Roustabout
Original theatrical poster
Directed by	John Rich
Produced by	Hal B. Wallis
Written by	Story: Allan Weiss Screenplay: Anthony Lawrence Allan Weiss
Starring	Elvis Presley Barbara Stanwyck Joan Freeman Leif Erickson
Music by	Joseph J. Lilley
Cinematography	Lucien Ballard
Editing by	Hal Pereira Walter H. Tyler
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	November 11, 1964
Running time	101 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Roustabout (1964) is a Paramount Pictures musical feature film starring Elvis Presley as a singer who takes a job working with a struggling carnival. The film was produced by Hal Wallis and directed by John Rich from a screenplay by Anthony Lawrence and Allan Weiss. Roustabout was panned by Variety but was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award. The film's spinoff album was one of Presley's most successful.

[edit] Plot

Musician Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is fired from a gig at a teahouse after brawling with a few rowdy college boys in the parking lot. After a night in jail, Charlie hits the road on his Honda 305 Superhawk motorcycle. He spots pretty Cathy Lean (Joan Freeman) driving along 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.

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. Maggie recognizes his musical talents and promotes him to feature attraction; his act soon draws large crowds. Off stage, Charlie romances Cathy, which does not endear him to Joe. After the two men repeatedly clash and Charlie is accused of stealing a customer's lost wallet, 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.

[edit] Cast

• Elvis Presley as Charlie Rogers
• Barbara Stanwyck as Maggie Morgan
• Joan Freeman as Cathy Lean
• Leif Erickson as Joe Lean
• Sue Ane Langdon as Madame Mijanou, a fortune teller who tries to snag Charlie for herself
• Pat Buttram as Harry Carver
• Joan Staley as Marge
• Dabbs Greer as Arthur Nielsen
• Steve Brodie as Fred the Pitcher
• Norman Grabowski as Sam
• Jack Albertson as Lou, the teahouse manager
• Jane Dulo as Hazel
• Joel Fluellen as Cody Marsh, another roustabout
• Wilda Taylor as Little Egypt, the principal dancer in the number "Little Egypt"

In uncredited roles, Billy Barty played carnival midget Billy, and Teri Garr and Raquel Welch were cast as college girls. Garr can also be seen as a backup dancer during several musical numbers.

[edit] Musical numbers

See also Roustabout (album)

• "Roustabout" by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye
• "Poison Ivy League" by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye
• "One Track Heart" by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye
• "Wheels On My Heels" by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett
• "It's a Wonderful World" by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett
• "It's Carnival Time" by Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne
• "Carny Town" by Fred Wise and Randy Starr
• "Hard Knocks" by Joy Byers
• "There's a Brand New Day On the Horizon" by Joy Byers
• "Big Love, Big Heartache" by Dolores Fuller, Lee Morris and Sonny Hendrix
• "Little Egypt" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

All tunes in the film were sung by Presley.

[edit] Reception

While the New York Times declined to review the film, Variety generally panned it but noted the film would likely be a box-office hit based upon its star names, songs, and Technicolor, Techniscope qualities.^[1]

[edit] Awards and honors

The film's playwrights, Lawrence and Weiss, were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Musical. The film generated a best-selling album that went #1 on the Billboard charts.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Roustabout at the Internet Movie Database
• Roustabout at Allmovie
• Roustabout at the TCM Movie Database
• Roustabout at Rotten Tomatoes
• For Elvis Fans Only