Overview

Step right up to the carnival of Elvis Presley's mid-1960s movie career. In Roustabout (1964), Elvis swapped tropical beaches for neon lights and carnival rides, playing a motorcycle-riding drifter who finds love, belonging, and a stage under the big top. The film became a box office hit, and its soundtrack soared to No. 1 on the Billboard 200-the last Presley movie album to reach the top of the charts. This book takes you behind the scenes of Roustabout, exploring every corner of its history: The film's production, rewrites, and the presence of Hollywood legend Barbara Stanwyck. The making of the soundtrack, from cheeky novelties like ""Poison Ivy League"" to heartfelt ballads like ""Big Love, Big Heartache."" The fascinating story of the lost title song ""I'm a Roustabout,"" shelved in 1964 and rediscovered nearly 40 years later. Elvis's place in 1964 pop culture-competing with The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Motown, and a rapidly changing America. Why Roustabout still matters today as both a commercial triumph and a symbol of the strengths and limits of Elvis's movie era. Packed with cultural context, musical analysis, and fan and critical perspectives, this book offers the most detailed study yet of one of Elvis's most important mid-sixties projects. Whether you're a lifelong Elvis fan or new to exploring his Hollywood years, Roustabout is a fascinating journey into the carnival world where Elvis Presley's charisma shone brightest-even as the formula around him began to show its cracks.

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