Directed-Robert
D Webb
Writing Credits-Robert Buckner
Produced by David Weisbart
Screenplay Robert Buckner
Based on a story by Maurice Geraghty
Music by Lionel Newman
Assistant Director Stanley Hough
Technical Advisor Colonel Tom Parker
Hair styles Helen Turpin
Sound Alfred Bruzlin and Harry M Leonard.
Cast Overview
Richard Egan - Vance Reno, Debra
Paget - Cathy Reno, Elvis Presley - Clint Reno,
Robert Middleton - Mr. Siringo,William Cambell - Brett
Reno, Neville Brand - Mike Gavin, Mildred Dunnock -
Martha Reno,Bruce Bennett - Mjr. Kincaid, James Drury
- Ray Reno, Russ Conway - Ed Galt, Ken Clark - Kelso.Barry
Coe - Davis,Paul E Burns - Jethro, LQ Jones - Flemming,
Jerry Sheldon - Train Conductor
Despite
switching the film's title from The Reno Brothers to Love
Me Tender in order to capitalize on the young singer's
popularity, Elvis still took second billing in his big
screen debut, a typical Western that takes place just
after the completion of the Civil War. The
setting makes for some unintentionally humorous anachronisms,
as the spirit of E's musical numbers is far more at home
in the 1950s than the 1860s. Love Me Tender's plot sets
up a love triangle involving two brothers: Elvis' character
Clint Reno marries his big brother's sweetheart when the
elder sibling fails to return from the war, but brother
Vance unexpectedly shows up and naturally is not happy
about the state of affairs on the family farm. The rivalry
brings about tragic consequences. E got shot which incited
fans enough to bring about a compromise ending cooked
up by Twentieth Century-Fox showing a ghostly Elvis image
singing Love me Tender as the rest of the cast walk off
into the Sunset.
"LOVE
ME TENDER"
Written by Elvis Presley and Ken Darby [billed as Vera
Matson] Performed by Elvis Presley
The quintessential Elvis ballad.Released as a single with
Any Way You Want Me on the flip-side. (The film version
had one extra verse.) Elvis performed the song on all
three Ed Sullivan show appearences, on other important
TV broadcasts and in documentary films. Elvis actually
said he disliked the cut because of flat singing in parts,
but there were a million advance orders before its release.
It appeared on the EP Love Me Tender (1956) and on several
LP's: Elvis Golden Records vol1 (1958), Worldwide 50 Gold
Award Hits Vol 1 (1970), A Legendary Performer Vol 1 (1974)
and Pure Gold (1975). The song was performed on the 1968
NBC TV Special and appears on the on the LP Elvis 68 TV
Special and in both concert documentaries, Thats the Way
It Is (1970) and On Tour (1972). These versions were unreleased
on record. An additional live version appears on the LP
Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (1972). The
short end title version from the movie and a stereo version
were released on the Jailhouse Rock/Love Me Tender soundtrack
CD as a bonus track (1997).
"LET
ME"
Written by Elvis Presley and Ken Darby [billed as Vera
Matson] Performed by Elvis Presley
The fairground scene. Pure C&W singing style from Elvis.
Released on the soundtrack EP (1956) and the EP Elvis
Presley (1956).The solo version with just Elvis vocals
was released on the Jailhouse Rock/Love Me Tender soundtrack
CD as a bonus track (1997).
"POOR BOY"
Written by Elvis Presley and Ken Darby [billed as Vera
Matson] Performed by Elvis Presley
Elvis sings about his love for Debra Paget with accordian
backing in a C&W style. Released on the soundtrack EP
(1956) and later on the LP's For LP Fans Only (1959) and
Elvis the Other Sides- Worldwide Gold Award Hits Vol 2
(1971). A stereo version was released on the Jailhouse
Rock/Love Me Tender soundtrack CD as a bonus track (1997).
"WE'RE GONNA MOVE"
Written by Elvis Presley and Ken Darby [billed as Vera
Matson] Performed by Elvis Presley
A C&W song about the house falling apart and moving to
a better home. Released on the soundtrack EP (1956) and
on the EP Loving You (1957), later released on the LP's
A Date with Elvis (1960) and Elvis: The Other Sides-Worldwide
Gold Award Hits Vol 2. A stereo version (take 9) was released
on the Jailhouse Rock/Love Me Tender soundtrack CD as
a bonus track (1997).
Recorded at 20th Century Fox Studios, Beverly Hills, California.
August 1956.
Musicians: Elvis Presley (vocals), Vita Mumolo (guitar),
Red Robinson (drums), Chuck Prescott (bass), Ken Darby
Trio (accompaniment and vocals).
A group of Hollywood session musicians backed Elvis for
these four songs.
All the tunes were specially written for the film by Ken
Darby who used his wifes name and Elvis' for copyright
purposes on all but the title track.
The lyrics of the film version of "Love me Tender" differed
from those of the record.
Advanced orders for the single "Love Me Tender" were for
an unprecedented 856,327 copies. It was released on September
28 and reached No. 1 on Billboard chart in October 1956.
The singles has subsequently been certified double platinum.
To coincide with the premiere of Elvis' first movie, RCA
released the "Love Me Tender" extended play in October
1956, which featured the soundtrack's four songs. Another
platinum seller
Filming
began in August 1956, and was completed in early October.
Exteriors were filmed in the San Fernando Valley near
Los Angeles
"Love Me Tender" premiered on Broadway in New York City.
On November 15, 1956, a huge 50-ft. tall cardboard cut-out
was unveiled in front of the theater. The fans went wild.
It opened nationally on November 21.
On November 22, The Los Angeles Times said "Elvis can
act. So help me the boy's real good, even when he isn't
singing."
November 24: The New Yorker magazine says "Thick-lipped,
droopy-eyed and indefatigably sullen, Mr. Presley, whose
talents are meager but whose earnings are gross, excites
a big section of the young female population as nobody
has ever done."
November 28: "Love Me Tender" entered Variety's top
grossing box-office list at No. 2 behind "Giant".
Title
was changed from "The Reno Brothers" to promote the
title song sung by Elvis.
Of all the movies starring Elvis Presley, this is
the only one in which he didn't get top billing. He
was billed third, after 'Egan, Richard' and Debra Paget.
The footage of Elvis singing "Love Me Tender" at the
end was shot after preview audiences reacted badly to
his character's fate. This new footage created a continuity
error as Elvis had dyed his hair black by the time of
the additional shooting, while in the movie his hair
color was closer to blonde.
Elvis'
real life backing musicians Scotty Moore, Bill Black
and D.J. Fontana were not allowed to play the roles
of the band in the movie because according to the casting
crew they didn't look like country musicians.
In
the scene where Cathy Reno is at the window crying, a
car can be seen in the background.
A Confederate soldier zips up the pants that were taken
off Northern soldiers, before zippers were invented.
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