A curious Hal Wallis produced musical in which Elvis, clad in black leather for much of the film, seems to be flirting with his more rebellious past while still looking like the bland "Hollywoodized" ideal first promoted in "G.I. Blues" (short hair, short sideburns). There are a couple of decent tunes ("Little Egypt," "Big Love, Big Heartache") and the usual smattering of forgettable ones, but what makes "Roustabout" a cut above most of his other films from the era is a strong cast (Barbra Stanwyck and Leif Ericson, two veterans of Wallis' 1948 "Sorry, Wrong Number") and a stronger than usual role for Elvis himself. He's a troubled, short-tempered sort here, one who, mercifully, doesn't sing to babies.
Review of Roustabout
