Warner and Paramount pay tribute to the King

Joining hands once again like they did for the John Wayne Collection, Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment pool their resources and assets to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Elvis Presley’s passing in August.

The studios will release 24 films of the King on DVD, including brand new editions of some of the fan favorites Jailhouse Rock, Viva Las Vegas and Elvis: That’s The Way It Is as well as a number of first-time-to-DVD titles, such as This Is Elvis, Warner’s six disc Elvis Hollywood Collection and Paramount’s Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection.

In the Viva Las Vegas Deluxe Edition, Elvis Presley will share the screen with Ann-Margret in Sin City, aka Las Vegas, easily creating the most electrifying teaming Elvis had on-screen. He’s Lucky Jackson, a Grand Prix race driver working at a casino to raise cash for a new engine; she’s a hotel swimming instructor – and the romantic action revs up from their first meeting. Veteran director George Sidney, who guided Ann-Margret in the prior year’s Bye Bye Birdie, combines the hormonal heat wave with fascinating sights of ’60s Las Vegas. Songs include the high-roller title track, the stars’ duet on “The Lady Loves Me,” her sultry “Appreciation” and The King’s version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say.” The DVD will feature a new remastered anamorphic widescreen transfer complete with a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio track, as well as a Commentary Track by Steve Pond, rock journalist and author of “Elvis in Hollywood”, the new Featurette “Kingdom: Elvis in Vegas” and the movie’s Theatrical Trailer.

The Jailhouse Rock Deluxe Edition will feature Elvis’ 1957 box-office hit, in which the King plays Vince Everett, jailed for manslaughter after a bar fight. There, Vince learns to belt out tunes while “in the house” and after being paroled, follows a bumpy road to music and movie success. Six Presley songs by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller spike the story, including “Treat Me Nice,” “I Wanna Be Free” and the classic shimmy-shakin’ title tune that was Presley’s favorite of all his films’ production numbers. Coming with a new anamorphic widescreen transfer and a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital remix, the DVD will also feature a Commentary Track by music journalist Steve Pond, the new Featurette “The Scene That Stole Jailhouse Rock” and the film’s Theatrical Trailer.

This is Elvis will come to DVD as a 2-Disc Special Edition. It is Elvis is an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait crafted by Andrew Solt (Imagine: John Lennon) and Malcolm Leo (Rolling Stone: 20 Years of Rock ’n’ Roll). Elvis’ “authorized biography” draws on interviews with the people who knew Presley best – family, friends, employees and mentor/manager Colonel Tom Parker – and includes some rare, never before seen footage, including home movies, newsreels and several key TV appearances. The release will offer up the first-ever home video release of the original, uncensored 1981 theatrical version in a new digital transfer with soundtrack remastered in Dolby Surround 2.0, complete with the Vintage Featurette “Behind the Gates of Graceland” and an Elvis Presley Movie Trailer Gallery. On the second disc you will find the 1983 Unrated Expanded Home Video Version of the film with 40 minutes of footage not shown in theatres.

Elvis: That’s the Way It Is is also coming as a 2-Disc Special Edition as we visit the summer of 1970 in this concert documentary that allows unrestricted access to the hottest show in town: Elvis Presley’s milestone four weeks of appearances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Dozens of tunes (including favorites “All Shook Up” and “Suspicious Minds”) are included as the camera follows the show’s development from rehearsal to stage. This 2-Disc Special Edition contains two versions – the original 1970 theatrical version and the critically-acclaimed Special Edition from 2000, which captures even more of Elvis’ legendary performances. That’s double the entertainment for Elvis concert fans. The release contains the Restoration Featurette “Patch It Up: The Restoration of Elvis: That’s the Way It Is”, Elvis Presley career highlights, Director/Restorer Filmographies and the film’s Theatrical Trailer. On the second disc you will find the 1970 Original Theatrical Version of the film, supplemented by twelve never-before seen Outtake Song/Nonmusical Sequences.

The Elvis: The Hollywood Collection will contain versions of the films Charro!, Girl Happy, Kissin’ Cousins, Live a Little, Love a Little, Stay Away, Joe and Tickle Me, without major bonus materials.

In addition the titles Double Trouble, Harum Scarum, It Happened at the World’s Fair, Speedway, Spinout and The Trouble with Girls will be re-released also with new packaging.

The Lights! Camera! Elvis! Collection will contain versions of the films
King Creole, G.I Blues, Blue Hawaii, Roustabout, Girls, Girls, Girls, Fun in Acapulco,
Paradise, Hawaiian Style
and Easy Come, Easy Go.

Mark August 7 in your calendar because that is the date when this Elvis PResely celebration will kick off!

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