Almost Elvis

Distributed by Seventh Art Releasing, 7551 Sunset Blvd., Suite 104, Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323-845-1455Produced by John Paget/Blue Suede FilmsDirected by John Paget2001, VHS, color, 120 min. Every public library in America should own a copy of Almost Elvis. It is a fun production, a professionally directed documentary on a quintessentially American phenomenon, Elvis Presley, The King, about whom no more need be said. John Paget, the director/producer of Blue Suede Films, does a marvelous job of following a group of Elvis impersonators as they prepare for the ne plus ultra of Elvis competitions in The King’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. The documentary zeroes in on Irv Cass, Robert Washington, Quentin Flagg, Steve Sogura, Johnny Thompson, and a handful of other impersonators who are in the top rank of their kind, which numbers over 35,000. Though the production does not dwell on why people are drawn to want to be Elvis impersonators outside of a sincerely professed admiration – even love – for the late singer, it is almost unnecessary. Many Elvis fans could not accept his early death and this, it seems, has them flocking to see impersonators, The King alive once more. Hiring them for important events in their lives (weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) is their way of never saying goodbye and supports a niche entertainment business. Graceland, Elvis’s home, is one of the most-visited tourist sites in America, where fans and impersonators pay homage and participate in candle-lit vigils and write inspirational messages on the sidewalk and on the stone wall surrounding the site. An “Elvis Scholar,” former University of Mississippi literature professor Vernon Chadwick, adds commentary about the phenomenon who was Elvis Presley, but it’s almost tongue-in-cheek, a spoof, perhaps, of “serious” documentary format where experts are always dragged in to add veracity, color, and information. But American audiences in the 21st century don’t need to be told about Elvis. They know him. For future generations, though, Chadwick’s comments might be valuable. (Hard to believe that there will be future generations who don’t know Elvis Presley, but…) The impersonators are a likable bunch of people. They socialize, work in the same venues (Las Vegas is a popular oasis), talk the talk and walk the walk. They gently criticize each other’s ability to impersonate Elvis – while making it quite clear that they are, none of them, out to become Elvis, whom they declare is beyond unique – commenting that one’s rival’s voice may not be up to par, but that his moves are great, or that an entertainer with a superb voice will never win this competition because he is a Black man, and “Elvis wasn’t a Black man.” Most have dyed their hair black (and clearly invest a lot of money on hair gel and fake sideburns), some use eyeliner, one admits to plastic surgery on his nose, and the most serious of them spend thousands of dollars on specially made hand-sequined and bejeweled Elvis jumpsuits.(Yes, there is a company specializing in such things.) The impressions can be uncannily, eerily like the late great American performer in the flesh. The flesh varies, too, from the teen slimness of 15-year-old Quentin Flagg to the potbellied older versions of Presley in concert. The filmmaker, to his credit, never pokes fun of these individuals. The closest he comes to this is showing the intensity with which young Flagg’s father, a Colonel Parker-like character, supports his son’s vocation, even to a ritual involving a stone from the grounds of Graceland that serves as a good luck charm. There is good tension built up as the Image of Elvis contest in Memphis approaches. Who will win? The athletic Black impersonator, a shipbuilder from Maine, with the marvelous voice, the teenaged newspaper delivery boy with the fantastic moves, the school custodian/carpet cleaner who actually won a minor competition, or the man who’s been working toward this award all his adult life, who resembles Elvis the most, and who vows to retire (though it’s hard to picture him doing anything else) once he achieves this goal? Viewers will be cheering along with the plethora of 60-ish female fans in the audience who line up eagerly to get scarves touched by the impersonators. This is great fun and highly recommended. The movie is a crowd-pleaser and a celebration of the small town boy who became The King and about whom legends abound, and no one is ever made fun of or demeaned. It’s an up trip. There are other documentaries on Elvis (Elvis ’56 is one) and Elvis impersonators (Elvi) and films of Elvis in concert (Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii, Elvis: The Alternate Aloha Concert, et al.), and of course all the Elvis movies are available on tape. Almost Elvis would round out a public library’s collection of Elvisiana nicely.