Movie Review: Love Me Tender (1956)

This is Elvis' first movie, and he is surprisingly good.  It is also the only movie in which he played that he did not receive top billing.  The title of the movie was changed so as to accept Elvis' new hit single.  Elvis, Clint, is the younger of four brothers, who has stayed behind to mind the farm, while the other brothers go to the Civil War.  Those brothers are part of a confederate group which steal a federal payroll at the end of the war.  Not knowing what to do with the money, they take it home, and the oldest brother, Vance, (Richard Egan) plans to marry his girl, Kathy (Debra Paget).  However the family heard that the oldest brother had been killed, then the younger brother married the girl.  There is some quick adjustment, which doesn't go very well, because the love flame is still there between Kathy and Vance.  Added to this is the federals coming to get the money from the payroll.  Some of the other men involved in this heist get inside Clint's head, and turn him against Vance.  They want to get the money and run out West.  however Vance wants to turn the money over so as to negotiate their freedom.  As luck would have it, Clint shoots Vance, but his heart wasn't in it and it is not a fatal wound.  Clint comes running to his brother with grief, but ends up getting shot and killed by the men who had gotten inside his head.
 

Movie Review: ***Broken Arrow (1950)

James Stewart plays Tom Jeffords, a man who pursues peace between the Apache, and their Chief Cochise (Jeff Chandler) and the other Apache chiefs.  At the same time Jeffords falls in love with a Native American Woman Sonseeharay (Debra Paget) who was in the role of the White Lady when Jeffords first visits with Cochise. This movie is about peace between the Apache and the Whites, but also a love story.  Upon the alter of peace, some things must be sacrificed, and Jeffords finds that sometimes that sacrifice is more than you can bear.  At that times sometimes the student becomes the teacher.
This movie is a bit slow as all the romantic stuff gets mixed in with the plot.  It is also more cerebral than most westerns.  Can people coexist in peace? 
Most of the lead native Americans are portrayed by White actors.  However Geronoimo is portrayed by Jay Silverheels.