"Viva Las Vegas" was hugely popular in '64, "Roustabout" did well in '65, both were respectable efforts. By '66 and "Spinout" the free-wheelin' stud who settles down in the end scenario was gettin' a little tired.
Although this formula flick has a terrific opening sequence with two rousing production numbers ("Stop, Look, And Listen" - by the way also done by Bill Haley and Rick Nelson on disc; and "Adam And Evil" - Presley tears up the stage) and a gem of a closing number ("I'll Be Back" - arranged by musical mentor Charlie Hodge!), a groovy Cobra and magnificent Deusenberg, and a very hip "girl drummer" Deborah Walley, by the second hour even the deepest fans lose focus. Just too many badly mixed bland songs and predictable situations, devoid of humour. Most of Elvis' earlier color musicals at least showed our star energetically doin' his thing, even singin' a few decent songs. This deal was doomed artistically from the start. You just know he wasn't proud of the proceedings.
Elvis and his band set up camp along the roadside when out of nowhere a dog scurries onto the scene. E.P. identifies the pooch as a...you know what from his biggest B-side. The contrast with 1956 is too much to bear.