Roustabout (1964)

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.

Director:

John Rich

Writers:

Anthony Lawrence (screenplay), Allan Weiss (screenplay)

Stars:

Elvis Presley, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Freeman

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Elvis Presley	...	Charlie Rogers
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Maggie Morgan
Joan Freeman	...	Cathy Lean
Leif Erickson	...	Joe Lean
Sue Ane Langdon	...	Madame Mijanou
Pat Buttram	...	Harry Carver
Joan Staley	...	Marge
Dabbs Greer	...	Arthur Nielsen
Steve Brodie	...	Fred
Norman Grabowski	...	Sam
Jack Albertson	...	Lou
Jane Dulo	...	Hazel
Joel Fluellen	...	Cody Marsh
Wilda Taylor	...	Little Egypt

Storyline

Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is a leather-jacketed biker who's fired from a singing engagement after getting into a fight with a group of college toughs. While riding his cycle to the next gig, an irate dad runs him off the road when he flirts with his daughter. He's forced to hook up with a travelling carnival until his bike can be fixed. The carnival is run by a tough old broad, a broken-down drunk, and his nubile daughter. Along the way, Charlie (who's got a chip on his shoulder about being an orphan) somehow learns about family values from this vaguely dysfunctional one. A scheming rival carny shows up, based on the legend of Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's real-life manager.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | carnival | one word title | drifter | fortune teller | 

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Taglines:

Elvis Presley as a Roving, Restless, Reckless, ROUSTABOUT

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Musical | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The professional carnival used for Barbara Stanwyck's Morgan Shows (erected in Potrero Valley, near Thousand Oaks, California) was Crafts 20 Big Shows, owned by Mike Cartel's father.

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Goofs

Several new vehicles in the film, including police cars, display California dealer license plates.

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Quotes

College boy in college jacket: This is a real crummy joint, I've seen more action in a zoo.
Charlie Rogers: Which side of the cage, pal?

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History (2008)

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Soundtracks

Little Egypt
Written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Performed by Elvis Presley

User Reviews

It's Carnival Time!

Hot-headed singer who's prone to getting into fights gets a hankering for the daughter of a woman who runs a traveling carnival, eventually finds himself with a guitar working the run-ways. Good Elvis Presley musical, although the King himself is awfully pouty throughout. He sings several mediocre tunes in-between romantic bouts with pretty but bland Joan Freeman (who resembles both Susan Dey and a young Dorothy McGuire). Barbara Stanwyck is typically mercurial as Freeman's no-nonsense mother, and she gives the movie some kick. There are the usual carnival rowdies, a dim sub-plot involving a missing wallet, but the cinematography is colorful and the rural locations are well captured. There's a sensational tracking shot at the end done in one take, with the camera up and over the heads of the crowd, down along the run-way with the attractions and then onto the stage. A brunette Raquel Welch has a bit part at the very beginning, and Teri Garr is one of the carny dancers. An enjoyable star-vehicle for E.P.'s fans. **1/2 from ****

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

Right This Way Folks!

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$7,194,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1