 Elvis' first movie,
'Love Me Tender', premiered Nov. 15, 1956 at New York's
Paramount Theater.
Vance Reno (Richard
Egan), two of his younger brothers and some members of a
cavalry group from the South steal the pay of the
Northern army. After their return they learn that the
war is over already. They split the money and return
home. To Vance the reunion is a disappointment, because
he had been reported as dead two years before, and his
youngest brother Clint (Elvis) has married Vance's girl.
Conflicts and misunderstandings because of the stolen
money follow each other. The brothers are arrested and
freed again. Clint gets shot while he is defending his
brother Vance during a fight, and he dies.
Actor Richard Egan
who played Vance Reno, older brother to Elvis'
character, Clint, was a high ranking officer in the U.S.
Army during W.W.II. He received a master's degree at
Stanford and taught school at Northwestern before
deciding to become an actor. He won a Golden Globe award
in 1953 as Most Promising Male Newcomer.
Neville Brand played
Mike Gavin, the man who shot and killed Elvis'
character. Brand had joined the Army in 1939, intending
to make it his career, and became the fourth most
decorated GI in World War II. While in the army he made
his acting debut in army training films, which changed
the direction of his life. Brand went on to play in 79
movie roles and 29 TV roles. His heavy features and
gravel voice made him a natural tough guy. He would play
gangster Al Capone in four different projects.
 Mildred Dunnock played
Elvis' mother. Dunnock was nominated twice for the Best
Supporting Actress Oscar - first for Death Of A Salesman
(1951) and then for Baby Doll (1956). She was a
schoolteacher before becoming a character actress.
Bruce Bennett played
Major Kincaid. Bruce Bennett was his name as an actor.
Before that he was known as Herman Brix, a silver medal
winner for shot put in the 1928 Olympics. He was
personally picked by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs
to follow in the footsteps of fellow Olympic stars
Johnny Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe to play the role of
Tarzan on the silver screen. He would go on to play in
119 movies. Bennett left showbiz for regular business in
1960.
Barry Coe, who
played Mr. Davis, won a Golden Globe in 1959 as Most
Promising Male Newcomer, nominated with Troy Donahue,
George Hamilton and James Shigeta. Shigeta's greatest
fame came with the film Flower Drum Song and he later
co-starred with Elvis in the film 'Paradise,
Hawaiian Style'.
Producer
David Weisbart would go on to produce three more Elvis
movies: 'Flaming Star',
'Follow That Dream'
and 'Kid Galahad'.
Weisbart's credits included producing Rebel Without A
Cause (1955) and an Oscar nomination for Best Editing
for Johnny Belinda (1948).
Director Robert D. Webb had
won an Oscar as Best Assistant Director for 1937's In
Old Chicago.
Writer Robert
Buckner had won both a Writers Guild Of America award
and a Golden Globe award for Bright Victory (1951) and
had received an Oscar nomination for writing for the
film Yankee Doodle Dandy.
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Soundtrack
Love Me Tender
Poor Boy
Let Me
We're Gonna Move
All songs written by
Ken Darby (billed as Vera Matson) although credited as
Elvis Presley and Ken Darby (billed as Vera Matson)
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 - Mr. 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. |
