I am not a huge Elvis fan when it comes to his movies. While he made a few very well made films, he also made a lot of stuff where he essentially 'phoned it in'...playing characters who were pretty much the same. Fans loved them, but there just wasn't a lot of depth to them. "Roustabout" is made during this dull period in his movies...which might make you wonder 'why did this knucklehead watch the movie?!'. Well, it co-stars Barbara Stanwyck...and I'd watch anything with her, since she was a terrific actress. And, who knows...maybe "Roustabout" is better than I'd imagined.
The first few minutes of this movie don't make a lot of sense. First, three guys try to beat up Elvis but he manages to teach them a lesson using Karate...and HE ends up getting arrested and fined! Huh?! Second, after leaving jail, he is deliberately run off the road in his motorcycle by a real hot-head! Huh?! Well, although senseless, as a result of this deliberate 'accident', Elvis' cycle is damaged and while it's being fixed, he sticks around a carnival and works to make a few bucks....and this is how he met a pretty lady (Joan Freeman) and the owner of the carnival (Stanwyck). He also gets to meet a lot of neat carneys...including BJ the sword swallower who tells Elvis he just 'loves to swallow things'...and my wife nearly had a heart attack laughing!
So is this any good? Well, it's okay...though the writing is a bit suspect at times. A lot of the characters make little sense. Why is Elvis so angry? Why is the man who deliberately ran him off the road STILL angry and why isn't he fired or prosecuted? The songs are nice and the story mildly interesting...but that's about it. If you love Elvis, watch it by all means. Otherwise, below is a list of a few very good Elvis films...and I suggest you try "Charro!", "Love Me Tender" and "King Creole". They all prove he could act, were written better and show some depth.
The first few minutes of this movie don't make a lot of sense. First, three guys try to beat up Elvis but he manages to teach them a lesson using Karate...and HE ends up getting arrested and fined! Huh?! Second, after leaving jail, he is deliberately run off the road in his motorcycle by a real hot-head! Huh?! Well, although senseless, as a result of this deliberate 'accident', Elvis' cycle is damaged and while it's being fixed, he sticks around a carnival and works to make a few bucks....and this is how he met a pretty lady (Joan Freeman) and the owner of the carnival (Stanwyck). He also gets to meet a lot of neat carneys...including BJ the sword swallower who tells Elvis he just 'loves to swallow things'...and my wife nearly had a heart attack laughing!
So is this any good? Well, it's okay...though the writing is a bit suspect at times. A lot of the characters make little sense. Why is Elvis so angry? Why is the man who deliberately ran him off the road STILL angry and why isn't he fired or prosecuted? The songs are nice and the story mildly interesting...but that's about it. If you love Elvis, watch it by all means. Otherwise, below is a list of a few very good Elvis films...and I suggest you try "Charro!", "Love Me Tender" and "King Creole". They all prove he could act, were written better and show some depth.