Love Me Tender is a 1956 American musical Western film directed by Robert D. Webb, and released by 20th Century Fox on November 15, 1956. The film, named after the song, stars Richard Egan, Debra Paget, and Elvis Presley in his acting debut. It was the only time in his acting career that Elvis did not receive top billing.

Love Me Tender was originally to be titled The Reno Brothers, but when advanced sales of Presley's "Love Me Tender" single passed one million—a first for a single—the film's title was changed to match.

The film was not put into production immediately. A somewhat more realistic film telling the story of the Reno Brothers, Rage at Dawn starring Randolph Scott, had been released by RKO Radio Pictures in 1955.

Producer Weisbert said "we signed Elvis later for the younger brother (at $100,000) when we heard he was available."

Casting Presley

thumb|left|Elvis Presley as Clint

Presley had shown interest in becoming an actor before achieving major success as a singer. His first No. 1 hit single, "Heartbreak Hotel", topped Billboards Top 100 chart in April 1956, a few weeks after his screen test for this film. The test lasted three days

thumb|150px|[[Drive-in theater|Drive-in advertisement from 1956|right]]

On April 2, Wallis offered Presley a contract for one motion picture, with options on six more.

Wallis considered Presley for a role in The Rat Race, a film about a "naive, innocent boy" who was struggling to make it as a musician in Manhattan, but he decided against it after another studio executive said, "Elvis Presley just doesn't look like that". The film was eventually made in 1960 with Tony Curtis in the lead role. Another possibility Wallis mulled over was to pair Presley with Jerry Lewis. Lewis had just separated from his comedy partner Dean Martin after a successful run of seventeen movies together, but again the idea was shelved. However, despite this belief, and due to Wallis being unable to find a project "good enough for the debut of Elvis Presley", he was loaned out to 20th Century Fox on August 13 and began work on Love Me Tender on August 22.

Presley's role had originally been turned down by both Jeffrey Hunter and Robert Wagner because the part was too small. The New York Times called Presley's casting "somewhere between fantasy and drama" and said his next film would be for Paramount, The Lonesome Cowboy. William Campbell played another brother. Cameron Mitchell eventually turned down his role and was replaced by Neville Brand.

The moment Presley's casting was announced, Fox was deluged with queries about the film from Presley's fans. It was decided to expand his part and give him some songs to sing. In little more than a month Presley had recorded all the songs for the film and had finished filming his scenes.

Filming of the movie's climactic sequence, including the death scene for Presley's character, took place at the Bell Moving Picture Ranch in the Santa Susana Mountains west of the San Fernando Valley on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The exact filming location, sometimes referred to among historians as the "Rocky Hill", remained elusive for almost 60 years, until the site was discovered on an expedition by filming location researchers in early 2015. The party was able to locate the site by combining details from Love Me Tender and the Victor Mature movie Escort West, which also filmed on the "Rocky Hill."

Weibsart said during the shoot Presley was "humble, polite, solicitous... He was co operative with us, never late, and very serious about acting. This was another kind of career for him."

"I think he provides tremendous additional value in the role", said Weisbart. "He will surprise a lot of people who go to see him because his presence is just a gimmick. Actually he plays an acting part in a legitimate story and he does it very well. He sings but the script is so constructed that the situations are logical... when the family is together after the war.... [or] at a bazar and picnic. These are folk tunes or hoedowns that – except for the title piece, a ballad – have Elvis' rhythms. With his long brown hair and sideburns he looks legitimate too in terms of the period." On November 20 Presley attended a private screening at Loew's State Theater in Memphis,

Presley would later express regret at making the film and disappointment that the additions of songs helped shape his Hollywood career.

Presley would later tell his friend that he found this type of reaction from his moviegoing fans embarrassing, and that it prevented him from being viewed as a serious actor. In the summer of 2006, the film was released on DVD in a special 50th anniversary issue. It was featured in a slipcase, and included a set of 4 lobby card reproductions. The disc contains the movie in its original widescreen letterbox format, plus audio commentary by noted Elvis historian, and Memphis Mafia member, Jerry Schilling. The disc includes three featurettes: "Elvis Hits Hollywood", "The Colonel & The King", and "Love Me Tender: The Birth & Boom of the Elvis Hit". Also part of the disc are original trailers for Love Me Tender, Flaming Star and Wild in the Country.

See also

  • List of American films of 1956

References

  • The "Rocky Hill", the Bell Ranch shooting location for Love Me Tender where the Elvis death scene was filmed

Movie reviews

  • Review by Janet Branagan at Apollo Movie Guide.

DVD reviews

  • Review by Brett Cullum at DVD Verdict, March 30, 2006.
  • Review by Mark Zimmer at digitallyOBSESSED!, August 18, 2002.