A look at the movie "Clambake"

From EPE:

When Elvis Presley became interested in something he typically immersed himself in it completely. Such was the case when he developed an interest in riding horses in the 1960s. He bought horses and equipment for himself and the members of his inner circle. Soon, the barn and pastures at Graceland were too small for the operation, so Elvis bought a ranch in nearby Walls, Mississippi and dubbed it the Flying Circle G ("G" for Graceland). Elvis and the gang then spent a lot of their time there. Elvis had grown frustrated with his film career and the ranch was a welcome diversion for him. In February 1967, while Elvis and his friends were doing their cowboy bit, it was very hard for his manager Colonel Tom Parker to get Elvis to leave the ranch to make his twenty-fifth film, which was the United Artists movie "Clambake," originally titled "Too Big For Texas."

Parker, knowing of Elvis's disenchantment and concerned about his disinterest, was making an effort to get the studios to improve their scripts. In correspondence he was working to get them away from the "bikini girls, nightclubs, etc." formulaic approach to Elvis's films. However, for now he needed to persuade Elvis to honor his existing contracts and make "Clambake." There were numerous delays and finally Elvis, dressed in his cowboy chaps, came to soundtrack recordings in Nashville on February 23, 1967.

He flew home on the 25th, making sure the pilot flew over the ranch. By the 26th Elvis's saddle sores caused yet another delay in filming. On March 5, 1967, Elvis was feeling better and left for California. The next day he reported to the studio where he met with the producers and the director and finished overdubs on the soundtrack. (Tirivia note: Jordanaires member Ray Walker provided the vocal for Hutchins's onscreen duet with Elvis.) The film's editor Tom Rolf thought the song "How Can You Lose What You Never Had" was the best song recorded for the movie but couldn't find an appropriate place for it to fit into the story line of the film, but he requested that it be included on the album. Elvis and Priscilla Beaulieu were married on May 1, not long after this film was finished. As a bonus item for fans, the soundtrack album contained a color photo from the wedding.

The script writer was Arthur Browne, Jr. and the director was Arthur H. Nadel. They have worked together on many TV projects including "Gunsmoke," "The Big Valley," "The Virginian," "The Rifleman" and "The Rebel," which starred Elvis's friend Nick Adams.

The producers were Arthur Gardner, Arnold Laven, and Jules Levy. These three men met in 1943 when they were serving in the First Motion Picture Unit if the Army Air Force. They along with others such as Captain Ronald Reagan, Captain Clark Gable and Lieutenant William Holden were making training films. Gardner, Laven and Levy decided to form their own production company after their discharge from duty.

At his home in California, Elvis suffered a slight concussion on March 9, 1967 when he tripped over a TV power cord and fell during the middle of the night. This pushed start of production back to March 20, 1967 when he was well enough to start rehearsals. Principal photography began on March 22, 1967.

Elvis's leading lady for this movie was Shelley Fabares, one of his favorite actresses to work with. This was their third film together, having previously worked together on "Girl Happy" and "Spinout." She had achieved stardom as cast member of "The Donna Reed Show" before getting into movies. A big highlight of her career was co-starring in the TV series "Coach" in the 1990s. As of late she has been recovering from an illness that required her to undergo a liver transplant in 2000. However, she recently appeared on a reunion special celebrating the hit 1970s/80s TV series "One Day At A Time," in which she had a supporting role.

Supporting actor Will Hutchins had also worked with Elvis in "Spinout." He has starred in his own TV series "Sugarfoot" and has traveled the world on various other projects. His varied career includes a number of years working as a circus clown. Hutchins has more recently been working behind the scenes at NBC.

Click here to return to The Girls Guide to Elvis's Fact of the Week index page.