Carrossel de Emoções

During the years of entertainment history there have been a plethora of stars who have left a trail of distinction in this world with their inimitable prowess in the arts, but nobody has ever reached the legendary status that Elvis Presley attained.

In 1964, Elvis Presley was cast in the role of Charlie Rogers in Roustabout, a film which starred him alongside acting veteran Barbara Stanwyck in her second last motion picture.Roustabout was directed by John Rich and produced by Hal Wallis with the screenplay by Anthony Lawrence and Allan Weiss.

By the time Roustabout was made, Barbara Stanwyck's motion picture career was in decline. That same year she starred in The Night Walker alongside her ex husband Robert Taylor, which served as her final film role.Raquel Welch makes an early appearance as one of the college kids at the Tea House.

Elvis Presley performed his own stunts in the movie.With a plausible plot and musical numbers that epitomizes the incomparable talents of Elvis, Roustabout is the true definition of a perennial classic from the 1960's.

Conclusion - It's not a great movie but it's a good movie and it's worth watching! Rated this 7/10

Whenever Elvis returned to his rebel roots, his product improved. Roustabout provided him with his meatiest sixties role, a leatherclad itinerant musician who falls in with Barbara Stanwyck's travelling carnival. He's lean and mean and his songs actually work as part of the film instead of as a distraction. Recommended.

Once again, this is an above-average Elvis Presley star vehicle but which, at the end of the day, offers nothing really new; still, I feel that the star’s own performance here is near the best that I’ve seen him give as he is well up to the challenge of playing a relatively complex character: alternately selfish, cocky, rebellious but, eventually, compassionate and even shrewd.

Presley, however, is let down by the plot which, as I said, is not only formulaic and, therefore, entirely predictable but rather sentimental as well, what with Barbara Stanwyck’s carny show forever on the brink of foreclosure; one other definite thorn in the film’s side is the one-dimensional nature of Leif Erickon’s grumpy characterization. On the other hand, Stanwyck’s participation adds undeniable distinction to the film (her role had previously been offered to Mae West!) and lovely Joan Freeman projects the right mix of independence and vulnerability as the heroine.

At least, the vivid carnival setting does provide plenty of opportunity for color, action, thrills, romance, comedy (courtesy of Sue Ane Langdon as a flirtatious fortune-teller) and, of course, songs which are not too bad – “Poison Ivy League”, “One Track Heart” and, especially, the Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller penned “Little Egypt” – though, again, Elvis has certainly sung better ones in his Fifties heyday.

For the record, an uncredited Raquel Welch can be glimpsed among the college kids in the film’s very first sequence and, unless they didn’t hit it off here, it seems rather strange now that they were never paired together when she became a star in her own right a couple of years later!

This is a very entertaining film. Elvis (Charlie Rogers) is a rebel biker who has a reputation as fighter and a womanizer. He makes a living as a traveling singer.

Early on in the film he is fired for getting into a fight with a group of college toughs. While riding his bike to the next engagement, the father of a girl he was flirting with tries to run him off the road. To make ends meet, and to earn enough money to repair his bike, he joins up with a traveling carnival.

The carnival is run by Maggie Moran, played by legendary actress Barbara Stanwyck. Elvis falls quickly for her lovely daughter Cathy, (Joan Freeman). The film takes off from there.

It's a wonderful adventure and is sure to entertain. Plus there are some great music tracks. "Little Egypt", "Roustabout", and "Big Love, Big Heartache" are great examples. The soundtrack went to #1 on the Billboard charts.

Some fun facts: Raquel Welch has a bit part at the very beginning of the film, and Teri Garr is one of the dancers. The title song, Roustabout is one everyone remembers. However Elvis also recorded another song for the film called "I'm a Roustabout". "Roustabout" was picked and "I'm a Roustabout" was never released. The song was recently discovered and was released as a bonus track on a CD in 2003. The motorcycle Elvis rides throughout the movie is a Honda 305 Superhawk.

Elvis plays a happy-go-lucky guy with a small chip on his shoulder. After his cycle is wrecked, he takes on a part time job at Barbara Stanwych's almost bankrupt carnival. Elvis' character sings a few songs and starts bringing crowds to the traveling show again. Joan Freeman plays the goody two shoes that for some reason has the new roustabout going in circles. Leif Erickson is a believable alcoholic, trying to protect his daughter. The soundtrack features "One Track Heart" "Big Love, Big Heartache" and "Little Egypt", plus several very short songs. Contrary of most of the songs being under two minutes long, this was a very popular album. A very pleasant movie directed by John Rich.