DEC4 Podcast: Elvis That's The Way It Is - Omnibus Edit

The very first time Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We’ve now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.

It’s the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances.

Elvis That’s The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.

We’ve also added some supplementary points, including more on Colonel Parker’s influence on the film’s final edit, and a comparison between That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour in terms of how the fans were represented. We’ve also included part of a later conversation, from our Memphis to Vegas episode, on the corporatisation of Las Vegas in the years leading up to Elvis’ residency at the International Hotel.

We hope you enjoy this new edition. Find additional background, images, links, suggestions for further reference, and a content guide with timestamps, at the dedicated page at our podcast website.

Very special thanks to Gary Wells, to all our readers and listeners, to Detlef Wolff and Gainesville, and to Steve Collins.