Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Intcatinfo
A Masterpiece!
Arianna Moses
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
TheLittleSongbird
Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.So how does The King of Rock and Roll fare here in his screen debut? There is some stiffness here, which isn't unexpected in anybody making his debut (though with Elvis it was something that was never completely shaken off) and his trademark moves during the songs while fun to see feel anachronistic in a Civil War Western film. However, generally 'Love Me Tender' contains one of his better performances, there is a real charm, easy-going charisma and also a genuine emotional honesty. He sings sublimely, his rendition of the iconic title song "Love Me Tender" (one of his most gorgeous songs) is beautifully sung. The other three songs are not quite as great but are still good, regardless of what can be said about how they're placed and how they fit.He is very well supported by the rest of the cast, the heart-wrenching Richard Egan stealing the film pretty much and Debra Paget is sympathetic and charming. Mildred Dunnock is always reliable and is here. The conflicts are interesting enough, and the tragic finale is genuinely moving.For a modest budget, 'Love Me Tender' looks good, the western setting while not majestic, evocative or sweeping is handsome and not cheap and the black and white is quite nice. The film is competently directed, and as said the music is good with one song being fantastic.Dialogue is not a strong suit though, being somewhat awkward-sounding, parts of it and the anachronisms causing unintentional humour. Nor is the start of the film, until Elvis appears 'Love Me Tender' is pretty dull and uneventful.Parts don't fit with the story or setting as well as ought, one never feels like the film is set in the 1860s instead feeling like a 1950s film set amidst a Civil War backdrop.Overall, a decent if not great film and one of Elvis' better films and performances. 7/10 Bethany Cox
slapstck2000
I've seen this movie many many many times, and it is so good. would love to see this one AND King Creole colorized, WOW you have to admit that would be so cool, it would be like watching a movie ABOUT Elvis Presley with Elvis playing himself! especially this one, that or like watching a home movie of him with color and sound, im sorry guys I've seen what they did with Jailhouse Rock and WOWWWWWWlol! I also agree that if Elvis hadnt been involved with this movie it would have just went down as a B picture, it wouldn't have done well at the box office at all, and speaking of box office its a shame with all the fandom surrounding this picture at the time(56) its a wonder Elvis didn't at LEAST get an Oscar nomination! Michael Smith
inspectors71
Love Me Tender is a supremely stupid movie, but one that has a certain appeal for nostalgists and lovers of drive-in level plotting and acting (not to mention Elvis fanatics who want to see him before he became a Viva Las Vegas cliché).There's no point in talking about the story itself--who would ever have thought the Post Bellum South looked so much like the hills where the TV show MASH was shot--and there is a whole rebel-whooping crowd of professional actors (except the ridiculous Debra Paget) who have to run blocker for the 22-year-old boy with a great, great voice and charisma, so why should you watch Love Me Tender the next time it shows on AMC?Cuz it's Elvis, singing the title song, the prettiest single piece of music he ever performed.
moonspinner55
Civil War soldier returns home to his family and fiancée, who are unaware of his past as a thief--and possible murderer. Strictly as a star-vehicle (for a singer who was not yet a movie star), "Love Me Tender" proves to be an interesting footnote in the legend of Elvis Presley; as a piece of western-genre cinema, it is quite dreadful. Richard Egan (in the most prominent role) does well, and the supporting cast featuring Debra Paget and Neville Brand is solid, yet it is Presley's acting debut which garners the most attention, and with good reason: his self-conscious sneering gives the picture its only intrinsic excitement (as well as a campy kick). The writing is inane and the music (with the exception of the hit title tune) is mediocre but, if you can make it to the final reel, stick around for one of the silliest closing shots in 1950s Hollywood. Did the public-at-large really swallow this hokum at the time? *1/2 from ****
