"Roustabout" (1964 release; 101 min.) brings the story of singer-biker Charlie Rogers. As the movie opens, Charlie gets in an argument with some kids, and as a result is fired from his job. Charlie takes off on his bike, and is run off the road by the father of Cathy, a girl he was flirting with. To earn some money for his bike repair, Charlie decides to join the traveling circus run by Cathy's parents... At this point we are 10 min. into the movie.
Couple of comments: this movie is notable for its historic timing, in that it was the first Elvis vehicle to be released in the Beatles Mania era that had exploded in early 1964. Not that you can tell as such from watching the movie. Silliness abounds left and right in a wafer-thin plot (per the usual for an Elvis firm). What is lacking compared to some of the better Elvis films like "Blue Hawaii" and "G.I. Blues" is the eye-candy scenery (Hawaii, West Germany) that made these earlier films extra-enjoyable. The music in "Roustabout" is okay but nothing all that memorable, in particular given the new Beatles-oriented pop climate.
For reasons I can't explain, I had never in my life watched an Elvis movie start-to-finish but I have found myself watching a lot of Elvis movies these last couple of weeks, on HDNet TV, ahead of the upcoming 43rd anniversary of Elvis' passing away. I find myself transfixed at these period pieces of the early 1960s. "Roustabout" is okay, but not great, but still worth checking out.
Couple of comments: this movie is notable for its historic timing, in that it was the first Elvis vehicle to be released in the Beatles Mania era that had exploded in early 1964. Not that you can tell as such from watching the movie. Silliness abounds left and right in a wafer-thin plot (per the usual for an Elvis firm). What is lacking compared to some of the better Elvis films like "Blue Hawaii" and "G.I. Blues" is the eye-candy scenery (Hawaii, West Germany) that made these earlier films extra-enjoyable. The music in "Roustabout" is okay but nothing all that memorable, in particular given the new Beatles-oriented pop climate.
For reasons I can't explain, I had never in my life watched an Elvis movie start-to-finish but I have found myself watching a lot of Elvis movies these last couple of weeks, on HDNet TV, ahead of the upcoming 43rd anniversary of Elvis' passing away. I find myself transfixed at these period pieces of the early 1960s. "Roustabout" is okay, but not great, but still worth checking out.