Clambake

Well, it seems that the majority of the people who commented on this movie hate it. I really don't understand. However, I'll tell you people who haven't seen it the same thing I told my sister when I brought the movie down for a get together. She asked me why I liked it and I told her. You simply cannot watch clambake without having a lot of fun! You may like it for its inherent MST3K value, or you might like it because of the Kings' great singing. Whatever the reason, you will love this movie! Don't believe any of the bad reviews, because, in my opinion, if you're watching any Elvis movie you know darn well what to expect. Maybe they don't have great stories and high production values, but they all have one thing in common..... They don't take themselves seriously. So stop judging these movies by a serious standard. I guess before I finish I should go ahead and say that this is one of my favorite Elvis movies, right up there with Viva Las Vegas. However I like Shelley a lot more than Ann-Margaret. Thanks Elvis!

By 1967 with the Beatles leading the British invasion of new musical performers, the King of the Sixties was in decline at least in his film career.

You can tell with Clambake. The plot is essentially the same story as Blue Hawaii and not half as good. Once again he's the son of a rich man who wants to make it on his own. This time though he changes places with happy-go-lucky water skiing instructor Will Hutchins. They're both headed to the same Florida resort now with each other's identities.

Well of course being he's the King, he does find a girl who falls for him without knowing he's a millionaire. For the rest of it you'll have to buy or rent the film.

He does have some nice songs. Two songs Who Needs Money is the kind of stuff Bing Crosby used to do in a lot of his films, the upbeat philosophical number and the song Confidence is a ripoff of Frank Sinatra's High Hopes. But Elvis does well by both.

He also reprises a song he missed the first time around. You might remember that the original artist who sang the song, Jerry Vale, got to reprise it in Goodfellas. You Don't Know Me sold a whole lot of platters for Mr. Vale, but the big seller of that song was done by Ray Charles. Presley does very well by it, a pity it did not become a big hit for him like it was for the other two.

As usual Elvis gets a nice supporting cast and a pretty leading lady in Shelley Fabares. In the cast we have Bill Bixby, Will Hutchins, Gary Merrill and James Gregory all of whom do a good job.

Still it's all been done before.

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!

As weird as this sounds, I've always preferred the Elvis movies that aren't considered among his best. His best include "Jailhouse Rock," "Loving You" and "Wild In The Country." You know, the heavier, more serious early ones.

No, I'll take his later films - you got it, the dumb, stupid, oh-so light ones. Films like "Tickle Me," "Girl Happy," "Spinout" and "Double Trouble." And "Clambake." The plots were always mindless fun and "Clambake" is no different.

Elvis was almost always a moody, brooding loner in the early films. He usually played unappreciative guys with chips on his shoulder the size of the Rock of Gibraltar. The characters in those films are guys I'd have little desire to know.

However, the guys he played in his later movies aren't that way at all. They're nice, decent, upstanding, fun-loving fellas. I like those guys. I like watching them as heroes, as leading characters in fun, dumb little movies. Hence, I like those movies a lot more. I couldn't give a rat's rear about appraising them as serious films because they're not.

In his silly mindless mid-'60s films, Elvis always had a goofy main sidekick. Here in "Clambake," it's Will Hutchins, who starred in one of Warner brothers' classic '60s television westerns, "Sugarfoot." And believe me, Hutchins can goof it up with the best of them.

The two wise, sage, old guys are (1) old pro James Gregory and (2) Bette Davis' ex, Gary Merrill, who, if you really look, often looked as though he hated whatever film he was in.

Elvis' Number One girl, Shelly Fabares plays the gal Elvis competes for with Bill "My Favorite Martian" Bixby. There are also plenty of Elvis Girls around, as usual.

Alas, there are no true classics or any memorable songs in the entire film. Tunes like "High Hopes" clone "Confidence" aren't either.

"Clambake" ain't no "Tickle me," but it's still great fun!

This movie represents the end of Presley´s cinematic career,because the other "movies" after this one was just a waste of time for him,and he knew it. When you see Clambake,you can smell the 60´s decade,the inocence and childish happiness before the Vietnam War,the death of Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The title song shows what you can expect of it,it´s a fun film,with no intentions to be taken serious by anyone.It´s a party,with lot´s of girls,color and Elvis Presley.The songs are not so bad,"You don´t know me"is a great ballad,"A house that has everything"it´s a little pearl,just like "The girl i never loved". About the plot....well,it´s a quest for find true love,and that great question:"Does she love me,or my money?"... It´s always great to see Elvis,even in his movie decade,because there´s no artist´s like him nowadays,unfortunatelly....I almost forgot to say that this movie is better than:"Gigli"