the video and DVD include a "making of" section entitled Patch It Up that tells the fascinating inside story of the creation of the new program.

Due to music publishing clearance obstacles, budgetary decisions and whatever other complications, Turner's parent company, Warner Brothers, chose to cancel the 60 minutes of additional footage planned and previously announced for inclusion in the 2001 DVD release. We have no further details to share regarding this situation other than to tell you that NONE of these complications involved Graceland/EPE.

The goal of the excellent production team Turner brought in for the new special edition was to put together, in their opinion, the best-paced, best-all-around show for the 94 minutes allotted for the version to be presented on home video and television. The choices regarding what to include in those 94 minutes were made with the expectation of putting any other great material into a collection of 60 additional minutes of footage that had been planned and announced as an extra feature for the DVD release. Otherwise, it’s highly unlikely that performances like Bridge Over Troubled Water and several others we all just LOVE, would have been left out of the 94 minutes. The edit had been finalized and was beyond the point of reworking it by the time the decision was made to cancel the additional footage component for the DVD.

Whenever Turner/Warner gives us any updates to share about additional releases of That's the Way It Is material, we will post information in News here on the site and revise this FAQ. In the meantime, we take every opportunity to encourage them to release as much of this glorious material as possible and they know they can continue to expect our full, enthusiastic cooperation and support.

Elvis on Tour

Elvis on Tour continues to be available on home video, no DVD release at present. Turner/Warner has indicated interest in developing new releases of the Elvis on Tour material sometime in the future, but there is not a project actually on their calendar at the moment, at least not that we know of. As with the Elvis, That's the Way It Is footage, Turner/Warner has our continuing encouragement to go forward with new Elvis on Tour releases and they know they will continue to have our full, enthusiastic cooperation and support. Anytime they give us any updates to share, we will post information in News here on the site and revise this FAQ.

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