Jason Hehir’s Netflix documentary, Return of the King: The Fall & Rise of Elvis Presley explores Elvis Presley’s famous comeback performance of 1968, which came after a long Hollywood marathon. The king of Rock ‘n’ Roll had featured in over 30 movies, including Live a Little Love a Little, which he did before the special aired.
The film showed Elvis’ fears behind the scenes and his lack of fulfillment as an actor. It also featured interviews with his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, and others including Bruce Springsteen, Baz Luhrmann, and Conan O’Brien.
Elvis Presley hated performing
Though he was a wonderful performer, Elvis hated performing roles that lacked originality, such as 1967’s musical Double Trouble. He said Hollywood portrayed a wrong image of him and made him do things he did not enjoy, such as singing “Old McDonald Had a Farm.”.
Priscilla shared her thoughts, noting that the role was a low point in his career, and being in that situation made him seem like a joke. Although he made a lot of money from these shallow projects, Elvis was so deeply dissatisfied with what he had become, that he reportedly grew sick and reclusive.
Elvis Presley felt trapped by movie contracts
Elvis’s frustration lasted longer than he would have loved due to movie contracts, which required him to keep showing up for nearly a decade. By the late ‘60s, he decided to take the risk of returning to music amid a new wave of music led by The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
He struck a deal with NBC for a one-hour comeback special, which turned out to be one of the biggest performances in music history. Before hitting the studio stage, Elvis was terrified and refused to leave his dressing room until director Steve Binder encouraged him. Elvis then returned to the music scene and made another major career move with a Las Vegas residency.
Concerns Heighten As Dolly Parton’s Husband Remains Out Of Sight, Even To Her Close Friend 
Cher Was Stunned To Learn Her Real Name After Birth Certificate Error