Clambake

Although this film is not brilliant and nothing compared to the ingenuity that was "Jailhouse Rock" I enjoyed this film immensely and it is, as many Elvis films are, simple light-hearted fun. I would much rather watch Elvis in this than in the embarrassment of "Live a Little, Love A Little" where even the most devoted Elvis fan finds it hard to watch the icon suffer in such an embarrassing predicament. This film however is fun to watch and I did enjoy it although if you're looking for Elvis at his best or a serious film then this isn't the one for you. The plot, although predictable, was amusing and despite numerous goofs such as the scenery Elvis certainly had an on-screen presence and it was hard to keep my eyes off him!

The absolute nadir of Presley's movie career. Hell, this one is so bad that it even qualifies as the lowest point in the careers of Shelley Fabares, Will Hutchins, and Bill Bixby, none of whom have particularly distinguished credits. Anyone with fond memories of Elvis in his prime can only wince at the sight of this cultural icon lethargically wandering across the set of this painfully stupid film. Thankfully, there are only seven songs in all, but even though the soundtrack album was padded with "bonus songs" like "Guitar Man" and "Big Boss Man," RCA still had to include an autographed photo from Presley's wedding to move the thing.

Good Happy movie with reasonable plot, good songs and lots of beautiful girls. Elvis plays the fabulously rich son of an oil tycoon. He fears that girls want him for his money and not for himself, so he switches places with a poor water ski instructor, who pretend to be each other.

They are at a hotel where the fabulously rich congregate and all the girls are trying to land a rich husband.

Poor Shelley Fabares is ignored by the man she hopes to land, so she has no choice but to turn to poor Elvis for help. She seems unimpressed by the beautiful songs Elvis sings to her, as she still tries to catch her millionaire. Little does she know what a choice catch Elvis would really be.

The show-down is a boat race. Elvis, who has been hiding his true identity as a high-level chemical engineer, invents an epoxy resin capable of holding a boat together at high speeds.

I liked the movie and wondered why critics panned it. I suppose that it lacks depth and soul wrenching internal conflict, but I cannot see how a movie could be better than this one. Sam Sloan

Not-bad Elvis Presley outing has the son of a Texas oil tycoon escaping to Cypress Gardens, Florida in search of a girl who will love him for himself and not his millions; after swapping identities with a penniless water-ski instructor (unctuous Will Hutchins), Presley falls for a pretty brunette who makes it clear she wants only to marry for money. Lively direction by Arthur Nadel gives this musical-comedy some drive, with studio shots and location footage smoothly integrated (although the back-projection routine does get a real workout). Elvis sings a handful of fine songs including "A House That Has Everything", and his performance towers above the others, particularly a grating turn by Bill Bixby as a professional speedboat racer. The close-ups of the cast during the climactic speedboat race are hilariously over-exaggerated, but Shelley Fabares is a decent love-interest and the flick has a satisfying wrap-up. **1/2 from ****

That's right....the filmmakers are so lazy, they don't even bother about hiding the California mountains in the final shots. It's bad enough that we must sit through dozens of rear-projected shots; it's quite obvious Elvis never set foot in Florida for this flick. By this time, Presley's movies were becoming interchangeable - same plots, same songs, same go-go dance numbers, etc. Well, I enjoyed "Clambake" when I was ten years old, but I'm afraid it's quite difficult to sit through as an adult.

Instead, catch 1962's "Follow That Dream," which is actually filmed in Florida. The plot is a bit hokey, but Elvis still looks sexy, and has some fun with the role.