Considering that this was the biggest single concert Event of Elvis' career, I find it kind of strange that there appears to be no backstage footage at all! There is so much material of him being presented with awards, gold records etc. backstage and often just minutes before a concert that any backstage footage from a huge event like Aloha From Hawaii is really conspicuous by it's abcsence.
We have filmed footage from backstage at Madison Square Gardens 1972, backstage at Rapid City, 1977 where the girl gives Elvis a Medallion of Life, footage from Indianapolis Airport 1977 where he is presented with an award for Moody Blue. Also there is more outtake footage on the bootleg On Tour DVD where Elvis is presented with another gold disc and he puts on a joke tie.
So why has no similar film emerged from Aloha? Check out this picture where Elvis is in his dressing room (you can even see the Aloha costume hanging up behind him- well the belt and cape, anyway!) I find it hard to believe that there was ONLY a stills camera there!
Another confusing thing is that we do know that Elvis' dressing room and backstage area WAS filmed....by the Japanese. It turned up on the Japanese Aloha Broadcast and these days can be seen in good quality on the Elvis By The Presleys DVD. The only trouble with this footage is that Elvis isn't in it!!!!!!!
Elvis looks fantastic here and I can't believe that there were no cameras rolling backstage on such a big project as this!
Home 
Mon Jan 25, 2010 8:19 pm