Roustabout

"Elvis Presley as a Roving, Restless, Reckless, ROUSTABOUT"

After a singer loses his job at a coffee shop, he finds employment at a struggling carnival, but his attempted romance with a teenager leads to friction with her father.

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Wuchak@Wuchak

November 6, 2020

_**Elvis joins a carnival**_

A talented drifter with no family and an attitude joins a carnival in Southern Cal and soon becomes the main attraction. Barbara Stanwyck plays the owner of the carnival, Joan Freeman the love interest and Pat Buttram a rival in the biz.

“Roustabout” (1964) is easily one of the better Elvis flicks (for me, at least), probably because the setting is the carnival & carnies, but also because the story is serious (rather than farcical) and more captivating than most. Presley’s character, Charlie Rogers, makes for a great protagonist with whom to identify. Meanwhile, the presence of the towering Stanwyck is always compelling, plus Buttram’s character is perfectly suited for him. A plus is the many attractive showgirls in the periphery.

I’d put it on par with "Kid Galahad" (1962) and “Viva Las Vegas" (1964), although the latter is more of a fun farce; “Roustabout” is a serious drama with some musical sequences.

The film runs 1 hour, 41 minutes, and was shot in Potrero Valley, Thousand Oaks, California, & Paramount Studios.

GRADE: B