Singing teen idle Jimmy Clanton certainly had charm and talon, but the script he gets for this Hal Roach Jr. produced teen rock musical is a wreck.
As an historical movie document, Jimmy Clanton doing one of his top ten hits ("Just A Dream", "Venus in Blue Jeans") would have made this movie come alive. So also with big stars the Cadillacs, Eddy Cochran, Ritchie Valens, and Jackie Wilson.
This is the quintessential 50's rock and roll movie. With about 20 songs from performers such as Jimmy Clanton (the lead), Chuck Berry, Eddy Cochran, Jackie Wilson, Ritchie Valens and The Cadillacs and more, if you like 50's rock, then you will like the music in this one.
More Hollywood hooey sweetening the Rock n' Roll pie with honey drippings and vanilla leads to make all this "race record stuff" easy to swallow. Jimmy Clanton was better than Bobby Rydell, Fabian, and Frankie Avalon that didn't have a voice between them.
This is the fifth, and final motion picture to feature legendary disc jockey Alan Freed and his assortment of musical guests. With each film, Freed took a larger role.
A very vapid plot with the "worst kind of juvenile delinquent" really a choir boy he portrays in one scene.However the music and being able to see the performers, many of whom you won't see elsewhere, more than make up for it.
Here's another Alan Freed rock and roll movie that gives us a look and listen to some of rock's greatest stars. Musically.
Go, Johnny, Go! Was the only film in which Richie Valens (Richard Steven Valenzuela) appears on screen.
Saw this movie by accident on ACM. having been a teenager in the mid fifties i do not recall ever hearing jimmy Clayton sing.
