The Wandering Adventurer: Roustabout

ROUSTABOUT (US, 1964)

Original title: Roustabout

Filming date:

March - April 1964

Release date:

November 11, 1964

Running time:

101min

Production company:

Paramount Pictures

Budget:

US$ 1 million

Box office:

US$ 3,3 million

Main cast:

Elvis Presley

Barbara Stanwyck

Joan Freeman

Leif Erickson

Sue Ane Langdon

Soundtrack:

"Ain't That Loving You Baby" (single)
[b/w "Ask Me"]
(September 22, 1964)
"Roustabout" (LP)
(September 21, 1964)
"Blue Christmas" (single)
[b/w "Wooden Heart"]
(November 3, 1964)
"Roustabout" (CD/LP)
(FTD, 2017)

Roustabout is Elvis's sixteenth film. In the plot, the King of Rock plays a wanderer whose life motto is the promise not to get attached to anything or anyone until he finds love in the shoes of the daughter of a hard-to-fall amusement park owner.

After the great success of "Viva Las Vegas", Elvis embarks on another production like the previous ones: predictable story, low budget and quick filming. Featuring veterans Barbara Stanwyck and Leif Erickson, as well as newcomer Joan Freeman in supporting roles, the film attracted some attention, but not as much as its predecessor, and managed to be among the best classified in his entire film career.

Elvis backstage with Sue Ane Langdon (L) and Barbara Stanwyck (R)

Being how he was, Elvis decided to do all the stunts and dangerous scenes in the film without even using the supervision of a professional stunt double. The scene right at the beginning of the plot, when his motorcycle is thrown against the fence of a farm on the side of the road, was the most dangerous ever filmed by a leading actor. In another, a fight, Elvis suffered a head injury that was included in the script and can be seen after the scene mentioned above.

Filmed in a real amusement park, which had a circus next door, the film offered the team additional difficulties. The park's equipment had to be taken care of as much as possible so that something damaged didn't result in a considerable loss in the budget, and accommodating cameras, lights and sound equipment in the cramped alleys was not at all easy.

Elvis and Joan Freeman on a scene of "Roustabout"

Upon its release, "Roustabout" grossed triple its budget and was one of the most successful of Elvis' film career in the 1960s. The production ranked 8th in revenue at its premiere and closed 1964 as 28th most rentable.


SOUNDTRACK

Recorded in 3 sessions at Radio Recorders in March and April 1964, the LP was released on September 21, 1964, almost two months before the film, to promote the production. The result was excellent and the album ranked 1st in sales, being the last to reach that position for the next 9 years.

Of the 12 songs recorded for the soundtrack, only one did not make it onto the album, this being an alternative version of the title song called "I'm a Roustabout". The aforementioned song was only released in 2003 on the CD "2nd to None".

No single from the soundtrack was issued at the time and RCA finally decided to release "Ain't That Loving You Baby", an unreleased leftover from 1958, along with "Ask Me", from the January 1964 sessions, one day after the album's release

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SUPPORTING CAST

BARBARA STANWYCK

Born Ruby Catherine Stevens in New York, NY on July 16, 1907, the actress lost her parents at the age of 4 and lived with foster parents until she was 16 and began to dedicate herself to the theater. By the late 1920s she was already a highly regarded actress. As Barbara Stanwyck, she became the favorite of directors such as Cecil B. DeMille and, in 1944, was the highest paid woman in the US.

In the 1950s and 1960s her career focused on TV, appearing in renowned series such as "The Untouchables", in addition to having her own show. In cinema, she made 85 films, with "Roustabout" being the last. The last series she participated in was "Charlie's Angels" (1976-1981). Between 1983 and 1986 the actress appeared in three soap operas, "The Thorn Birds" being the best known.

Stanwyck retired in 1987, after a 64-year career, due to her poor health since thieves broke into her Beverly Hills home in 1981 and beat her, further hampered by bronchitis, a disease aggravated by her smoking habit since she was 9 years old.

The actress passed away from heart failure and chronic lung disease on January 20, 1990, at the age of 82. Her will stated that she did not want a funeral, which was granted.

JOAN FREEMAN

Born on January 8, 1942 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Freeman was a natural actress and at age 7 was already appearing on the TV series "Sandy Dreams". Her entire career was based on acting for TV and a few films for the cinema.

The series in which she participated include "Daddy Knows Best" (1957), "Bus Stop" (1961-1962), "Gunsmoke" (1955-1975), "Perry Mason" (1957-1966), "The Outer Limits" (1963-1965), "Bonanza" (1959-1973), "Lassie" (1954-1974) and "Chips" (1977-1983).

In cinema, her few appearances were in "Come September" (1961), "Panic at the Year Zero!" (1962), "Roustabout" (1964) and "Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter" (1984) , her last work in any major medium. She would spend the next ten years appearing in series as a guest star, until retiring in 1994.

Currently (2024), at 81 years old, the actress lives a practically reclusive life in rural Iowa.

LEIF ERICKSON

Born William Y. Wycliffe Anderson in Alameda, California, on October 27, 1911, Leif was a lead singer in a band in the 1920s and gained much stage experience in Vaudeville comedy acts. In 1933 the actor became part of Paramount's casting. Erickson made 3 films before enlisting in the army and serving in World War II as a combat photographer.

After his return, his career began again in cinema in 1948. His best-known works are in "Invaders From Mars" (1953) and "Roustabout" (1964), the last film of his cinematic career. On TV, his career spanned from 1964 to 1977, participating in series such as "Bonanza", "Gunsmoke" and "Cannon" (1971 - 1976).

The actor made one last appearance in "Fantasy Island" in 1984. In 1978, Leif discovered that he had cancer and that it was already well developed. The actor passed away from the disease on January 29, 1986, at the age of 74.

SUE ANE LANGDON

Sue Lockhoff was born on March 8, 1936 in Paterson, NJ, and soon became interested in theater. In the 1940s and 1950s, she was one of the hired singers at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Her beauty and excellent performance, both musically and acting, earned her several invitations from film producers.

In 1959 Sue married director Jack Emrek, with whom she lived until his death in 2010. In 1960 Sue Ane signed a contract with Paramount, appearing the following year alongside Tony Curtis in "The Great Impostor".

The actress starred alongside Elvis in a supporting role in "Roustabout" (1964) and in "Frankie and Johnny" (1966). On TV, her work can be seen in renowned series such as "Perry Mason", "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960 - 1968), "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", "The Wild Wild West" (1965 - 1969), "Three's Company" (1977 - 1984) and "Happy Days" (1974 - 1984), among others.

The actress retired in 1991, and currently (2024), aged 88, lives in California.