Spanish_Eyes wrote:I think we're dealing here with a matter more of wishful thinking than of reality. To support this, is the fact that most of the alleged pro footage covers some of the peaks in Elvis career (1969k, Feb 1970, Sept 1970, MSG, Memphis '74, Dec '76). Not to descredit you guys, but most of the prooves you have shown is "a reliable source told me". As an Elvis gospel number says "Seeing is believing", so that's my point here.
I tend to agree. A couple of collectors have told me that pro footage from Boston '71 does exist, but that is not confirmation as I have not seen it personally. Unless you've seen this footage, it's just a myth, an unsubstantiated rumour. I mean, all one has to do is say "this concert was filmed professionally" and there are gullible people who will believe it and spread the "news". Just check out the response to Keith Richards Jr's earlier post! Soon these rumours become "fact" in the eyes of many!
Regarding the Feb '70 film; why was this filmed? I've heard people say it was done by MGM as a test for their return in August, but was "That's The Way It Is" even in the planning stages then? I always thought the film only came about when a closed-circuit performance deal fell through. On George Klein's video, there's a few seconds of Elvis in one of the Feb '70 suits, presumably from Vegas or the Astrodome, but it could be high quality audience film.
Christian, perhaps if you could clarify what is rumour and what you know is fact (ie from having seen the footage), your claims might hold more water. For example, what organisations filmed certain shows and why? As we say in England, the proof of the pudding is in the taste. You've brought the cake to the table, but that's about it.
I admit that some are quite plausible; MGM were certainly filming at the Hilton in August '72, so you might think they shot some live action, although nothing appeared with all the other "On Tour" outtakes. I've heard the claim that Japanese TV filmed Elvis in November '72, as we all have, but where is the film? Why hasn't this, or any of the other material mentioned, ever surfaced? You'd think after all this time, such film would have snuck out from somewhere, like all the audio that's been bootlegged.
I can see why they might have filmed Memphis '74and Jackson '75, but I can see why they might've filmed Memphis and Hawaii '61 and they did neither.
Another query is I've never heard fans saying they saw unseen live footage on the TV during this period - are you saying all this was filmed, yet no one recalls seeing any of it?
Re: Memphis '74 - why film an entire show with two cameras if the results were not intended for broadcast?
I hope my ramblings make some sort of sense. I guess what I'm trying to say is it's all very well to say x and x and x might exist, but where's the evidence?
. However we still have the footage on the Blue Hawaii 72 DVD. 
However that DVD has the pro footage on it which could be a redeeming factor. 
