A topic on the "other side" came up the other day about 400 and 2 x 400 digests. Quite a good thread & one collector sort of mentioned that he was never interested in digests. Fair enough, if you can always afford features then thats great, BUT,
Here is a classic example of where the digest, (for me), wins hands down.
I do like Elvis & his music, but even he said in a documentary, " i was signed up for 29 pictures, some of the scripts were so bad i felt physically sick". And that sums up Elvis Presley movies in nut shell, having said that, they are fun movies, you got to laugh at some of the acting, (mainly from his co-stars), & the story lines which were often repeated throughout his film career. If someone handed me all of his films in full length format for free i probably would not even make it half way through. All that said, the 400 footers are quite good supporting films for any showing, this particular is in excellent condition with good colour and very good sound. It does have that MGM look about it though, whilst the image is good its not pin sharp. Many of the songs are in here but what they have done is kept many of them in but very short versions, personally i would prefer fewer but full songs.
One i would very much like to get hold of is that 3 sx 400 footer that Derann put out of Viva Las Vegas. That one seems to be about the right length and knowing Derann & seeing the forum reports it had excellent quality.
Here is the plot, (if you can call it that).
Chadwick Gates (Elvis Presley) has just gotten out of the Army, and is happy to be back in Hawaii with his surfboard, his beach buddies, and his girlfriend Maile Duval (Joan Blackman). His mother, Sarah Lee (Angela Lansbury), wants him to follow in his father's footsteps and take over management at the Great Southern Hawaiian Fruit Company, the family business, but Chad is reluctant, so he goes to work as a tour guide at his girlfriend's agency.
As i said, nothing more than a bit of fun, but as the plots are so thin it's editing is quite good, helped only twice and very briefly by the narrator who's voice is also on Taxi Driver.

I almost bought that as a Super 8 feature a few years back. It seems I did the right choice and let it pass on. I rather get some digest :-)

Yes definatly, i think for this particular series of films the digests would work quite well, i use to watch these features on TV when i was growing up, then i found them ok, now to sit through an Elvis feature is quite difficult, but tonight this one was pretty much an OK piece of fun. You got to admire the awful acting from some of the supporting cast. Not to mention the script, even Elvis wasn't amused but he wasn't able to get out of the contract that Colonel Tom Parker got him into.
Considering what a worldwide star Presley was back in then he was paid, (thanks to his manager), what was described by on e of the Paramount studio bosses as an embarrassingly low wage, he went onto explain that the studio took full advantage hence why they signed him up to so many in one go. They also explained that it was clear that Tom Parker had no idea about the film industry which is how all this went so wrong. Tom Parker, throughout his management of Elvis, took almost 50% of the taking instead of the usual 10-15, But Elvis Presley always spoke good of him bearing in mind that it was he who made Elvis the star he was. And in my opinion, still is and always will be.

Colour looks nice Tom, I have this digest and a good fun reel, colour on mine is still very good too, you can also get this in scope. Ref Viva Las Vegas, it's a really good print from Derann and I also have the German release which is also very good, Mark

This looks similar to my Viacom feature regarding colour nowadays.

This one would certainly look good in scope if the colours are still good

I actually really like the Elvis features. Sure they are not the most complex of films and its very true to say that Elvis was typecast in exactly the same manner for each and every one of them.
The usual stuff like boy meets girl, girl has another admirer or comes from a more illustrious background, inevitable fight ensues, happy ending always prevails...of course! 😊

However, with an Elvis film, you're not watching them for a cryptic brain taxing exercise like a good thriller. You're not even watching them for some of the best storylines ever coupled to the film industry.

You are simply watching them for some musically charming charismatic light hearted entertainment from a more innocent bygone era. Something that never fails to be the case on either of these fronts.

How could they with Elvis taking the lead after all? 😂😂

Do they serve to entertain as intended?
You bet your bottom dollar they do! 😊😊

Join the queue for the Derann print of Viva Las Vegas abridged feature btw Tom! Ha ha ha.
Vidar has one but I doubt he is letting anyone else get their hands on it just as in the same way you or I wouldn't be ha ha.

That is all vert true there Andrew, i am now in the que and will try my best to jump to the front,
Of course, you all know the title i will be waiting to leap on, go on take a guess

Have i told anyone i'm after Die Hard?

I'm all eyes and ears for you mate

Many, many years ago (early 80´s) I got my first Elvis print on Super 8, it was the full feature Blue Hawaii and also the 400 version. I had also the 400 Roustabout. I watched more the short versisons, because it was more music. Shortly later I got the Viva las Vegas 3x400 and this was perfect lenght for a elvis feature. I watched later Viva las Vegas in a Cinema and I missed on the S8 Version only that it wasn´t in scope.
Ok, Yeollow Rose of Texas was cut, but all other songs are include. Also the cool car race is include.
I had few years ago also the 400 Blue Hawaii version in Cinemascope and this is definitely better than the flat version.

My print has held up well, great 400 footers these.