Roustabout
Tags: romantic

Plot synopsis:
Musician Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is fired from a gig at a teahouse run by Lou (Jack Albertson) after brawling with several college students in the parking lot. After a night in jail, Charlie hits the road on his Honda 305 Superhawk motorcycle. He spots Cathy Lean (Joan Freeman) driving with her father Joe (Leif Erickson) and their employer, Maggie Morgan (Barbara Stanwyck). When Charlie tries to become friendly with Cathy, Joe forces him off the road and the bike is wrecked after crashing into a wooden fence.
Maggie offers him a place to stay and a job with her struggling traveling carnival while the bike is being repaired. Charlie becomes a "carnie", a roustabout. Maggie recognizes his musical talents and promotes him to feature attraction. His act soon draws large crowds. Off stage, Charlie romances Cathy, which creates animosity with Joe. After the two men repeatedly clash and Charlie is accused of holding back a customer's lost wallet that Joe was accused of stealing, Charlie leaves to star in the much better financed show of rival carnival producer Harry Carver (Pat Buttram).
Once again, he is a great success. However, when Charlie learns that Maggie is facing bankruptcy, he returns to her carnival. In the musical finale, he is happily reunited with Cathy.

Review: Elvis has one of his better roles since Flaming Star, as he plays a angry young man named Charlie Rogers, who is not that likable at all.
Maggie offers him a job as a roustabout in her carnival until his bike is repaired.Elvis sheds the family friendly 60s image for this role.
Barbara Stanwyck shines as Maggie, who lives and breathes the carnival life (She also keeps this film from being just average).
Joan Freeman is great as Cathy, a love interest that plays much harder to get than any other Elvis movie femme fatale.
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!.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Elvis falls quickly for her lovely daughter Cathy, (Joan Freeman).
"Little Egypt", "Roustabout", and "Big Love, Big Heartache" are great examples.
However Elvis also recorded another song for the film called "I'm a Roustabout".
The motorcycle Elvis rides throughout the movie is a Honda 305 Superhawk..
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.
Roustabout provided him with his meatiest sixties role, a leatherclad itinerant musician who falls in with Barbara Stanwyck's travelling carnival.
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.The film follows the story of Charlie Rogers ( Elvis Presley ) a notorious biker who has just spent a night in prison after being involved in a brawl outside the tea house where he performed his last gig.
The next morning he unexpectedly secures a job as a roustabout at the traveling carnival owned by Maggie Morgan ( Barbara Stanwyck ) after being slightly injured in a motor cycle accident caused by Maggie's irate employee Joe Lean ( Leif Erikson ).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..
Elvis' character sings a few songs and starts bringing crowds to the traveling show again.
The soundtrack features "One Track Heart" "Big Love, Big Heartache" and "Little Egypt", plus several very short songs.
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.
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.
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.
This movie is light and easy going and contains enough songs to please Elvis' fans, though others may enjoy it too.
A curious Hal Wallis produced musical in which Elvis, clad in black leather for much of the film, seems to be flirting with his more rebellious past while still looking like the bland "Hollywoodized" ideal first promoted in "G.I. Blues" (short hair, short sideburns).
There are a couple of decent tunes ("Little Egypt," "Big Love, Big Heartache") and the usual smattering of forgettable ones, but what makes "Roustabout" a cut above most of his other films from the era is a strong cast (Barbra Stanwyck and Leif Ericson, two veterans of Wallis' 1948 "Sorry, Wrong Number") and a stronger than usual role for Elvis himself.
Released the same year as Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout is often viewed as one of the lesser lights in Elvis' 1960s movie output.
Which is a shame given that it has vitality in abundance, sees the King playing a two dimensional character, features the professional workings of Barbara Stanwyck and Leif Erickson and is beautifully staged and photographed (Lucien Ballard) amongst a Carnival backdrop.Plot sees Presley as night club singer Charlie Rogers who has a big chip on his shoulder, getting into yet another fight he gets fired and via a motorcycle run in with Maggie Morgan (Stanwyck) and Joe Lean (Erickson), ends up working at Maggie's carnival operation while he waits for his bike to be fixed.
The clutch of songs are not the best, though the beautiful tenderness of "Big Love, Big Heartache" and the interesting take on "Little Egypt" are reason enough to be pleased with the musical contributions.
It also opens up a game for spotters of future "names", see if you can spot Raquel Welch, Teri Garr and Richard Kiel in teeny tiny roles.A lovely enjoyable Elvis film, foot tapping and smiles guaranteed, and the King, quite frankly, rocks in this one.
Solid Presley film with good songs and a decent enough story.
Good songs, a solid performance from Elvis and a decent story in a unique setting is about what you take away from "Roustabout".It's one of the King's later (and less ambitious) flicks but they varied in quality and "Roustabout" comes off well.
Elvis is good as a restless (and quite temperamental) average Joe who lends a hand in a traveling carnival while his motorcycle is in the shops.
Despite himself he starts caring for the married couple who run the place (a very charming Barbara Stanwyck the better half) and falls for their daughter.The film looks nice, Elvis sings quality songs like the title track, "Little Egypt" and "One Track Heart" among others, he's in fine acting form and gets solid support from old pro Stanwyck and the story ain't too shabby either.All in all; a solid Presley film..
In fact, it's a 305 Super Hawk, which may well be the bike that saved the motorcycle industry.Yeah, I was just a kid in the 1960s, and not much of an Elvis fan -- but I loved motorcycles, and that scene of the Elvis' character's "night ride," rounding a curve on a two-lane road on that nifty bike has stuck with me all these years.Back in those days, American industry had brought us Cushman scooters and Harley Davidsons.
No surprise today that Americans who used to fight over whether Fords or Chevys were best today drive Hondas, the embodiment of the world standard for quality.It'd be very interesting to know who chose the bike Elvis rode in the movie instead of a big, bad Harley.
roustabout is one of the best Elvis films i've seen!
the songs make the film just so much better.i loved the way the film was done and i really liked Elvis' role as roustabout Charlie Rogers.
But Charlie Rodgers is watered down compared to Vince Everett in "Jailhouse Rock".It has a good cast with some big legends like Barbara Stanwyck, Leif Erickson & Steve Brodie & they elevate the movie with some memorable performances.
Leif Erickson as Joe hates Elvis's character for most of the movie until Elvis redeems himself by the end.There's also Pat Buttram from "Green Acres" as a big shot carnival master who gives Elvis a better offer after Elvis burns his bridges with Joe & Maggie.
The songs are OK but nothing to write home about.It's not one of Elvis's best movies but it's not one of his worst either.
If you want to see Elvis in quality musicals this one & "Kid Galahad" & "Follow That Dream" are good choices because these films are more realistic & tell a story unlike the rest of the trash he was doing during most of the 1960's.Regardless if you're an Elvis fan or not stay away from most of his '60's cliché musicals they're a waste of time.
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.
Elvis of course was quite a western actor himself in such movies as "Love Me Tender", "Flaming Star" and "Charro".
In this movie, Elvis plays Charlie Rogers who has a really bad attitude.
I know Elvis Presley made better films after this (at least in my mind) but this must have been the beginning of the end of his movie career.
But the writing is so bad, and Elvis is made to sing a bunch of ridiculous songs (except Little Egypt.) This movie makes me hate Colonel Parker more than I already hate him.
There is a story here about a young man who ends up working in a carnival and falling for a girl (basis for all EP movies.) But with a supporting cast such as this, it should have been better.
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.'Roustabout' is not one of Elvis' better overall films, not being as good as the likes of 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You'.
This said as far as his mid- 60s onwards efforts go, 'Roustabout' generally is one of his better faring ones.Very rarely were the script and story strong suits in Elvis' films, quite often being weak links even.
The former due to too much immature silliness and not enough grit, which one kind of expected when you have the rebellious sort of character that Elvis played in the 50s in films that did have tension and grit, and the latter due to the chemistry not being there and Joan Freeman being somewhat bland.The songs generally are less than stellar and mostly very forgettable.
The script has its fun and good-natured moments, as well as its tragic ones, but over-silliness and corn run all over it as well.However, 'Roustabout' is a good-looking film, it's beautifully shot with a great atmosphere and the rural scenery is colourful and evocative.
The choreography has a good deal of energy, the carnival atmosphere is just magical and the Wall of Death scene hits hard.A good cast helps and 'Roustabout' has that (Freeman excepted), John Rich also directing more than capably.
Vagabond singer Elvis Presley (as Charlie Rogers) gets a job working at a carnival owned by strong-willed Barbara Stanwyck (as Maggie Morgan).
There, after years "playing the field," Mr. Presley gets the urge to settle down with one woman, pretty Joan Freeman (as Cathy Lean).
"It's a Wonderful World" received some "Best Song" Oscar buzz.*** Roustabout (11/11/64) John Rich ~ Elvis Presley, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Freeman, Leif Erickson.
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 sings a song with full orchestration while riding his little bike around.
Elvis gets into a fight [whips ass, of course], E sings another song [no!
really?], E meets a babe [this film is just full of surprises], E gets in another fight, E meets another babe causing jealousy in the first, E sings a song, and on and on.
Again, one of Elvis' best films - I'd place 'Roustabout' in the Top 6 Elvis movies.
Elvis plays Charlie Rogers, a moody, arrogant nightclub singer who after getting fired for being involved in a brawl after a show, is ran off the road the next day by an even moodier father who takes grievance in the motorbike riding Rogers eyeing up his daughter Cathy - played by Joan Freeman, one of the most average looking of the "Elvis Girls".
Stanwyck plays Maggie Morgan, Joe's romantic partner as well as owner of a nearby travelling carnival.
After being driven off the road by Joe and having his bike put into the garage, "gypsy" (effectively) Elvis is forced to spend the next week with the family at the carnival and help out with the day to day running.
The movie itself strays away from the stereotypical Elvis "formula" that critics became so obsessed with, and song wise apart from the obvious two "Carny Town" and "It's Carnival Time" which are both less than a minute anyway, it's a strong soundtrack.
He plays a singing motorcycle rider with a big chip on his shoulder towards college kids and people in general.
Elvis leaves and signs with a big time carnival run by Mr. Haney from Green Acres.
Elvis decides to go back to the first carnival and saves it for Barbara and, oh yeah, gets the girl naturally..
Elvis and love interest Joan Freeman never generate sparks in their on-screen relationship and this shortage of chemistry isn't good for the action.
Barbara Stanwyck seems to be in charge of the carnival that she runs.
He sticks around with Stanwyck and helps out as a roustabout for her carnival until she can have both his bike and guitar repaired.
Of course, the girl wins in the end after Elvis has proved that he can draw big crowds at the carnival.