By 1968, Elvis Presley’s career had already begun to dwindle from its peak, when he was America’s largest musical act and the guy whose swaying hips ignited the hearts of many young women. But on December 3, 1968, Elvis appeared in a televised spectacle that would forever establish him as King of Rock and Roll. In addition, Steve Binder, the man behind the original special, is collaborating on a new documentary titled Elvis & Steve: The Making of the ’68 Comeback Special to honour the life and legacy of an artist who has recently attracted enormous public attention. Binder, who actually directed 1968 special, will provide a unique viewpoint as he and his team investigate the pivotal event in the new special.
As he relates the origin story of the seminal cultural phenomenon, he serves as both narrator and subject. As Binder put it, “[o]ver the previous half-century, there has been so much published and made about Elvis.” But when it comes to 1968 special, he explained, “[b]ecause I’m the only one who was actually there for all that transpired, I’m genuinely the only one who can give the behind-the-scenes tale of how it came to be.” Binder continued, explaining the significance of the subject and his relationship with Elvis, saying, “[t]his new documentary will take viewers behind the scenes into the making of the special and the close bond I developed with Elvis — and the courage and strength he found to defy Col. Tom Parker and take his career in a totally different direction, none of which would have been possible without the special.”
The huge drama and enormous emotion that went into the shooting of the programme will be shown in my documentary Elvis & Steve,” he concluded. Producer Spencer Proffer stated, “I’m pleased to continue my decades-long professional and personal friendship with Steve Binder, one of the most inventive innovators in entertainment.” The rest of his statement was as follows: “Steve unlocks the vault to give a buddy tale that is fascinating, emotional, and an explosive time capsule that offers a new perspective on the inner workings of Elvis, Colonel Parker, and a filmmaker who took chances and made history in the process.” Thunder Bay Press released the book Elvis ’68 Comeback, which will serve as inspiration for the next feature-length documentary. Priscilla Presley dedicated the book to Elvis and Baz Luhrmann wrote a foreword. There will shortly be an announcement with further information on the film’s development and release.