Clambake

Clambake was Elvis Presley's 25th film. It was filmed in 1967, and was the third of his three films co-starring Shelley Fabares. It also featured Bill Bixby (of The Courtship of Eddie's Father fame) as a rich playboy who battles for the affection of the lovely Shelley. In the film, Elvis plays a millionaires son who trades places with a poor water ski instructor, attempting to convince himself and his father that he can make his way in the world without his dad's millions. Of course Elvis (Scott Heywood in the movie) succeeds, and has plenty of chances to sing and dance and win speedboat races.

Immediately after the filming of this movie, Elvis married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas. He had just won his first GRAMMY® for How Great Thou Art, his second Gospel album.

Clambake was released in December 1967, and topped out at #15 at the box office. The soundtrack for the movie only reached #40. Elvis managed to fit in 7 songs between winning the girl, fully clothed watersking, inventing a secret compound that patches boats and allows him to win races and of course clambakes. Actually, there are no clambakes in the movie. The scene where Elvis sings Clambake and jumps around a bonfire surrounded by bikini clad girls is just an ordinary beach party, with no clams to be found. Go Figure. The songs are Clambake, Who Needs Money, A House That Has Everything, Confidence, Hey Hey Hey, You Don't Know Me, and The Girl I Never Loved.

And because I can't resist...here are the words to the song Clambake:

Clambake
(Words & music by Weisman - Wayne)

All right, Hmm
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too

Hey listen world you've gotta know
I'm cuttin loose and lettin' go
Who needs the worry and the strife
Life can be a ball now just followin' my life
clambake, gonna have a clambake
clambake, gonna have a clambake

Look for the brightest lights in town
That's where you'll find me hanging round
I've got this feeling to be free
I pick and choose the life I want
And that's the life for me
clambake, gonna have a clambake
clambake, gonna have a clambake

Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too

All right

Look for the brightest lights in town
That's where you'll find me hanging round
I've got this feeling to be free
I pick and choose the life I want
And that's the life for me
clambake, gonna have a clambake
clambake, gonna have a clambake

Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Hey!

Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too
Mamma's little baby loves clambake, clambake
Mamma's little baby loves clambake too

This here would be the "standard" New England Clambake (if anything like this could have a "standard"). Total preparation time, including finding the seaweed and rocks, as well as digging the hole, is about six hours. It's intended to be the culmination of a day at the beach, after lunch you start everything baking, and go bask in the waves and play on the sand as everything bakes. At sunset, you settle down with fragrant lobsters, clams, corn, and chicken and the salty sea air. Best accompanied with some crusty French bread, a large green salad, and, of course, beer.

Ingredients

• Several Large Rocks
• Firewood
• Two Bushels of Fresh Seaweed
• Twenty Potatoes (with skins)
• Six Onions (with skins)
• Five Broiler Chickens, split
• Ten Large Live Lobsters
• Twelve Dozen Clams, preferably Cherrystone or Soft-Shelled Steamer
• Twenty Ears of Corn
• Large Tarpaulin

First, dig a large hole in the sand about 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter and about 1 foot (30 cm) deep. Line the hole with large rocks. Place the hardwood on the rocks and ignite the fire, which should burn for several hours.

Lay more large rocks on top of the fire and allow them to become very hot. Cover the heated rocks with a layer of seaweed that has been rinsed in fresh water.

Add the un-peeled onions and potatoes on top of the seaweed layer, and cover them with another layer of rinsed seaweed.

Season the broiler chickens however you desire and wrap them in tin foil. Place the tin foil wrapped chickens onto the seaweed and add yet another layer of fresh rinsed seaweed.

Place the live lobsters on the seaweed and cover with another layer of fresh seaweed.

Wrap the 12 dozen clams in cheesecloth and add them to the bake. Cover them with another layer of seaweed.

Remove the silk from the corn, but NOT the husks. Place the corn directly on the seaweed and cover with with the wet tarpaulin.

Weight down the tarpaulin on all ends with large rocks and let bake for two to three hours, or until the clams begin to open. Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges, and lots of cold beer!

Clam"bake (?), n.

The backing or steaming of clams on heated stones, between layers of seaweed; hence, a picnic party, gathered on such an occasion.

 

© Webster 1913.