Fiesta en California

This is not one of Elvis' best or most memorable films, but it is pretty good. For one thing, we get to see Elvis in his most suitable film role, as a racecar driver caught up with multiple ladies (seen that before? You have, but it's all good). Walley is great as his tomboyish drummer who hides her crush from him but ends up falling convincingly for policeman Hutchins. Fabares is always a good match for Elvis, and here as a scheming heiress she is virtually his film nemesis. The songs are generally poor, but there are a few highlights.

All in all, your basic Elvis movie, not harmful to the brain cells but certainly providing as little stimulation as possible to the nerves.

This movie was better than Paradise Hawaiian Style. It had a better plot and better songs. This was not a great movie and certainly not one of his better ones. the plot was a little hokey I thought, with three women chasing one man and he does not want to married. The songs were better. This movie is a cardboard movie, very predictable. Nothing bad, but nothing spectacular either.

Spinout is somewhere in the middle of the pack of the Elvis Presley cinema output. It's an amiable comedy with the King about a singer with a group who is a celebrity racer. Along the lines of Paul Newman before and Tom Cruise afterwards. I don't include Steve McQueen because that man was serious about the sport and had he entered it earlier might have had that as a career.

Anyway Elvis is the target of three women with matrimony on their minds. Rich girl Shelley Fabares, Jacqueline Susann like author Diane McBain, and the drummer in the King's own group, Deborah Walley who is a gourmet cook on the side.

As usual Colonel Tom Parker got quality help for his boy behind and in front of the camera. Norman Taurog ended his career directing a series of Presley pictures and this is one of them. Such movie veterans as Frederic Worlock and Cecil Kellaway have small roles and this is the farewell big screen appearance of Una Merkel. Also in the cast is Carl Betz once again playing Shelley Fabares father as he did on the Donna Reed Show. Will Hutchins, television's Sugarfoot is also around as a policeman who appreciates good cooking and Jack Mullaney and Jimmy Hawkins are the other members of Elvis's group. Note that they play electric guitars or simulate playing them while Elvis sticks with a regular model.

Of course Spinout ends with the Big Race and I don't think I have to tell you who wins, but the race itself is 3/4 of the fun. No big songs came out of the score for Elvis, but he acquits himself in the vocal and comedy department. Spinout should please his fans.

Elvis Presley plays Mike McCoy, the leader of a small time combo on the road. Millionaire Howard Foxhugh played by Carl Betz wants McCoy to sing solo for his daughter's birthday. Daughter Cynthia is aptly played by Shelley Fabares. Entering the plot further, Foxhugh wants the singer to drive his new race car in an up and coming race. Deborah Walley plays the drummer in the combo and has a mad crush for her boss. Diane McBain plays an author looking for a subject for her next book; guess who? Auto racing, light comedy and plenty of music helps McCoy dodge the girls. Highlights from the soundtrack are "I'll Be Back", "All That I Am" and the title tune. This one made an Elvis movie fun again. Also in the cast are Will Hutchins, Dodie Marshall and Jimmy Hawkins.

Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. 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.

As far as Elvis films go, 'Spinout' belongs in neither extreme of best or worst. It's average fare that serves as a serviceable enough one-time watch, but not particularly distinguished and one for completests intent on checking out all of Elvis' films (like me). It's no 'King Creole', 'Flaming Star', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'Loving You', but it is far better than 'Kissin' Cousins', 'Frankie & Johnny', 'Paradise Hawaiian Style' and particularly 'Harum Scarum' as well as his later efforts.

'Spinout' benefits in particular from the climactic big race, an incredibly fun scene that is the most energetic everything gets, and a generally polished supporting cast (with Shelley Fabares, Diane McBain, Dodie Marshall and Carl Betz lighting up the screen and Cecil Kellaway and Una Merkel nearly stealing the show).

It is a decent looking film, there are better-looking Elvis films but it is a long way from cheap apart from the racing footage looking artificial but the photography and sets are fine. The soundtrack is generally unimpressive (though there are far worse Elvis film soundtracks), but there are a few standouts, such as the title song, "I'll Be Back" and "All That I Am". Usually a hit and miss director, Norman Taurog gives some of his most enthusiastic directing of his numerous collaborations with Elvis.

However, there are exceptions with the supporting cast and they are Jack Mullaney and Deborah Walley, both very annoying in roles written in a way that grates on the nerves fast. Most of the soundtrack is forgettable at best, with "Beach Shack" and "Smorgasbord" being disposable songs that one can easily do without.

Regarding Elvis himself, he has certainly been far more disengaged before and since but he has also been much more enthusiastic and it was like he didn't trust the material. Not that one can blame him, because the script is more cringe-worthy than funny and flags in energy. The story has its slow spots, but also suffers from being too busy.

Overall, you can certainly do with far worse but Elvis and the cast did deserve better. 5/10 Bethany Cox