Love Me Tender (1956)

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:

Debut | Elvis Presley | Murder | Elvis | Brother Brother Relationship

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

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

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

Stunts
Martha Crawford	....	stunt double: Debra Padget (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
Hank Garland	....	musician: guitar (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 | 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:

A record number of prints of "Love Me Tender" were struck in 1956 to accommodate the demand for Elvis Presley's movie debut.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A Confederate soldier zips up the pants that were taken off Northern soldiers, before zippers were invented.

Quotes:

Vance Reno: Listen, Brett, we didn't steal this money. We took it in battle, fair and square. It's what they call "spoils of war", like capturing a horse or anything else. We didn't know the war was over, and neither did the Federals. So it's still prize money.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Same Time, Next Year (1978)

Soundtrack:

WE'RE GONNA MOVE

Presley's screen debut solid in undistinguished film

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 (love that name) 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, however, which incited fans enough to bring about a compromise ending cooked up by Twentieth Century-Fox to placate obsessive Elvis devotees.