It was 50 years ago today (November 11th, 1970), that Elvis Presley's first concert film, Elvis – That's The Way It Is, premiered. The movie, which chronicled the Los Angeles rehearsals and the opening shows of Presley's third Las Vegas stand at the International Hotel, provided a behind-the-scenes look at Presley at work and at play.
The rehearsal footage, taped in Los Angeles' MGM Studios, shows Elvis working up material with the core of his TCB Band: lead guitarist James Burton, keyboardist Glenn D. Hardin, bassist Jerry Scheff, drummer Ronnie Tutt, and rhythm guitarist John Wilkerson.
The second part of the film, which features highlights of Elvis' first six shows of the Vegas stand, shows “The King” at the top of his game, both vocally and physically. Among the highlights in the film are his renditions of the Righteous Brothers' “You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,” Dusty Springfield's “You Don't Have To Say You Love Me,” B.J. Thomas' “I Just Can't Help Believing',” Neil Diamond's “Sweet Caroline,” and his own recent chart topper “Suspicious Minds.”