Rock, Rock, Rock (film)
Rock, Rock, Rock | |
---|---|
One-sheet for the film | |
Directed by | Will Price |
Produced by |
Max Rosenberg Milton Subotsky |
Written by |
Phyllis Coe Milton Subotsky |
Starring |
Tuesday Weld Chuck Berry Alan Freed Teddy Randazzo |
Music by |
Milton Subotsky Frank Virtue Ray Ellis |
Production company |
Vanguard Productions |
Distributed by | Distributors Corporation of America |
Release dates | December 7, 1956 |
Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $75,000 plus $25,000 in deferments[1] |
Rock, Rock, Rock! is a 1956 black-and-white motion picture featuring performances from a number of early rock 'n' roll stars, such as Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, Teddy Randazzo, the Moonglows, the Flamingos, and the Teenagers with Frankie Lymon as lead singer. Later West Side Story cast member David Winters is also featured. Famed disc jockey Alan Freed made an appearance as himself. The singing voice of the main character (Dori Graham) was sung by Connie Francis.
The movie has a fairly simple plot: teenage girl Dori Graham (played by then 13-year-old Tuesday Weld) can't persuade her dad to buy her a strapless gown and has to get the money together herself in time for the prom. Jack Collins plays the frustrated dad.
Valerie Harper made her debut in a brief appearance as an extra seated at the center table during the performance of "Ever Since I Can Remember" by Cirino and the Bowties and can be seen after the performance of Frankie Lyman & the Teenagers. This was also Frankie Lyman & the Teenagers film debut.
In 1984, the film entered the public domain (in the USA) because of the claimant's failure to renew its copyright registration in the 28th year after publication.[2]
Cast
- Alan Freed - Himself
- Fran Manfred - Arabella
- Tuesday Weld - Dori Graham
- Connie Francis - Dori's Singing Voice
- Teddy Randazzo - Tommy Rogers
- Jacqueline Kerr - Gloria Barker
- Jack Collins - Mr. Graham, Dori's Father
- Carol Moss - Mrs. Graham, Dori's Mother
- Eleanor Swayne - Miss Silky
- Lester Mack - Mr. Bimble
- Bert Conway - Mr. Barker
- David Winters - Melville
Featured songs
- "Rock, Rock, Rock" -- Jimmy Cavallo & His House Rockers
- "I Never Had A Sweetheart" -- Connie Francis
- "The Things Your Heart Needs" -- Teddy Randazzo
- "Rock, Pretty Baby" -- Ivy Schulman and the Bowties
- "Rock & Roll Boogie" -- Alan Freed & His Rock & Roll Band w/"Big" Al Sears (saxophone)
- "I Knew From The Start" -- The Moonglows
- "You Can't Catch Me" -- Chuck Berry
- "Would I Be Crying" -- The Flamingos
- "The Big Beat"—Jimmy Cavallo & His House Rockers
- "Thanks To You"—Teddy Randazzo (announced as Tommy Rodgers)[3]
- "The Wanderer" -- Dion and the Belmonts
- "We're Gonna Rock Tonight"—The Three Chuckles With Teddy Randazzo[3]
- "Little Blue Wren"—Connie Francis
- "Rock, Rock, Rock"—Jimmy Cavallo & His House Rockers[3]
- "Lonesome Train (On A Lonesome Track)" -- Johnny Burnette Trio
- "Over and Over Again" -- The Moonglows
- "Tra La La" -- LaVern Baker
- "Ever Since I Can Remember" -- Cirino & the Bowties
- "Baby Baby" -- Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
- "I'm Not A Juvenille Delinquent"—Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers
- "Won't You Give Me A Chance"—Teddy Randazzo
- "Right Now, Right Now"—Alan Freed & His Rock & Roll Band with "Big" Al Sears (saxophone)
Soundtrack
The soundtrack album, also titled Rock, Rock, Rock, was released by Chess Records labeled LP 1425.[4] The soundtrack compilation featured four songs each from only three artists, Chuck Berry, The Moonglows, and The Flamingos. And only four songs on the album ("Over and Over Again," "I Knew From the Stars," "You Can't Catch Me," and "Would I Be Crying") actually appear in the film. The Connie Francis songs "I Never Had a Sweetheart" and "Little Blue Wren" appeared in the film and were also released by MGM Records in 1956 as a Connie Francis single.
Production
This was the first feature film collaboration between Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg.[1]
Reception
The film was a success at the box office.[1]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 p 7
- ↑ Pierce, David (June 2007). "Forgotten Faces: Why Some of Our Cinema Heritage Is Part of the Public Domain". Film History: An International Journal. 19 (2): 125–43. doi:10.2979/FIL.2007.19.2.125. ISSN 0892-2160. JSTOR 25165419. OCLC 15122313.
- 1 2 3 from the movie
- ↑ Chuck Berry's Collector Guide
Sources
External links
- Rock, Rock, Rock! at the Internet Movie Database
- Rock, Rock, Rock is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- Rock, Rock, Rock at AllMovie