Having read several books about Elvis Presley, I was caught off guard while watching director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie (2022) as Colonel Parker and others waited for Elvis to sing a Christmas song on a Christmas set for the Singer . . . Presents Elvis 1968 television special. As portrayed in the film, Parker brings executives to watch Elvis sing about Santa Claus on a full Christmas set.
Suddenly, Elvis, shaken by the killings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, appears in a white outfit. He faces the Christmas set that is all prepared and instead sings “If I Can Dream,” a “protest” song to close out what would become known as the ’68 Comeback Special. Elvis thereby flashes his independence from Colonel Parker in a last-minute surprise move, showing his dedication to music and to civil rights.
Did it really happen that way? Well, sort of, but not quite. More importantly, why did Luhrmann make the changes he did?
What Luhrmann’s “Elvis” Gets Right?
It is true that Colonel Parker originally wanted Elvis to tape a Christmas special. And it is true that Elvis, supported by producer Bob Finkel and director Steve Binder, instead put together a completely different show. That show, recorded in June 1968 and broadcast in December of that year, featured Elvis singing non-Christmas songs, including staged performances and an intimate sit-down jam before an audience. The TV special ultimately only included one Christmas song (“Blue Christmas“) that Elvis performed on stage with no Christmas decorations.
And it is true that the special re-invigorated Elvis and his music career after a decade of making movies of varying quality. And it is correct that the show closed, as actor Austin Butler portrays, with Elvis giving a powerful performance of “If I Can Dream.”
What Luhrmman’s “Elvis” Gets Wrong?
But there was no Christmas set or surprise Elvis performance of “If I Can Dream” while dancers dressed in holiday garb looked on. By the time Elvis performed “If I Can Dream” on the set, everyone was on board with the scrapping of the Christmas theme. And even though Parker had said that “If I Can Dream” “ain’t Elvis’ kind of song,” he was also on board with the changes by the time Elvis sang the song, realizing how much Elvis wanted to do it.
So nobody at the set was surprised the day Elvis sang “If I Can Dream.” And there was no big Christmas scene all set up, facing Elvis as he sang or anywhere.
Why Did Luhrmann Change the Way the TV Special Happened?
Yes, Baz Luhrmann takes some liberties in his excellent film about Elvis Presley, but the changes highlight the drama and the choices that Elvis made. Even though in real life the original plan was for a Christmas special, Elvis’s desire for something different and his commitment did alter the course of his career.
Having Presley sing “If I Can Dream” facing the alternate reality of the Christmas set in the movie highlights the contrast of what might have been, even if it did not quite occur in exactly the same way. It’s a wonderful visual image to illustrate what really happened. As reviewer Sean Burns has correctly noted, the film takes risks by not following the conventional sameness of TV-style movies we are inundated with these days. And such risks are necessary to illustrate Elvis’s “impact and the power of the dream therein.”
More importantly, the difference between reality and the images in the movie can be explained by the movie’s concept itself. The movie Elvis is narrated by Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. So, everything in the film is shown from the memory of the character Parker. And as we see at several points, Parker is portrayed as an unreliable narrator.
Thus, the images of the “If I Can Dream” performance should be taken, in the context of the film, as Parker’s recollection (or the recollection of the movie “character” of Tom Parker). So, Hanks’s Parker in old age is in 1997 remembering back to the 1968 performance. Thus, it makes sense that the character’s unreliable memory creates a more dramatic moment than reality.
So, in the movie character Parker’s memory of Elvis rejecting his plan for a Christmas special, it all comes to a head with Parker wearing in a Christmas sweater sitting with executives from the sponsore. In Parker’s memory in the film, Elvis was going to sing “Here Comes Santa Claus” right up to the final moments, with the stage all set up.
In reality, though, the closing song at one point was “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The movie character’s “memory” of of the more jovial “Here Comes Santa Claus” creates more of a contrast with Elvis’s chosen closer “If I Can Dream.” And Parker’s faulty memory of the song, the stage, and the dramatic moment all highlight the betrayal Parker felt when Elvis rejected his plan.
“If I Can Dream”
The song “If I Can Dream” was written specifically for Elvis and the special. So it would have been difficult to hide the surprise. W. Earl Brown wrote “If I Can Dream” for Elvis Presley once it was decided that the show would close with something other than a Christmas song. The song indirectly echoes some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s language because the songwriters understood how King’s assassination in Memphis had affected Elvis.
There is reference in Elvis to “If I Can Dream” as a “protest song.” But the words are much more generic than a specific protest or direct call for social justice. The lyrics themselves really cannot be offensive to anyone. But it was a change for Elvis, who had generally avoided anything with a whiff of politics.
There must be peace and understanding sometime;
Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear;
If I can dream of a warmer sun,
Where hope keeps shining on everyone,
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won’t that sun appear?
So, it is not a strong protest song on its face. We do get “a beckoning candle.” And the singer does “dream of a better land /Where all my brothers walk hand in hand.”
Yet, any vagueness in the lyrics is overcome by Elvis’s impassioned performance. Elvis’s energized vocals on the song, as well as the language that indirectly invokes Martin Luther King Jr., creates a strong statement from someone who did not make strong statements. I love the song and Elvis’s performance.
The movie features another image that reflects another truth about the recording. Before showing Elvis on stage singing the song, Luhrmann has Elvis on his back on the floor singing it while others look on. It is true that at one point during the recording of the record in the studio, Elvis did lay down on the floor, actually in the dark, to get more power in his vocals.
After the ’68 Comeback Special closed with “If I Can Dream,” Elvis went on to make more fantastic music as part of this comeback. During the making of the special, he had told Binder, “I never want to sing any more songs I don’t believe in.” Unfortunately, he could not maintain that faith to the end. But he did create a stunning moment in 1968, even if everyone’s memory of that moment may differ.
What did you think of Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”? For more about the 68 Comeback Special, check out Steve Binder’s book Elvis’ 68 Comeback: The Story Behind the Special as well as Peter Guralnick’s excellent biography of Elvis. Leave your two cents in the comments.
— repackages some classic Elvis Presley recordings into new versions backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Priscilla Presley is the executive producer of the album, explaining in