Elvis Presley's Roustabout

Roustabout Review
By: Katie Miller

The movie Roustabout was made by Paramount Productions and stars the well known Elvis Presley. This movie, like any other Elvis film is centered on The King himself. Mr. Presley plays a self-centered, motorcycle riding, restless, singer-songwriter named Charlie Rogers. Charlie was orphaned at an early age and has been living for himself and doesn’t care about anything else.

The film begins with Charlie Rogers singing in a teenage bar called “Mothers Tea Room”. He gets in a fight, loses his job, and ends up in jail. After a waitress from the bar pays his bail, Charlie leaves her high and dry and takes off looking for another singing job in some bar. Charlie ends up having a small wreck that bangs up his bike pretty bad. The wreck was caused by Joe Lean (Leif Erickson), when Charlie drove up beside him and his family, on his bike, and began flirting with his daughter Cathy (Joan Freeman) while she was sitting in the back seat. Maggie Morgan (Barbra Stanwyck), Joe’s wife, is willing to pay for the damages. She also tells Charlie that she owns a carnival and offers him a job as a roustabout until his bike is repaired. A roustabout, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is “an unskilled or transient laborer on wharves, in circuses, on ranches, etc.” Charlie is hesitant at first but he decides to stay because he likes Cathy. Cathy likes Charlie but she quickly finds out he is a one night lover and she is not like that. Charlie also has trouble with Joe, who does everything he can to prevent a relationship of any kind between the two.

Throughout the film, Maggie is seen with Arthur Nielsen (Dabbs Greer). She is behind on her bills and is having a hard time making payments. But our hero turns everything around by offering up his talents of playing and singing. More people come to the carnival and so does more profit. Charlie is really enjoying himself but he won’t admit it. He will not accept a contract to stay on with Maggie’s carnival.

The mood then changes when Charlie leaves Maggie, Cathy and Joe for another bigger carnival called the Harry Carver (Pat Buttram) Show. There Charlie is treated more like a performer and he is given more pay. When Maggie’s begins to fold, Cathy goes to Charlie as a last resort. Cathy offers her apologies to Charlie and tells him what is happening to the carnival. Charlie is quickly persuaded and leaves the Carver Show.

The acting in this movie was very good, but, Elvis Presley is not an actor. He is the same person in all of his films, he just changes clothes. I’m not an Elvis hater, he’s great. But his acting role just doesn’t cut it for me. I mean come on we all know why Elvis began acting. It’s called making money and getting Elvis in everything possible to do that. Who, in the 1960s did not go and see Elvis’ films? Nobody! They were the rage! But, my point is, Elvis does not get into his character like other actors do. He is given a script, he memorizes it, and he “says it like Elvis would”. He doesn’t want people to forget who is on the screen.

Elvis sings many different times throughout the film (over ten different times with at least eight different songs). Each song has good choreography and sound. Elvis expresses his character’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions through his singing. I enjoyed each song as I’m sure you will too.

I believe this film should be taken as a fun and entertaining film for all viewers. There is very mild language and is he is bit sexual with some of the words used at different times. But otherwise, it’s great! I urge you to go and see it today! Watch Elvis blow everyone away with his mesmerizing and entertaining voice.