Boston 71, any chance there's pro footage?

[Elvislives72]

As far back as 72 Elvis was asked at MSG about why the Boston 71 show was filmed but not the NY shows referring to the Garden I would assume. The Colonel then tried to explain that the reason for the Boston show being filmed and the NY shows not being was due to them being from sepearate tours. Elvis then shook his head in disbelief from the Colonel's answered.

So, could this mean that there was pro shot footage made of the Boston show? Rumors have been going on for years now that MGM may have filmed it as a demo as to how they would film the April tour, but no hard evidence has ever been seen of this.

It would be a great discovery if it does exists and shows up someday considering we already have the show on audio in very good sound quality. It could be turned into another classic MSG type of dvd project using the pro shot footage and the available audio to create that magical moment.(y)

[Getlo]

Not a chance.

There is no pro footage from Boston.

In the '72 press conference, they meant to say Buffalo.

[Elvislives72]

Not a chance.

There is no pro footage from Boston.

In the '72 press conference, they meant to say Buffalo.

Not so fast on the conference part. There was no footage included in Elvis On tour from Buffalo so how would they have known it was filmed there in the first place?:hmm: I don't believe that was a mistake ont he part of the reporter who asked the question. Why didn't either Elvis or Parker correct them and say buffalo? The reporter had to have heard something regarding filmed footage from the one and only Boston show appearance a few months earlier to have even asked that question.

As for your quick answer as for no footage in Boston was filmed, tell that to the ones who have said it was.

[1100ccRider]

Not so fast on the conference part. There was no footage included in Elvis On tour from Buffalo so how would they have known it was filmed there in the first place?

There actually was footage from Buffalo in the film: I wonder if one or two insert shots made it (and maybe that shot that shows Elvis coming on to the stage to a storm of flashbulbs) but the karate part with Elvis in the powder blue suit is definitely from that show. Bob Abel shot it himself, I believe, with a single camera, the primary reason being to provide his camera operators with a reference so that they'd have a better idea of what Elvis might do on stage so they could perhaps anticipate certain shots.

Of course, I do not think that anyone outside the film crew knew this until much more recently. I think the reporter just made a mistake, or knew the previous tour was filmed and confused the first city on the tour with that other B-word...it's been said before that many New Yorkers haven't always necessarily attributed much value to anything going on outside of the Big Apple, out in the hinterlands.



I don't believe that was a mistake ont he part of the reporter who asked the question. Why didn't either Elvis or Parker correct them and say buffalo?

I'd think they didn't correct her either because they didn't really hear or pay much attention to the specific city, the main point being that it was not NYC, or because correcting relatively trivial details like that would just have bogged the proceedings down -- Elvis' press conferences usually moved along at a rapid pace and more often than not there was not a whole lot of substance provided (Elvis was good at this...seemed like he was saying a lot but he gave them just a taste).

It's certainly possible that Boston '71 was filmed professionally, but I wouldn't use the New York press conference as reliable evidence of it. More likely, we'll one day see at least short clips from April concerts not widely known to have been filmed.

[Elvislives72]

There actually was footage from Buffalo in the film: I wonder if one or two insert shots made it (and maybe that shot that shows Elvis coming on to the stage to a storm of flashbulbs) but the karate part with Elvis in the powder blue suit is definitely from that show. Bob Abel shot it himself, I believe, with a single camera, the primary reason being to provide his camera operators with a reference so that they'd have a better idea of what Elvis might do on stage so they could perhaps anticipate certain shots.

Of course, I do not think that anyone outside the film crew knew this until much more recently. I think the reporter just made a mistake, or knew the previous tour was filmed and confused the first city on the tour with that other B-word...it's been said before that many New Yorkers haven't always necessarily attributed much value to anything going on outside of the Big Apple, out in the hinterlands.




I'd think they didn't correct her either because they didn't really hear or pay much attention to the specific city, the main point being that it was not NYC, or because correcting relatively trivial details like that would just have bogged the proceedings down -- Elvis' press conferences usually moved along at a rapid pace and more often than not there was not a whole lot of substance provided (Elvis was good at this...seemed like he was saying a lot but he gave them just a taste).

It's certainly possible that Boston '71 was filmed professionally, but I wouldn't use the New York press conference as reliable evidence of it. More likely, we'll one day see at least short clips from April concerts not widely known to have been filmed.

Thanks man.(y) This was the type of answer I was looking for. Not a two liner.

About the Buffalo footage, you're right in that they used snippets of the silent footage for certain small scenes to fit in with the Hampton show. Thanks for pointing that out.

[KPM]

Joe Tunzi, a recognised Elvis authority and author of 20 books on Elvis, was asked about this in an interview-heres the question and his reply:

Question: Did they film Boston in 1971 and do you know if any other professional footage concert wise exists? (Question from Darren Cavanagh)


Joe: I’ve heard the rumor about this being filmed and it continually gets repeated but I seriously doubt that Boston was filmed professionally. I’ve heard that someone claimed to have seen the footage and that it was dark and that it was difficult to make out Elvis in the film. The question then is what good is this footage? Also, is this actually professional footage or is it merely amateur footage shot by an audience member. I have come to the conclusion that at the Madison Square Garden press conference when Elvis was asked about this, the person who posed the question simply meant to say Buffalo instead of Boston, which makes more sense since cameras were in Buffalo at the beginning of the April ‘72 tour which filmed Elvis rehearsing.

[Elvislives72]

Joe Tunzi, a recognised Elvis authority and author of 20 books on Elvis, was asked about this in an interview-heres the question and his reply:

Question: Did they film Boston in 1971 and do you know if any other professional footage concert wise exists? (Question from Darren Cavanagh)


Joe: I’ve heard the rumor about this being filmed and it continually gets repeated but I seriously doubt that Boston was filmed professionally. I’ve heard that someone claimed to have seen the footage and that it was dark and that it was difficult to make out Elvis in the film. The question then is what good is this footage? Also, is this actually professional footage or is it merely amateur footage shot by an audience member. I have come to the conclusion that at the Madison Square Garden press conference when Elvis was asked about this, the person who posed the question simply meant to say Buffalo instead of Boston, which makes more sense since cameras were in Buffalo at the beginning of the April ‘72 tour which filmed Elvis rehearsing.

Thanks for that. Tunzi's a reliable source for that kind of info but not even he would completely write it off as not true. That means there's still little hope that there is some type of pro shot footage.(y)

[Unchained Melody]

Joe Tunzi, a recognised Elvis authority and author of 20 books on Elvis, was asked about this in an interview-heres the question and his reply:

Question: Did they film Boston in 1971 and do you know if any other professional footage concert wise exists? (Question from Darren Cavanagh)


Joe: I’ve heard the rumor about this being filmed and it continually gets repeated but I seriously doubt that Boston was filmed professionally. I’ve heard that someone claimed to have seen the footage and that it was dark and that it was difficult to make out Elvis in the film. The question then is what good is this footage? Also, is this actually professional footage or is it merely amateur footage shot by an audience member. I have come to the conclusion that at the Madison Square Garden press conference when Elvis was asked about this, the person who posed the question simply meant to say Buffalo instead of Boston, which makes more sense since cameras were in Buffalo at the beginning of the April ‘72 tour which filmed Elvis rehearsing.

Thanks for posting this Ken, does make sense they meant to ask why the show in Buffalo instead of Boston...either way, footage from either of those two shows to show up pro footage would be amazing!!