Following a decade of unremarkable romantic comedies, Elvis Presley knew it was time for a change.
As depicted in Baz Luhrmann's film about The King, Elvis capitalized on the success of his 1968 Comeback Special by returning to live musical performances - this time, taking Las Vegas as his stage.
As Graceland marks its 55th anniversary with Elvis Week, "Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback" is launched on Paramount+. This documentary chronicles the rise of the iconic singer during what was a defining moment in his career.
Steve Binder, executive producer and talking head of NBC's special on Elvis, recently granted an exclusive interview to Express UK to discuss his time working with the King of Rock'n'Roll himself.
Binder initially directed this iconic show and shared some unique insights into what it was like being in charge of such a momentous event.
From his home in Los Angeles, a lively 90-year-old spoke to the outlet about his unique position as being present from start to finish. He not only wanted to recount what transpired accurately, but he also wished to reveal how Elvis Presley emerged from his shell and triumphed over Colonel Tom Parker's devious machinations.
Binder admired Elvis after their time together and explained that the musician gave his all to the production: "I was incredibly impressed with him from our first meeting. It was risky for Elvis to take such a leap outside the Presley estate, but he was willing to make it work."
Regarding Christmas, Elvis had far greater ambitions than his Colonel Tom Parker requested.
When Binder initially observed the star performing, it wasn't him that drew the manager's attention. Instead, all eyes were on the young ladies in attendance, who were going wild for whatever captivated them. This allowed the manager to make money from what they found fascinating.
In his words, it was clear that the Colonel believed everyone had a price.
According to Binder, Colonel suggested Elvis' next movie as an incentive for starting a project, but something different than what he promised came true after their '68 Comeback Special. Colonel's manipulation skills were described to be top-notch.
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Once in a while, Colonel Tom Parker would try to intervene, and Binder says he has pulled away from performing with Elvis to talk to him. Reminiscing about the NBC Hollywood set, he remembered that Colonel was given Dean Martin's dressing room but rejected it and instead chose a broom closet close to the stage. This little space included a desk and chair and two William Morris Agency trainee agents dressed like royal English guards posted at its entrance throughout his presence there.
The Colonel reportedly beckoned Binder into his office and directed a grave look at him.
The Colonel said, "I've heard nothing of Christmas tunes in the act you're producing."
"Why is that? Elvis desires one to be included." Though usually shy when The Colonel was around, Elvis nodded quietly and murmured, "Yes, I want a Christmas song to be part of the show."
However, The Colonel's agenda differed significantly from The King's desire to express himself artistically.
Director Binder had the intention of bringing cameras into Elvis' dressing room to make a record of his jamming session; unfortunately, The Colonel forbade this.
According to the director: "The Colonel was determined to demolish the impulsivity and energy of the acoustic set. He tried every tactic available to hinder its success."
Filled with vexation, The Colonel proposed that the director recreate the dressing room scenes on stage.
Binder seized this chance and gave out invitations to the Colonel for him to give to girls.
Unfortunately, it didn't come through as anticipated, so a search had to be done for local people from the street. It was an enormous success, though at great personal expense to the filmmaker.
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