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.

i absolutely loved the songs out of roustabout, i thought they were great! i especially loved "little Egypt" and "poison ivy league" i have always loved Elvis and probably always will because his music will last forever along with his memory. 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. i even liked Sue Ane Langdon as Madame Mijanou.i have the DVD at home so luckily i can watch it over and over again and i will never get tired of it!

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 ****

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. Sue Ane Langdon who played Madame Mijanou, Fortune Teller was in one western movie that I can name, "The Cheyenne Social Club". Elvis of course was quite a western actor himself in such movies as "Love Me Tender", "Flaming Star" and "Charro". This is all just a point that I'm making. Elvis was born to be a cowboy actor as well as a singer. He wasn't only King of Rock and Roll, he was also another King of the Cowboys, as was Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry.