By then the mail had come, and so I put in today's work project: ELVIS PRESLEY: Classic Performances on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW.
It's only 47 minutes of music, and Elvis sings his big hits of the period (56-57) three times: once on each installment of the show where he guest starred: "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "LOve Me Tender." I'm not sure he was ever great with patter, but he's lousy here, and keeps shading his eyes to see the audience, a complete neophyte. He also uses his guitar more as a prop than an instrument and breaks the mood of songs often with unexpected snickering. He also zips out of camera range at the end of songs rather than stand and bow.
The miking isn't great so many words and notes get lost in the lower registers of his voice or because he mumbles the lyrics.
But there he is: hale, hearty, healthy. Nice to see that image rather than the sad, bloated spectacle he'd become later.