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| Loving You | |
|---|---|
| Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hal Kanter |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Screenplay by | Herbert BakerHal Kanter |
| Story by | Mary Agnes Thompson |
| Starring | Elvis PresleyLizabeth ScottWendell Corey |
| Music by | Walter Scharf |
| Cinematography | Charles Lang, Jr., A.S.C. |
| Edited by | Howard Smith, A.C.E. |
| Production company | Hal Wallis Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date | July 9, 1957 (USA) |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3.7 million (USA) |
Loving You is a 1957 American Technicolor musical drama structured as Elvis Presley‘s first starring film vehicle, following his debut the previous year in a supporting role in the black-and-white film Love Me Tender. Directed by Hal Kanter, the cast includes Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, and Dolores Hart in her movie debut.
The storyline, about a delivery man who is discovered by a music publicist and a country–western musician who want to promote the talented newcomer, was scripted by Herbert Baker and Hal Kanter, based on the short story “A Call from Mitch Miller.” Kanter expanded the script after being inspired by Presley’s last appearance on the Louisiana Hayride and his manager Colonel Tom Parker‘s antics.
A box office success, Loving You opened nationwide on July 9, 1957. Paramount Pictures chose to ignore the first-run theater system, opting instead to release the film in sub-run neighborhood theaters, a system later dubbed the “Presley Pattern.” Composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Presley’s single “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear,” backed with “Loving You,” was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The film was based on the short story “A Call from Mitch Miller“, written by Mary Agnes Thompson and published in the June 1956 issue of Good Housekeeping. In that year, producer Hal Wallis bought the rights for the story to turn it into a vehicle for Presley’s first starring role for Paramount Pictures. Six months before the start of the production, Wallis loaned Presley to 20th Century Fox, where he appeared in his movie debut, the 1956 film Love Me Tender.
The producer then selected Hal Kanter to direct the film and to co-write the script with Herbert Baker.[14] To write a script adjusted to Presley, Kanter traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, to meet him in person. Along with Presley’s entourage, he went to Shreveport to see the last performance of the singer on the country television show, Louisiana Hayride. Kanter witnessed the reaction from fans, as well as Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker‘s handling of the spectacle, both of which he used as an inspiration for the script. The working titles of the movie were “Lonesome Cowboy”, “Running Wild”, “Stranger in Town”, and “Something for the Girls”. Due to the appeal of Presley’s previous film being titled after a song sung by Presley, Wallis selected the final name for the film, using the Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller ballad penned for the movie, “Loving You”.
Shot in Technicolor and VistaVision, the production started on January 21, 1957, ending on March 8. The film was shot at the Paramount studios, except the Jessup farm scenes, which were shot in the Hollywood Hills. The film features appearances by Presley’s guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black, drummer D.J. Fontana, and The Jordanaires. Presley’s parents, Gladys and Vernon, who visited the set of the film, were included in the final scene of the film as part of the audience of the telecast.
Loving You premiered in Memphis on July 10, 1957 at the Strand Theater. Presley did not go to that showing, instead opting to take girlfriend Anita Wood, as well as his parents to a private midnight screening. The film opened nationally on July 30, 1957 and peaked at #7 on the Variety National Box Office Survey, staying on the chart for four weeks.
Performed by Presley:
- “Mean Woman Blues“
- “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear“
- “Loving You“
- “Got a Lot o’ Livin’ to Do“
- “Lonesome Cowboy”
- “Hot Dog”
- “Party“
Watch the movie “Loving You”
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