Elvis (miniseries)

''Elvis'' (also known as ''Elvis: The Miniseries'' or ''Elvis: The Early Years'') is a 2005 biographical CBS miniseries written by Patrick Sheane Duncan and directed by James Steven Sadwith. It chronicles the rise of American music icon Elvis Presley from his high school years to his international superstardom.

The cast includes Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis, Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret, Randy Quaid as "Colonel" Tom Parker, Camryn Manheim as Gladys Presley, Robert Patrick as Vernon Presley, Tim Guinee as Sam Phillips, Jack Noseworthy as Steve Binder, Antonia Bernath as Priscilla Presley, Stuart Greer as Captain Beaulieu, Clay Steakley as Bill Black, Mark Adam as Scotty Moore, John Boyd West as Red West and Randy McDowell as Gene Smith.

Rhys Meyers won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for his performance as Elvis Presley.

Plot

It begins in 1968 at NBC Studios, Hollywood, with Elvis Presley performing at his Comeback Special concert. As the audience awaits his presence in the main hall, Presley sits backstage in his dressing room, nervous as he hasn't played in front of a live audience in seven years. TV Producer Steve Binder, along with Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore, assures Presley "You're the King. You step out there, you're gonna be King again." A decade earlier, in 1952, 18-year-old Elvis is raised in Memphis, Tennessee at Lauderdale Court Apartments, with his doting mother Gladys, and his father Vernon. At his high school, Elvis is completely shunned by most of his fellow class mates for the way he dresses and does his hair. One day, wanting to make a record for his mother's birthday, Elvis walks into Sun Records Studio where he meets owner and record producer Sam Phillips and his assistant Marion Keisker. He records the song, " My Happiness", and gives it to Gladys as a gift, which brings her to tears.

In 1954, Elvis is asked back to Sun Records, as Phillips has found a song that would be perfect for him, he brings along his fellow two band members Scotty Moore and Bill Black to help him out. After a few hours, while struggling to find the right sound, Presley and his band playfully perform " That's All Right", which Phillips is so impressed by that he tells them to perform it again, leading to the song becoming a massive recording hit. The next day, at Sun Records, Elvis and his band are looking for another song to record, which leads to Elvis singing " Blue Moon of Kentucky", which he performs live for the first time in Memphis. During the performance, Elvis begins shaking his leg and hips, in which the girls in the audience go wild for. Elvis becomes a massive star, touring around various states around America. At Presley's performance of " Good Rocking Tonight" at the Louisiana Hayride in 1954, a man in a fedora hat, smoking a cigar watches from the audience view as they cheer Elvis's name.

At a diner in Memphis, Phillips and "Colonel" Tom Parker discuss Presley's management, if Phillips can take him further by going national, as Phillips is small time and doesn't have the connections, whereas Parker has people in New York, Los Angeles, music, film and television (having had previous experiences working with fellow music performers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow). At the same time, after Phillips leaves, Elvis, Scotty and Bill arrive at the diner, where Elvis and Parker meet for first time. Elvis tells Parker that he wants to buy his parents a new house, as well as his secret dream, which is to become a successful actor like James Dean or Marlon Brando, Parker promises this, as well as a new record deal and a million dollars for him and his family. Vernon and Gladys are amazed, but concerned by this, feeling if Parker can be trusted. Elvis surprises his mother with a Pink Cadillac, and tells his parents that they should put their trust in Parker. In 1955, at the Odessa Auditorium, after performing " Baby Let's Play House", Presley's girlfriend Dixie is upset that he hasn't been spending enough time with her, she breaks up with him and leaves the tour. Gladys and Vernon are concerned about Parker's management, having heard about their son being in riots, where Parker assures them that it will never happen again. Elvis visits Sam at his studio, knowing that Parker is his manager now and going national, Sam tells him that as long as he stays true to himself, he will be okay. The next day, Parker has booked Elvis on television, Presley, thankful for this, promises Parker his loyalty. In New York City, Elvis arrives at RCA Records, he records his first song there " Heartbreak Hotel", which leads to him performing on his first live television appearance at The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. The song reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and receives Elvis his first Gold Record.

Later on, Parker has booked Elvis for a Hollywood screen test for the film '' The Rainmaker'', which Presley ends up not getting the part, and for an appearance on The Milton Berle Show during a performance of " Hound Dog", which causes outrage among some segments of the public, particularly adults and religious groups, due to his provocative dance moves. In 1956, at Jacksonville Florida, Elvis is warned by a local judge to keep his moves in check, or there will be warrants for his arrest. During a performance of " Don't Be Cruel" at the Jacksonville Theater, Elvis wiggles his little finger on stage.

....

Cast

* Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Elvis Presley
* Randy Quaid as Colonel Tom Parker
* Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret
* Tim Guinee as Sam Phillips
* Antonia Bernath as Priscilla Presley
* Jack Noseworthy as Steve Binder
* Robert Patrick as Vernon Presley
* Camryn Manheim as Gladys Presley
* Stuart Greer as Captain Beaulieu
*Clay Steakley as Bill Black
*Mark Adam as Scotty Moore
*John Boyd West as Red West
*Randy McDowell as Gene Smith
*Jill Jane Clements as Marion Keisker

Awards and nominations

Home media

The mini-series is available on a region-free DVD and was made available August 14, 2007.

References

External links

* with very limited information
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{{Satellite Award Best Miniseries

2000s American television miniseries
American biographical series
CBS television dramas
Works about Elvis Presley
Films directed by James Steven Sadwith
2005 American television series debuts
2005 American television series endings