beauzee my above summary cleverly leaves out some negatives: too many songs (as good as they all are, esp. a Classic remake of a semi-hit for the COASTERS, called LITTLE Egypt) and too many embarrassing moments from a script just one draft short of "done".we must believe that Elvis, as itinerant odd-jobber, riding his Honda (in lieu of a Harley? Paramount, how could ya?), geetah strapped on back (his best gig is rockin' wherever there's an opening) gave his role some thought as the great Barbara Stanwyck took the challenge to play Owner of struggling Carny.yes, the Big El swaggers in, reluctantly to...save the day and fall in....NO SPOILER!. Elvis really sells his scenes (a coupla times, I had to look away, in epic embarrassment, but...OK).typically, he has to fight off young ladies and middle aged drunks. (fight scenes are pretty damm good).most of the vinyl and CD soundtrack is horribly mixed. as usual, the *movie* mix is more professional.NOTE: terrific, uptempo "alternate" theme song, I'M A ROUSTABOUT, was canned, originally, in favor of the more politically-correct Perry Como style tune. thankfully, it finally came out in the early 2000s! check it out!

bkoganbing Screen legend Barbara Stanwyck became probably the biggest name ever to appear in an Elvis Presley movie in Roustabout. Barbara plays the owner of a carnival who takes in Presley after the King has been fired from a gig at a club. Of course she owes him after her right hand man Leif Erickson runs Elvis off the road and damages his motorcycle and guitar.After a while what's keeping him around is pretty young Joan Freeman who is Erickson's daughter. And Presley's drawing in some big bucks and may just pull the carnival out of the red, the red being the mortgage that banker Dabbs Greer has on Stanwyck's show. That is if rival carnival owner Pat Buttram doesn't lure him away or fortune teller Sue Ane Langdon doesn't lure him with her own special lure.I think Roustabout ranks as one of Presley's best feature films. He was starting to lose his allure to the fans of the Beatles and soon enough his pictures would become a rote formula. But as the young man with a chip on his shoulder who becomes a Roustabout at the Stanwyck carnival Elvis is at his very best.For Stanwyck she saw this as a way of getting her name across to younger movie audiences. But after one more film she would abandon the big screen for the small one and did all her remaining work on television.The title song and a song called Poison Ivy are the best for Elvis in the 11 numbers from the score. I didn't know Elvis went in for satire but the song is a really acid number against privileged college frat boys, I really loved it. It's also what gets him canned from that club gig.Fans of both legends should be pleased with Roustabout.

JoeKarlosi 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 ****

John Macaluso It has Victoria Barkley (Barbara Stanwyck) from The Big Valley, Big John Cannon (Leif Erickson) from The High Chaparral, Wilbur Jonas (Dabbs Greer), the general store owner from Gunsmoke, Pat Buttram who was Gene Autry's sidekick from his western TV series, and Joan Freeman who played Cathy Lean did a guest role on Gunsmoke as a kidnapped girl named Annie Shields. Sue Ane Langdon who played Madame Mijanou, Fortune Teller was in one western movie that I can name, "The Cheyenne Social Club". Elvis of course was quite a western actor himself in such movies as "Love Me Tender", "Flaming Star" and "Charro". This is all just a point that I'm making. Elvis was born to be a cowboy actor as well as a singer. He wasn't only King of Rock and Roll, he was also another King of the Cowboys, as was Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry.