Musician Charlie Rogers (Elvis Presley) is fired from a gig at a teahouse after brawling with a few rowdy college boys in the establishment's parking lot. After a night in jail, Charlie hits the road on his Honda 305 Superhawk motorcycle and wrecks the bike on a country road. Carnival owner Maggie Morgan (Barbara Stanwyck) offers him a place to stay and a job with her carnival while the bike is being repaired. Charlie becomes a carnie. Maggie recognizes his musical talents and promotes him to feature attraction; his act draws crowds to the carnival. Off stage, Charlie cultivates a romance with pretty fellow worker Cathy Lean (Cathy Freeman), but after troubles with her pugnacious father Joe (Leif Erickson) and an incident over a customer's lost wallet, Charlie leaves the carnival to star in the show of rival carnival producer Harry Carver (Pat Buttram). Once again, he is a great success. When Charlie learns Maggie may face bankruptcy, he returns to her carnival and relieves her financial woes with his earnings from Carver's show. In the musical finale, he is happily reunited with Cathy and remains with Maggie's show. Cast includes Sue Ane Langdon as fortune-teller Madame Mijanou, Jack Albertson as teahouse owner Lou, Billy Barty as carnival performer Billy, and Teri Garr and Raquel Welch in uncredited roles as college girls.
While the New York Times declined to review the film, Variety generally panned it but noted the film would likely be a box-office hit based upon its star names, songs, and Technicolor, Techniscope qualities.[1]
