Elvis Presley’s feature film debut, Love Me Tender is the story of two brothers’ love for the same woman. The year is 1865 and the U.S. Civil War is just winding down. When young Texas farmer Clint Reno (Presley) gets word his brother Vance (Richard Egan) has died in combat, he turns around and marries his now-deceased sibling’s sweetheart, Cathy (Debra Paget). The only problem is that Clint’s older brother didn’t really die at all. When Vance returns home to reclaim his love, he comes to not only find her in the arms of a new love, but the arms of his new romantic rival – his own flesh and blood.
A joyous reunion is quickly cooled by Vance’s realization of the newfound development. Gone only a year, Vance’s loved ones have clearly moved on, the marriage taking place three months prior. A film loaded with dramatic interpretations, the actual moment of truth is surprisingly anticlimactic and low key. The fact that Clint doesn’t expect Vance to be upset in the slightest leaves the viewer questioning what sort of romantic triangle is really unfolding. Clint’s naivety revolving around his relationship with Cathy seems to carry over to his views of the family’s livelihood, so much so in fact, that Clint’s character comes off as frustrating and simple minded. The only character who seems moved by the whole event is Cathy – the pawn in question – as no one bothers to ask her how she feels about the situation. After witnessing Cathy’s distress, the viewer also begins to wonder what her motivations were for marrying the younger Reno brother in the first place.
As with many Presley movies, and with many films of the 1950s, music is an integral part of the story. Random musical numbers run rampant here, breaking up the heavy-handed plot. The musical scenes do not seem relevant and instead seem rather trite, serving clearly and solely as a vehicle to strut Presley’s stuff. Even in movies where music seems rather out of place, the songs often serve as the driving force to get moviegoers in seats. After all, people were interested in seeing the likes of Presley and Sinatra do what they do best – sing.
Although the focus of this film is on Presley, his role in the movie is actually more of a supporting player rather than the starring role. It’s also a dramatic introduction, where most of his films to follow were lighter and fluffier than his initial foray into acting. This black and white film still remains a draw, however, due to Presley’s involvement, especially all these years later.
The holes in the plot are filled with weak depictions of the struggle the family encounters keeping their heads above water financially. We also see Vance’s part in taking the US army’s money, plus there are cops and robbers type action sequences. As a result, the focus of the film seems rather choppy. Is the romance a side effect of the tumultuous war or the war a backdrop for the cheesy romantic plot? In fact, the only common element present in Love Me Tender revolves around no win situations. Someone will end up with their heart broken, regardless of the outcome.
Love Me Tender remains a film worth seeing, if only for the diehard Presley fans who still love him tenderly even after all these years.
