Before Love Me Tender, Elvis had been wanting to act in films since the early ’50s. So, when 1956 rolled around he finally got his first shot at a leading role as the character of Clint Reno.

The movie's music director, Ken Darby, found the melody for the 95-year-old Civil War song "Aura Lee", which needed no restructuring, but new words were called for — and the song "Love Me Tender ...