ELVIS MONTH Day 2 Loving You (1957)

Year: 1957

Age: 22

Movie: 2nd

Elvis gets his first on screen kiss.

Second movie and the first one in colour. Beautiful, wonderous, 1957 colour. Just brings out the costumes, those Edith Head costumes.

It doesn’t take long to meet young Deke Rivers (Jimmy Thompkins) (Elvis) at the 5 min 30 mark he comes rockin in in his hotted up hot rod. Decked out, head to toe in denim. Then we get Got A Lotta Livin’ To Do. With limited wiggle. Then off for a little drive with Glenda (Lizabeth Scott) in the hot rod…it appears that that particular hot rod has the turning circle of a 747, as it looks like the fence had to be moved back a few metres to accommodate the car turning around.

Anyway Elvis gets fired and so he is off to join the travelling show with Glenda, Susan (Delores Hart) and Tex (Wendell Corey).

Next song, Let’s Have A Party. Not the version that you usually hear on CD’s etc, but still a great version. Lyrics slightly different.

And another Let’s Have A Party with a montage. Who doesn’t love a musical montage.

And Lonesome Cowboy. I tend to break out into Lonesome Cowboy randomly, so much so that my kids now join in.

Loving You was Delores Harts first movie, and Lisabeth Scott last movie, although she still did a bit of TV work and singing. looks like Lizabeth has a bit of a crush,

Having a little something to eat at the diner and…I can feel a song and a fight coming on. This is the classic Elvis scene.

The fight features Kenneth Becker as Wayne. Pain in the arse Wayne. Anyway Kenneth Becker was in quite a few Elvis movies. GI Blues, Girls Girls Girls and Roustabout. He was also in True Grit (John Wayne), the original one.

And then the classic song Teddy Bear, in that fancy red and white outfit.

So first onscreen kiss is with Wayne’s ex-girlfriend Daisy (Jana Lund) at about 50 min into the movie.

I really like Lizabeth Scott in this movie. She is such a strong character, I can just imagine her exactly the same in real life.

The off to the farm with sweet little Susan.

Hmm particularly love the outfit in the farm scene. Swoon. And just when Susan and Deke are falling in love they get interrupted, isn’t it always the way. And then they part ways…for a few minutes anyway…and his heartfelt good bye, ah so sweet…NOT! Jeez. Really!? It goes like this “well, see ya”.

Deke and Glenda in the car, Deke describing his childhood. Nice little scene. Then you get to meet the real Deke Rivers.

This film has been billed as a kind of autobiographical movie of sorts. Complete with the manager taking 50% from his earings as did The Colonel. Elvis’ Mum and Dad are in the audience for the last song performance. They are in the fourth row at the aisle. His Mum was already ill during this movie and died the following year. Therefore, it is believed, that Elvis never watched this movie again. Although I can’t really imagine E sitting down and watching his own movies too often.