Love Me Tender (1956)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Robert D. Webb

Writers:

Maurice Geraghty (story)
Robert Buckner (writer)

Release Date:

15 November 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance | Western

Tagline:

HEAR ELVIS SING . . . "Love Me Tender" "We're Gonna Move" "Poor Boy" "Let Me"

Plot:

Elvis plays Clint Reno, one of the Reno brothers who stayed home while he brother went to fight in the Civil War for the Confederate army...

Plot Keywords:

Brother | Robbery | Civil War | Brother Brother Relationship | Presumed Dead

Cast

Richard Egan	...	Vance Reno
Debra Paget	...	Cathy Reno
Elvis Presley	...	Clint Reno
Robert Middleton	...	Mr. Siringo
William Campbell	...	Brett Reno
Neville Brand	...	Mike Gavin
Mildred Dunnock	...	Martha Reno
Bruce Bennett	...	Maj. Kincaid
James Drury	...	Ray Reno
Russ Conway	...	Ed Galt
Ken Clark	...	Mr. Kelso
Barry Coe	...	Mr. Davis
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorothy Hack
Paul E. Burns	...	Jethro (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Train passenger (uncredited)
Steve Darrell	...	Train conductor #2 (uncredited)
Joe Di Reda	...	Soldier #1 (uncredited)
Tom Greenway	...	Paymaster (uncredited)
Frank Griffin	...	Bit part (uncredited)
L.Q. Jones	...	Pardee Fleming (uncredited)
Jay Jostyn	...	Maj. Harris (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Train passenger (uncredited)
Edward Mundy	...	Auctioneer (uncredited)
Bob Rose	...	Station agent (uncredited)
Dick Sargent	...	Confederate soldier (uncredited)
Jerry Sheldon	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
James Stone	...	Storekeeper (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert D. Webb

Writing credits
Maurice Geraghty		(story)
Robert Buckner		(writer)

Produced by
David Weisbart	....	producer

Original Music by
Lionel Newman

Cinematography by
Leo Tover

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Fay Babcock
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Mary Wills

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stanley Hough	....	assistant director

Art Department
Don B. Greenwood	....	property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alfred Bruzlin	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Ray Kellogg	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Debra Paget (uncredited)
John Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank J. Calabria	....	additional photographer: New York (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	executive wardrobe designer (as Charles LeMaire)
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Ken Darby	....	vocal supervisor
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator
Hugo Friedhofer	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Hank Garland	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Earle Hagen	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Leigh Harline	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Tom Parker	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Tom Parker)
Ben Wright	....	dialogue director

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (????) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1978) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

The Reno Brothers (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System) (magnetic prints) | Mono (optical prints)

Certification:

Australia:PG | New Zealand:PG | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | UK:U | West Germany:12 (nf)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Ranch, Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Although this started out as a "B" feature, it wound up costing approximately $1,000,000. It reportedly made its production cost back in only the first three days of release.

Goofs:

Continuity: Elvis' hair is black during the final "Love Me Tender" reprise, but closer to blonde in the rest of the film.

Quotes:

Cathy Reno: [Clint has just been shot after defending Vance... Cathy "Kit" Reno rushes to his side and takes him into her arms] Just lie still.
Clint Reno: [gasping for breath] Kit... where's Vance? I gotta talk to him.
Vance Reno: I'm here, Clint.
Clint Reno: [crying] Vance, I didn't mean it! I swear I didn't mean it...
Vance Reno: [softly] I know you didn't, Clint. You don't have to tell me. Everything's gonna be all right.
Clint Reno: [looks at Kit, then at Vance] Everything's gonna be all right
[last lines... gasps, then dies... Kit weeps]
Clint Reno: .

Movie Connections:

Featured in Elvis by the Presleys (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

LET ME

Love Me Tender (1956) ***

Finally got around to seeing Elvis Presley's debut film in its entirety and in widescreen, and I think it's a good deal better than it's usually given credit for. Richard Egan plays Vance Reno, who is serving in the Civil War and returns home after the war ends to join his family and reunite with his lover (Debra Paget). But a tragedy ensues when it's learned that while he was away, his young brother Clint (Elvis) fell in love with and married his girl, after hearing that Vance had died. Also factoring into the trouble is that Vance has kept some Union cash which he never delivered to its destination when he found out the war had ended in the interim.

This turned out to be a good, solid story with fine performances, especially by Richard Egan. But again, Elvis is amazing as a completely first-time novice actor. He always wanted to be on the big screen from youth, after admiring James Dean, Marlon Brando and Tony Curtis. For a film fan who never had any professional acting training or experience, he's really quite good as Clint Reno. Though he didn't want to sing in this film, Presley was already a big recording star so of course there had to be songs in the movie. The title tune is a classic and it's very emotional as perfromed within the context of the film. I also like the singalong ditty "We're Gonna Move", which is performed by Elvis on the front porch "1950s-style" with his family, even though it's 1865. Other songs include the unremarkable "Let Me" and "Poor Boy".