Roustabout

Welcome to 1964. Elvis is still stuck in movie limbo, the Beatles are ready to conquer America, and this movie pops up. Elvis has one of his better roles since Flaming Star, as he plays a angry young man named Charlie Rogers, who is not that likable at all. After Charlie gets sprung for getting in a fight with some college students, he heads down the road to nowhere for the next gig. That's when he meets Maggie, Cathy, and Joe. Joe runs him off the road and destroys the Big E's guitar and 'cycle in the process. Maggie offers him a job as a roustabout in her carnival until his bike is repaired.

Elvis sheds the family friendly 60s image for this role. He is a cross between likable and a jerk. He has the benefit of working with a fine supporting cast. Barbara Stanwyck shines as Maggie, who lives and breathes the carnival life (She also keeps this film from being just average). Joan Freeman is great as Cathy, a love interest that plays much harder to get than any other Elvis movie femme fatale. Even Billy Barty shows up in a short role. Steve Brodie and Iris Adrian show up again to reprise their loud, annoying husband/wife roles (they just have different names and backgrounds in this one).

The King manages to belt out 11 forgettable songs that include his better than average take on "Little Egypt". This film also shows an era when the carnival was a profitable business (I laughed at seeing an orchestra pit inside a carnival tent). The 'Wall of Death' scene was also the basis of the Irish film, Eat The Peach. All in all, a better than average performance for Elvis in a standard formula film.

Whenever Elvis returned to his rebel roots, his product improved. Roustabout provided him with his meatiest sixties role, a leatherclad itinerant musician who falls in with Barbara Stanwyck's travelling carnival. He's lean and mean and his songs actually work as part of the film instead of as a distraction. Recommended.

Elvis plays a happy-go-lucky guy with a small chip on his shoulder. After his cycle is wrecked, he takes on a part time job at Barbara Stanwych's almost bankrupt carnival. Elvis' character sings a few songs and starts bringing crowds to the traveling show again. Joan Freeman plays the goody two shoes that for some reason has the new roustabout going in circles. Leif Erickson is a believable alcoholic, trying to protect his daughter. The soundtrack features "One Track Heart" "Big Love, Big Heartache" and "Little Egypt", plus several very short songs. Contrary of most of the songs being under two minutes long, this was a very popular album. A very pleasant movie directed by John Rich.

This is a very entertaining film. Elvis (Charlie Rogers) is a rebel biker who has a reputation as fighter and a womanizer. He makes a living as a traveling singer.

Early on in the film he is fired for getting into a fight with a group of college toughs. While riding his bike to the next engagement, the father of a girl he was flirting with tries to run him off the road. To make ends meet, and to earn enough money to repair his bike, he joins up with a traveling carnival.

The carnival is run by Maggie Moran, played by legendary actress Barbara Stanwyck. Elvis falls quickly for her lovely daughter Cathy, (Joan Freeman). The film takes off from there.

It's a wonderful adventure and is sure to entertain. Plus there are some great music tracks. "Little Egypt", "Roustabout", and "Big Love, Big Heartache" are great examples. The soundtrack went to #1 on the Billboard charts.

Some fun facts: Raquel Welch has a bit part at the very beginning of the film, and Teri Garr is one of the dancers. The title song, Roustabout is one everyone remembers. However Elvis also recorded another song for the film called "I'm a Roustabout". "Roustabout" was picked and "I'm a Roustabout" was never released. The song was recently discovered and was released as a bonus track on a CD in 2003. The motorcycle Elvis rides throughout the movie is a Honda 305 Superhawk.

Most people don't think too much of this Elvis romp compared to any other, but for me it stands out as one of the better "formula" movies the man made in the '60s. As club singer Charlie Rogers, Elvis is a little different from his usual stock characters from this period because the young man has a chip on his shoulder. He's a reckless person who never had a family and is prone to being self-centered and dismissive. After getting fired from a gig one day, he and his motorcycle are smacked up by a threesome of small-time carnival owners driving in their car, so they invite him to stick around their modest fairgrounds and work as a "roustabout" for a little cash while waiting for his bike to get back from the repair shop. Rogers is able to boost business with his singing to lure customers to the Fair.

Barbara Stanwyck plays the strong-willed carnival chief who breathes the carny lifestyle, but she's saddled with a crotchety and hard-headed partner (Leif Erickson) who once caused a tragedy to a customer by not safely securing one of the rides at the fair, and who tries to keep Charlie away from his daughter Cathy (Joan Freeman). It's refreshing to see a leading girl who can hold her own and not easily succumb to Elvis' whims. There are a few decent songs here and there, if no great ones. Raquel Welch can be spotted in the beginning of the film as one of a group of young folks going to see Charlie Rogers perform at the club. *** out of ****