Spinout (1966) Starring Elvis Presley, Shelley Fabares, Diane McBain, Dodie Marshall, Deborah Walley, Jack Mullaney directed by Norman Taurog Movie Review

Spinout (1966)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Elvis Presley in Spinout (1966)

The Fast & the Curious

Singer and part-time racing driver Mike McCoy (Elvis Presley - Paradise, Hawaiian Style) enjoys his life as a bachelor going from place to place with his band, flirting with various women but with no intention of ever settling down. But Mike has various women very keen on him, there is his drummer Les (Deborah Walley) who also cooks for the band, then there is writer Diana St. Clair (Diane McBain) who has been following him around and then there is Cynthia Foxhugh (Shelley Fabares) whose father wants Mike to sing at her birthday party and will go to any lengths to get what he wants. He also wants Mike to race for him in the big Santa Fe race.

"Spinout" is a movie which so nearly could have been good rather than just another Elvis movie which runs to the predictable formula. You see after some seriously poor movies Elvis genuinely looks like he is enjoying being in this movie, you almost sense he had accepted that they would never give him a movie to challenge him and just had fun with things. Maybe that the storyline which saw him playing a racing driver appealed to him more than some of the naff roles he had in other movies but he looks relaxed and a relaxed Elvis makes a big difference.

Diane McBain in Spinout (1966)

Then there is the fact that not only is Elvis surrounded by a good supporting cast but the writing is much better than in some of Elvis's previous movies. It almost takes me by surprise to say that there are some genuinely funny lines and with Elvis bachelor cast as the easy living bachelor who doesn't want to be tamed it almost has an element of Doris Day and Rock Hudson going on, it has that knock about comic vibe. I wouldn't ever say it was great but the writing certainly helps to make this entertaining.

But and of course when it comes to Elvis movies there always tends to be a but and it is the but which lets the movie down. That but isn't that it runs to the typical Elvis formula but again Elvis is saddled with some forgettable songs to sing. It's not that he doesn't sound good or look unhappy singing them but there is nothing which really stands out.

What this all boils down to is that "Spinout" in the list of Elvis movies is not a bad one as it has a relaxed Elvis and some good writing but it is also forgettable as it lacks any memorable songs.


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