Year: 1967
Director: Arthur H. Nidel
Country: US
Language: English
As difficult of a time Elvis Aaron Presley had in 1964, with competition in "Beatlemania" and the rest of the British Invasion, Elvis would also have a difficult time in 1967. This year was known as the "Summer of Love" when a younger generation felt the urge to abandon the values of their parents, of Elvis' generation. Hollywood itself had become more brash, violent, sexual and political. Would an Elvis film mean anything in the era of The Graduate?
The heir to an oil fortune (Elvis Presley) trades places with a water-ski instructor at a Florida hotel to see if girls will like him for himself, rather than his father's money.
Clambake was the last movie The King would make as a single man. He got married in Las Vegas on May, 1967. A seemingly changed man, Elvis was not enthusiastic about the making of this picture. His lack of interest caused delays in the production schedule. Elvis' physical appearance was the worst in his film career. His inability to keep his weight down combined with his disinterest proved to make a dull Elvis performance.
His films were slowly falling from grace at the box office and his recordings quickly fell off the charts. Clambake's soundtrack had a mixed bag of material; some of the tunes are catchy and pleasant, whereas some can be considered irritating. The beautiful Miami beach scenery is never really utilized in this picture due to sloppy editing and an unholy amount of stock footage.
Clambake, with its plentiful sight gags and gorgeous women, can be quite entertaining at times. It does not transcend the usual Elvis Hollywood film and as such is a little disappointing. I'd rank this in the middle of his filmography; not bad, but not good either.
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