Elvis Presley reunites with Shelley Fabares for this typical Elvis film, filled with girls, music, and fast vehicles. This film includes a Corvette concept car and some racing boats. But the music is mediocre at best.Shelley is a gold-digger looking to trap a wealthy man. She sets her sights on Bill Bixby, race boat driver. Elvis is a wealthy man masquerading as a water skiing instructor, so he flies under her radar. Inevitably, of course, the ruse is revealed.This is one of the thinner Elvis films. In my opinion, Shelley Fabares--despite the writing--is the highlight of this production.Because there is actually a song titled "Clambake" in this film, you have to wonder if they were naming these films just to make it difficult for the songwriters, as a joke.

Even from its weak title, you can tell this is not intended to be a great movie. Elvis plays a millionaire's son who is tired of women who want his wealth rather than him as a person, and he runs away from home, meeting a poor water-ski instructor at a gas station who wishes he did have money. So they agree to trade vehicles and identities and proceed to a hotel in Miami, Florida, and both meet a bunch of girls. Elvis also happens to meet a boat engineer who has a damaged racing boat and who had originally hoped to win an upcoming boat race. Can Elvis save this man's dreams? Performances are okay, but dancing and musical numbers are nothing special. It's okay, but Elvis has done better than this.

Although it has the worst title of any Elvis movie, "Clambake" (1967) is actually one of his better films. Which is surprising as it is one of his last and generally speaking each film seemed a bit worse than its predecessor. "Clambake's" salvation is certainly not in the soundtrack which is at best very ordinary, only the title song has any energy. Although there is an actual clambake scene on the beach about midway into the film, it seems thrown in just to justify the title, more impressive is a cameo of "Flipper" who had his own television show at that time.I'm inclined to credit Shelley Fabares for the good vibe I got from this film. She plays "golddigger with a heart of gold" Dianne Carter, Elvis' ultimate love interest. I never cared for her uptight Mary Stone character on reruns of "The Donna Reed Show", and therefore paid almost no attention to her until recently. But since seeing her in "Ride the Wild Surf" and "Clambake" I've had a major attitude adjustment. "Clambake" was the third time she was tapped for the love interest role in an Elvis film so obviously she and the King had grown comfortable working together. Their romance is a little different than the Elvis standard. In "Clambake" she does not start out hating or ignoring him. Instead they quickly become friends and she is obviously attracted, but she puts the brakes on any romance because she is hunting for a rich husband and has tycoon J.J. Jamison (Bill Bixby) squarely in her sights. She comes around in the end and their chemistry actually feels real, much like it did with Ann Margret in "Viva Las Vegas".The comfort factor is also apparent between Elvis and Will Hutchins, his real-life buddy. Oil tycoon Scott (Elvis) pulls a "Prince and the Pauper" and swaps places with drifter Tom Wilson (Hutchins). He wants to find someone who loves him for himself. Hutchins is supposed to provide the film's main comic relief as he enjoys the life of the rich and famous, driving Scott's "Munsters" inspired convertible and surrounding himself with gorgeous women who can't dance very well. Although the director had Hutchins overplay the part it is so poorly written that they can't squeeze many laughs out of the premise. But having most of his scenes with Fabares and Hutchins seems to have relaxed Elvis considerably, which makes both he and his film more likable. Contrary to most, I enjoyed the corny playground scene with the little girl who was afraid of the slide. The "Confidence" song is not a rip off of "High Hopes", the whole scene is a variation on the "Bounce Right Back" number Donald O'Connor did in "Anything Goes". While "Confidence" is not much of a song, this surreal scene is priceless. I wonder what long-time fans thought as they watched Elvis and Hutchins do something so totally "Guffman"? Most entertainers only do embarrassing stuff like this when they are first breaking into the business. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I've enjoyed reading all the previous comments. However, having grown up in the 60's, I have my doubts that the campy nature of this "light-hearted" (1967) Elvis flick was an intentional, nostalgic, and "politically motivated" view of life before the Vietnam War, (1956-1973) the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (1963) and Dr. Martin Luther King, (1968) Senator Bobby Kennedy, (1968) or any other tragedy of the era. I suppose you could read that into it, but, personally, I just don't see it.It's only obvious that the basic plot of this slapstick "almost a musical" (Not surprisingly, the songs, for the most part, ARE one of the more memorable components in this film, in my opinion.) is a modernization of Mark Twain's classic tale "The Prince and the Pauper". In this case, it happens to be "The King" who turns from "Prince" to "Pauper", and then, back to "Prince" again - and a noble one at that. Although already showing telltale signs of reluctantly submitting control to his "career advisers" (especially, of course, "The Colonel") Elvis still exudes charm and virility in this movie. Granted, screenwriter Arthur Browne, Jr. exploited these qualities (The way-hokey "kids on the playground" scene, for example.) to a degree almost too embarrassing for Elvis fans to watch. Nonetheless, they ARE there, and as evidence of his timeless appeal, they are no less than "striking".And if Shelley Fabares at this point in her career, (obviously in her "prime" - the girl looks absolutely breathtaking, even in a plain, old, vintage 60's, "pre-thong" bikini!) does not meet today's criteria as a "major hottie", then HDTV won't help you. Sure the movie was just plain "lame". I doubt that anyone recognized this any sooner than Elvis, himself. As I write this on the anniversary of his birthday, (1/8/2007) I had just spent the afternoon watching old black and white footage of his TV appearances, (Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Dorsey Brothers, etc.) from 1956, courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame (Nashville, TN) prior to watching "Clambake" on TV. It was clear from several facial expressions and gestures to his band members during these that, even as a young man first starting out, Elvis considered his (female) fans' reactions (screaming, crying, hysteria, etc.) as "amusing", and took ample opportunities to "play" with this effect like it were a "cat and mouse" game. (One slight gyration and the roof flys off the place! And then, "The King" just smiles...) Given the "silliness to the point of being downright stupid" that he was offered in this mid-career outing, I think he held together pretty well, and may have even expanded his acting abilities in the process. Sometimes, it's HOW (or even IF) you get through the absurdities and/or "less than satisfying" situations that life offers that defines your work as an artist and/or performer. He "did awright".