"Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows" DVD release

“ELVIS: THE ED SULLIVAN SHOWS”
3-DISC SPECIAL EDITION DVD
CELEBRATING THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF ELVIS’S HISTORIC APPEARANCES
CONTINUES TO GARNER CRITICAL ACCLAIM;
TODAY, JANUARY 8 MARKS THE 71ST ANNIVERSARY OF ELVIS’ BIRTH

Today, January 8 marks the 71st anniversary of ELVIS PRESLEY’s birthday and his legend lives on in ELVIS: THE ED SULLIVAN SHOWS--the first-ever DVD release of the undisputed king of rock n’ roll’s three historic earth-shattering performances on the Ed Sullivan Show--recently released via Image Entertainment.
The three-disc special edition DVD--which consists of the three complete Ed Sullivan Shows on which Elvis made rock ‘n’ roll and TV history--continues to garner wide critical acclaim.

“We’ve seen the Elvis performances from the Ed Sullivan TV variety show in other video packages, but not in their original context. …This three-disc package, produced by Andrew Solt, lets us watch Elvis perform such tunes as ‘Don’t Be Cruel’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ the same way viewers did in 1956. That means we see him sandwiched in between Sullivan’s usual array of comedians, Broadway vocalists and dog acts--all of which makes the performances on the three shows seem more revolutionary.”
--Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn, 11/15/06

“Overall, Elvis: The Ed Sullivan Shows not only documents Presley’s landmark performances on the most popular variety show of its day, it also captures a time when the nation could be united by a single television show.”
--Goldmine, Gillian Gaar, 1/5/07

“On September 9th, 1956 Elvis Presley performed on The Ed Sullivan Show and ushered rock & roll into the nation’s consciousness—but he wasn’t the night’s only performer. Elvis’ first three Sullivan gigs come complete with the polka acts, tumbling duos and other dreck that make plain why 1950s America was primed to crown a King.”
--Rolling Stone, Andy Greene, (3-out-of-4 stars), 12/14/06

Prior to 1956 Presley had largely been a curious regional phenomenon burning up Southern stages and airwaves. His signing to RCA that year and subsequent appearances on the Dorsey Brothers, Milton Berle and Steve Allen shows set the table for his bow on the top-rated and highly influential Sullivan CBS variety show. Elvis’ September 9, 1956 appearance—a program hosted by Charles Laughton, subbing while Sullivan recovered from an auto accident—was a cultural watershed. Viewed by a record 72 million Americans, Presley’s loose, louche performance—sandwiched in between spots by acrobats The Brothers Amin and pet performer Toby The Dog—caused a seismic shift in the country’s cultural zeitgeist. It remains one of the most significant moments in television history.”
-- Commercial Appeal, Bob Mehr, 12/16/06

“Elvis’s historic mid-50’s appearances on Ed Sullivan stand, after half a century, as important and hugely enjoyable rock & roll artifacts.”
--Entertainment Weekly, Clark Collis, 11/24/06

“Three CBS Sunday nights that made history: Sept. 9 and Oct. 28 1956 and Jan. 6, 1957. Given the fees that mercenary Elvis manager Col. Tom Parker was likely extracting from Ed, these historically invaluable shows are short on ‘name’ backup, though the second features the Broadway cast of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella and the third presents a very young Carol Burnett. More essential for sociological context than entertainment value, the set does feature Elvis’ great Reddy Teddy and the still-moving bit on 1957’s finale, where Ed tells moms and dads that Elvis is ‘thoroughly all right.’”
--USA Today, Mike Clark, 11/24/2006 (3-out-of-4 stars)

“The Rosetta Stone of rock ‘n’ roll on TV. In late ’56 and early ’57, Elvis totally shook up mainstream America with these three performances on Ed Sullivan. Fifty years later, they’re still wildly entertaining, in part because Elvis refuses to take himself seriously; As the audience screams itself silly, the King hams it up as if he were guest starring on I Love Lucy.”
-- Dallas Morning News, Thor Christensen, (A rating) 12/19/06

“Step into a time machine and travel back fifty years to watch Elvis Presley on The Ed Sullivan Show. Elvis introduces the title song from his first starring movie, “Love Me Tender” and performs such other hits as “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Hound Dog” on all three shows, along with Ready Teddy” and other songs backed up by The Jordanaires. He snarls, smiles and thoroughly charms both the studio audience and Sullivan himself.”
--Leonard Maltin, Video View, KNX Radio

Produced by Grammy and Emmy-award winning producer Andrew Solt (Imagine: John Lennon, This Is Elvis, The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Heroes of Rock ‘n’ Roll), the DVD features re-mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 audio as well as the original mono soundtrack. Special bonus features include: a rare color 8mm home movie shot in 1955 which is the first-ever recorded footage of a very young Elvis (age 20) who was not yet managed by Col. Tom Parker; special Elvis moments including an appearance by comedian John Byner; and home movies of Elvis and Priscilla with some of the earliest shots of their daughter Lisa Marie.