By Jonathan Hampton 
The song was #1 on the charts for five weeks. Elvis was still singing it 20 years later in concert, proving that Love Me Tender was more than just a hit — it was a timeless classic that stayed with him throughout his career.
Elvis became obsessed with Debra Paget
Debra Paget was extremely beautiful in her prime and charmed millions of Americans when she starred in Elvis Presley’s film debut. The talented actress was ”touched by the hand of God,” according to legendary director Cecil B DeMille.
Apparently, even the ‘King of Rock and Roll’ became obsessed with her.
Debra Paget was a 22-year-old established Hollywood star when she stepped onto the set of Love Me Tender. Back then, she was probably the most beautiful actress of the Hollywood Golden age. And that is saying something.
She and Elvis Presley first met months earlier when both appeared on the Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956. It was the moment when Elvis shocked conservative America by gyrating his famous, or infamous, pelvis during his now-iconic rendition of Hound Dog.
“Although I usually don’t form an opinion of a person until I have met him,” she explained. “Frankly I looked forward to my first meeting with Elvis Presley with mixed emotions. I’d heard and read a lot about this new young singing sensation from Tennessee—and most of it was not complimentary.”
Inside their first meeting
Elvis surprised Debra in many ways during their first, memorable meeting. As a born-again Christian, you might think that Debra disliked The King, but it was quite the opposite.
When Mr. Berle introduced the 21-year-old rising star to Debra on his show, he firmly grabbed her hand and said: “I’m glad to meet you, Miss Paget.”
Elvis then shook Debra’s mother’s hand with equal vigor, excused himself, and returned a few minutes later with a chair for her.
“We were together for only a couple of hours but sometimes you can learn more about a person in a short span of time than in weeks of seeing one another constantly. I felt I did. From the very beginning, Elvis impressed me as a pleasant, sincere, obliging young man,” Debra recalled.
Elvis proposal to Debra Paget
According to Daily Express, Elvis Presley believed that Debra was ”the most beautiful girl he had ever seen” and even visited her parent’s house.
“From the time he first came to the house, my folks have considered Elvis a member of the Paget clan—a feeling which, I believe, he reciprocated,” Debra explained.
But Debra and Elvis’s relationship was more family-oriented than a whirlwind romance – at least in the eyes of the young actress.
“I was very shy, very quiet and very immature for my age. I was in my very early 20’s but I was emotionally more like a 16-year-old. Elvis and I just sort of came together like a couple of children really.”
Elvis, however, seems to have thought otherwise.
“Following the film, he did ask me to marry him but my parents objected to my getting married. I cared about Elvis, but being one not to disobey my parents, that did not take place,” Debra shared.
In the end, Debra turned Elvis down – she had already fallen in love with Howard Hughes, a famous film producer and billionaire.
Priscilla copied Debra Paget
It’s clear that Debra Paget made a lasting impression on Elvis, given everything that has come to light over the years. Looking at the photos from on and off the set, it’s clear that they had a special bond – those pictures speak for themselves!
But Debra’s charisma and style didn’t only influence Elvis. It’s said that in 1959, Priscilla Presley copied Debra Paget’s distinctive hairstyle from Love Me Tender to capture Elvis’s attention.
Elvis mother didn’t like the ending
Spoiler alert! For those who have seen and remember Love Me Tender, you’ll likely recall that Elvis Presley’s character, Clint Reno, meets a tragic end when he is shot and dies in Cathy’s arms (Debra Paget).
It’s said that Elvis’s mother and thousands of fans were so upset by the original ending that the producers decided to alter it. They added a silhouette of Elvis singing the title song over the end credits to give the film a more uplifting conclusion.
This uplifting scene, however, led to a continuity error. By the time of the additional shooting, Elvis had dyed his hair black, while in the movie, his hair color was closer to blonde.
Zippers weren’t invented yet
Here are a few of the most famous bloopers from Love Me Tender that will surely make you smile:
First, there’s the moment when the Reno brothers try to convince some former soldiers to hand over the money. They disarm the three men, but if you watch carefully, the camera angles flip-flop between a guy hiding his gun under his jacket, then suddenly it’s exposed, then — whoops! — it’s back under his jacket again.
Then, in a scene where a Confederate soldier zips up a pair of pants that were clearly taken off Northern soldiers… except, fun fact, zippers weren’t invented yet. Guess we’ve got a little time-travel magic happening on set!
And don’t miss the part where Cathy Reno is crying at the window. In the background, there’s a car parked — an anachronistic surprise in a film set in the 1860s.
Lastly, during the song ”We’re Gonna Move,” Elvis is supposed to be strumming his guitar, but when he takes his hands off it, guess what? The guitar sound still plays. Maybe he was really channeling his inner ghost guitarist?
