TheLittleSongbird Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.As far as Elvis films go, 'Spinout' belongs in neither extreme of best or worst. It's average fare that serves as a serviceable enough one-time watch, but not particularly distinguished and one for completests intent on checking out all of Elvis' films (like me). It's no 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', but it is far better than 'Kissin' Cousins', 'Frankie & Johnny', 'Paradise Hawaiian Style' and particularly 'Harum Scarum' as well as his later efforts.'Spinout' benefits in particular from the climactic big race, an incredibly fun scene that is the most energetic everything gets, and a generally polished supporting cast (with Shelley Fabares, Diane McBain, Dodie Marshall and Carl Betz lighting up the screen and Cecil Kellaway and Una Merkel nearly stealing the show).It is a decent looking film, there are better-looking Elvis films but it is a long way from cheap apart from the racing footage looking artificial but the photography and sets are fine. The soundtrack is generally unimpressive (though there are far worse Elvis film soundtracks), but there are a few standouts, such as the title song, "I'll Be Back" and "All That I Am". Usually a hit and miss director, Norman Taurog gives some of his most enthusiastic directing of his numerous collaborations with Elvis.However, there are exceptions with the supporting cast and they are Jack Mullaney and Deborah Walley, both very annoying in roles written in a way that grates on the nerves fast. Most of the soundtrack is forgettable at best, with "Beach Shack" and "Smorgasbord" being disposable songs that one can easily do without.Regarding Elvis himself, he has certainly been far more disengaged before and since but he has also been much more enthusiastic and it was like he didn't trust the material. Not that one can blame him, because the script is more cringe-worthy than funny and flags in energy. The story has its slow spots, but also suffers from being too busy.Overall, you can certainly do with far worse but Elvis and the cast did deserve better. 5/10 Bethany Cox

MartinHafer Elvis Presley was not a bad actor. I've seen him do competent jobs in several films and he had a very likable screen persona. However, despite his box office appeal, he seemed willing to star in some of the slightest and silliest films of the 1960s. Some of the films have a bit more depth to them though most are just familiar mindless drivel--like SPINOUT. Harry Medved listed it among the movies in his "Fifty Worst Movies" book, though it isn't that bad--though it certainly wasn't very good either.In SPINOUT, we find Elvis as a struggling rock 'n roll star AND champion race car driver! If only he were a scientist, too, and he'd be Buckaroo Bonzai (see THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BONZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION). Unlike the real life Elvis, his character shuns glamor and glitz and travels with his three musicians--camping out and living a bohemian life while STILL managing to have clean clothes, multiple wardrobes, gourmet meals, a race car and a 1929 Duesenberg! Their "camping out" was pure hooey and the camp sites bore an amazing similarity to the sound stage.Well, because he can sing and drive fast cars and is Elvis, it's not surprising that he's pursued by some hot ladies. What makes this different from some of his movies is that three different (and very clichéd) ladies all want to marry him and he wants nothing to do with this. One is the rich "princess" played by Shelly Fabares. In an interesting casting nod, her father is played by Carl Betz--the same guy who played her father in "The Donna Reed Show". The second is a pretty but rather cold writer played by Diane McBain. The third is a "kooky" girl played by Deborah Walley. All three are very, very broad stereotypes and probably the worst of these was the role given to Ms. Walley. That's because she was supposed to be part comic relief, musician, gourmet chef and vamp--though no one seemed to realize she was a hot and happenin' chick until late in the film (what, were they all blind?!?). Considering how beautiful these ladies were in the film AND how much Elvis avoided them and preferred to hang out with the guys, I really think some might watch this film and wonder if his character was supposed to be gay. I particularly wondered about the two guys in his band.I could say more about the plot, but frankly it all was too trivial and silly to mention in detail, though it was occasionally accidentally entertaining. However, what was not entertaining were the many songs Elvis sang as well as the "kooky" race at the end of the film. As for the songs, Elvis does have a lovely voice but every one of the 1,893 songs he sings in the film is completely forgettable and insipid. None have decent lyrics or are memorable in any positive way. I would have preferred if he'd just sung a few of his old familiar favorites. Instead, it often just seemed like padding. The race at the end of the film was a major letdown as well. While auto races can be exciting, having it be comedic really didn't work well at all and having a complete and total idiot nearly win a professional auto race strained credibility to new lows. It was just embarrassing and tended to bring the whole production to a grinding halt--yet it was intended as the highlight of the film! So what's to like about the film? Well, Elvis is pleasant in a plastic sort of way and the ladies quite lovely (particularly the radiant Ms. Fabares) and it was nice to see Una Merkel, Cecil Kellaway and a 1929 Duesenberg. Otherwise, there isn't much to recommend this dull little film. Overall, a mindless and harmless sort of film--mostly of interest to Elvis worshipers. Any one else would be bored by it.

MARIO GAUCI This wasn't shown in time for the 30th anniversary from Elvis Presley's passing, but it did turn up on TCM UK some time later; still, it took me this long to watch and, as a matter of fact, only opted to check the film out alongside two contemporary vehicles by fellow singers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin – that said, it can't really compare with them!It's the second of three Presley titles with a racing milieu, though this element isn't as much to the fore here as in the others; conveniently, he doubles as a swooning singer/guitarist with a band – and most of the running-time sees him dodging a couple of marriage proposals from eminent figures in the community! It transpires that even the tomboyish female drummer in his outfit secretly pines for him…but, given the film's jejeune nature, everything is neatly sorted out by the end – as a writer researching The Perfect Male eventually hitches up with Presley's proposed racing employer (played by a U.S. TV stalwart who was completely unknown to me but is a real dead ringer for Darren McGavin!), the latter's young daughter (Shelley Fabares, from the star's earlier vehicle GIRL HAPPY [1965]) realizes she loves her father's goofy secretary after all, and the drummer (who's something of a gourmet) finds a like-minded soulmate in, of all things, a highway policeman! Not that it matters much given their thankless roles but two veteran character actors from Hollywood's Golden Age - Cecil Kellaway and Una Merkel - also appear in this film. The songs aren't exactly memorable either and, while the film's certainly harmless in itself, it's also not engaging enough to warrant more than a cursory viewing (I, for one, was greatly surprised to learn that it was co-scripted by Theodore J. Flicker – who, soon after, would write and direct the cult political satire THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST [1967] with James Coburn)…

kwbucsfan This movie was better than Paradise Hawaiian Style. It had a better plot and better songs. This was not a great movie and certainly not one of his better ones. the plot was a little hokey I thought, with three women chasing one man and he does not want to married. The songs were better. This movie is a cardboard movie, very predictable. Nothing bad, but nothing spectacular either.