Clambake (1967)

A millionaire's son (Elvis Presley) trades places with a water ski instructor (Will Hutchins) in Miami, Florida. He wants to find out if people, and more importantly girls, will accept him for who he is rather than for all his money. Presley's early films from 1956 to 1962 were fairly distinctive from each other for the most part and he worked with some good directors like Don Siegel, Michael Curtiz and Phil Karlson. But after 1962, with one exception (VIVA LAS VEGAS), his films became generic and it's difficult to tell them apart. The plots were simply variations of each other and only his leading lady changed and sometimes not even that. But I grew up on these Elvis movies and it's hard to let go of them in the nostalgic sense even though they're not very good, so a film like CLAMBAKE is for the Elvis completists. Visually, this is one gaudy looking film with bright oranges, hot pinks and vivid purples and I'm talking art direction and set decorations, not costumes! The songs are a dire bunch except for Presley's rendering of one great song, the Ray Charles hit You Don't Know Me. But Presley barely registers here, going through the motions as if realizing his film career was on its way down. Directed by one Arthur H. Nadel, an episodic TV director. With Shelley Fabares, Gary Merrill, Bill Bixby and James Gregory.