Spinout

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.

Mike McCoy (Elvis Presley) is the lead singer of a rock and roll band. He's also a race car driver. He insists on being single despite some very fetching women in his life. Cynthia Foxhugh (Shelley Fabares) is a poor little rich girl. He's stalked by Diana St. Clair (Diane McBain) who is the author of girls getting the guy books. Les (Deborah Walley) is the female drummer but the guys see her as just one of the boys.

It's minor fun. It's fine. It's an Elvis movie. Don't expect more and you're fine. His band is fun especially Les. It's funny that nobody sees her as a girl. Elvis' chemistry with Fabares fails him in this movie. In a way, she gets blocked by Diane McBain. It may be better if those two characters are combined into one. As for the car racing, I wish to have more. Obviously, Elvis in a race car in the real world is the best option but I don't expect anything actually dangerous. I just want his face in a hot-looking fast car in the exterior real world. All in all, it is an Elvis movie from the Elvis factory production line.

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.

In this film, Elvis "does battle" with Shelley Fabares (again) and two other women who are determined to marry him. In fact, the entire film is about whether or not Elvis will wed. His bandmates want him to stay single so that their band will remain intact.

The film includes fast cars, of course, and some of them are impressive, but the big road race scene feels like a cartoon.

Carl Betz, who plays Shelley Fabares' father in "The Donna Reed Show" from 1958-1966, plays her father in this film as well.

Sometimes I cringe when films include those scenes on the beach or around the pool where bunches of bikini-clad girls go-go dance, but it did not bother me in this film. The dancing styles are like a time capsule of current choreography.

Some of the supporting cast are used for (more) comic relief. The comedy is fairly sophomoric, but Jack Mullaney and Jimmy Hawkins have some genuinely funny moments.

Does anyone care if Elvis marries or who he marries? Not really. Well, maybe his young female fans who want to carry the illusion of his availability. Maybe that's why the film ends as it does.

Elvis juggles a career as singer/race car driver in this typical but harmless '60s Presley vehicle. Looking more pudgy than usual, he is an unmarrying kind of guy contending with the attentions of three beautiful women.

Shelley Fabares is one delicious cutie I could stare at all day long, and Diane McBain exudes sophisticated beauty. But putting up with the over-animated antics of Deborah Walley as Presley's jealous tomboy drummer wears on my nerves.

This one's got a ton of Elvis songs, none of which are great but range from pretty good ("Spinout" "All That I Am") to unbearable ("Beach Shack", "Smorgasbord").