Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Crwthod A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

dougdoepke Three brothers return to the South after the Civil War with a load of Yankee money that the winning side wants back; at the same time, one brother finds out his girl hasn't waited for him.Presley's first film isn't bad. The producers do a pretty good job of weaving Presley's stage act into the overall plot, no easy task given audience expectations. My only gripe here is the screeching girls, really out of place in a screenplay supposedly circa 1865. Presley, the actor, also does a decent job, first time out. Note how he really throws himself into the big emotional scene with Paget; he's clearly out to prove himself with the Hollywood crowd.What surprises me is how quickly the screenplay was revised, shot, and then released, over what I believe was a scant two-month period. Clearly the producers wanted to add Presley's skyrocketing allure to what was otherwise a routine horse opera. After all, they couldn't be sure how long his fame would last since R&R was only about a year old. As it turns out, they got a lot more for their programmer than they could have imagined.Anyway, as I recall from that time, there wasn't a dry feminine eye in the theatre at movie's end. So a lot of us boys went home and piled our pompadours a little higher. Ah, yes, those were the days. Thanks to a veteran cast, the horse opera itself is entertaining but nothing special.

josesolismusic-223-295527 I watched this movie because I was curious about Elvis in movies. I didn't expect much, but I was happily surprised. So, when I came to look for more information about it, I was even more surprised this movie has such a low rating here. The story is very good, controversial even in many ways. It has no boring moments, the drama is constant. The acting is good for the time. The music is also appropriate for the setting, both Elvis's songs and the score by Lionel Newman is also very effective and good for the time when it was done. This might be a problem for many, the time. Judging a movie like this by today's standards is doing it a great injustice. I've seen lots of old movies that don't hold the attention as much as this. Even the acting of Elvis, being this his first movie, and him being a singer not an actor, was quite convincing. I've see lots of actors not pull the jealous rage the way he does.

Aida Nejad "Vance, I didn't mean it! I swear I didn't mean it!" This was a pretty nice start at Elvis' career, spanning over 30 films. His first film performance was good, not great and not bad, just good. One problem was that he and Debra Paget, who played Cathy Reno, lacked chemistry. I actually found the rest of the actors in this films pretty boring and forgettable, but I think it was made that way so the focus would be on the rising star at that time, Elvis Presley. The ending was actually my favorite part of the movie, where Clint (Presley) has just been shot and he begs of forgiveness to his brother. It's pretty sad, really. Anyway, you should definitely watch this film, but don't expect a masterpiece of some sort.

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 ****