L'idole qui chante

Teen idol Tommy Sands never got as popular as his Virgil Walker character is here(and if he did, it lasted about a minute). Too bad then that his acting chops couldn't compensate for a lack of chart hits. Young man goes from tent-revivals to teen king, but when a funeral back home beckons, his priorities change. Cinemascoped affair has beautiful b&w photography and just enough melodrama to help it over the finish line, but it's awfully flimsy. Perhaps Elvis Presley's life story was a starting point for original writer Paul Monash(who later had a hand in 1976's "Carrie"!), but Tommy Sands, although energetic, isn't up to Presley's standards(maybe Ricky Nelson's). He's got a handsome face and a gorgeous crop of greasy black hair(like Presley's), but when his adolescent voice squeaks in rebellion, one almost wants to duck for cover.

Having previously seen the original TV play called "The Singin' Idol" which also starred Tommy Sands, I was stoked to watch this theatrical movie version also starring Sands. In the TV version, he was Ewell Walker, here the first name is changed to Virgil. His character, like Sands himself, was raised in Louisiana which is where I currently live. In fact, I smiled when Baton Rouge-my current hometown-was mentioned twice, first by him, then by Jerry Paris playing one of his managers! Virgil is a hot Rock star, not unlike Elvis Presley at the time which is interesting since Sands was also managed by Col. Tom Parker who reportedly got him on the original TV play. Anyway, the movie follows the TV play most of the time though there were some added scenes at the beginning, a slight change at the end, and an added character named C.K. played by Nick Adams. Oh, and I also loved Edmond O'Brien playing Sands' other manager with the name of Sharkey! In summary, I loved the drama, enjoyed the songs Sands sang, and was pleased with the final cut I saw on YouTube. So on that note, Sing Boy Sing is very much worth checking out. P.S. Tommy Sands was originally a native of Chicago, Ill, like yours truly. The person who played his preacher grandfather was John McIntire who was the father of Tim McIntire who I just watched play Alan Freed in American Hot Wax. Leading lady Lili Gentle would marry 20th Century-Fox executive Richard D. Zanuck after making this for the studio. And it's interesting Jerry Paris was in this movie since he'd later be the resident director of that '50s-set TV show, "Happy Days".

In 1957, Tommy Sands had his breakout role playing a character with LOTS of similarities to his own singing career. Surprisingly, one of the songs from this live TV show soon hit the top 10...and suddenly the previously unknown Sands was in big demand. It also wasn't at all surprising that Hollywood would want to remake this TV show into a feature length film, "Sing Boy Sing".

What I find most interesting as I watch the movie is how similar Sands' character, Virgil Walker, is to Elvis. This isn't coincidental, as Sands himself used to have Colonel Tom Parker as his manager...the same guy who took Elvis to mega-stardom. And, it seems that Sands' view of Parker is NOT the same Elvis'...at least not in 1958. This film makes the Parker wannabe, 'Joe Sharkey' (Edmond O'Brien), seem pretty much like Satan's meaner big brother! Yes, Sharkey is a master manipulator and liar...and a man who is easy to detest! To wring the most out of his protege, Sharkey tries to isolate young Virgil...isolating him from family, friends and from real life. He is 100% rotten and you can tell that Sands was really disaffected with the man. Of course, to avoid lawsuits, everyone connected with the film and TV version claimed it's all fiction. Yeah, sure! So exactly what does Sharkey do and how does all this end? See the film.

Seeing Tommy Sands in the lead is perfect...just perfect. His style is very reminiscent of Elvis....complete with the swinging of the hips, his style singing and his voice. I've seen Sands in several other films, but this one seems to be the best vehicle for him. Apart from Sands, O'Brien is great...nasty and awful, but great at playing the role.

The story itself is also exceptional, as so much of what you see in it turned out to be the same way the Colonel managed and micro-managed Elvis. The big deal about this is that it took decades until tell all movies about Elvis came out...and this one came out way earlier.

Overall, a really interesting and well made film with a mesmerizing performance by Sands. I've seen all but one of his films and clearly of those I've seen, it's the best chance to see his singing and acting talents.

Obviously, this film was not made as a religious treatise, but as a showcase for Tommy Sands to belt out several tunes. But SING BOY SING highlights Hollywood's problem with Christians, namely: they just don't understand them.

Have you noticed that most religious Christians in movies are either a) sneaky hypocrites, b) wacky nuts, or c) stupid Southerners? This film presents us with two alternatives: Virgil can either choose to be a cool, normal guy, or be a hellfire and damnation preacher who makes everyone around him feel guilty. What about an alternative somewhere in the middle: a decent and likable person who happens to have a strong faith? I can only think of a few films that have such a character: The Hiding Place, Chariots of Fire, and To End All Wars, all great films.

Hollywood understands atheists all right. Edmond O'Brien's character just wants to crush any religious leanings in his client's mind, because he thinks religion is hooey. We find out later in the movie that as a boy Sharkey had been forced to hear sermons about hell and sin, which we suppose left him filled with guilt and anger. Jerry Paris's character TRIES to understand Virgil, but money remains his main god. The man in the recording studio who suggests a rock'n'roll plus hymns record is the quintessential Hollywood type: let's see if we can make money out of the religion thing.

All in all, this is a pretty weak movie, but perhaps a little racy for its time with its hints about stars, girls, and hotel rooms. Edmund O'Brien and Jerry Paris get top marks for their portrayals of sleaze-ball agents.

Maybe the reason Hollywood can't treat Christianity seriously is that nobody out there has been close enough to normal Christians to dispel their stereotypes. While we hear all the time about tolerance of all races, sexual orientations, etc., Christians are still about the only group that can routinely be trashed in Hollywood without the blink of an eye.

Edmond O'Brien chews up the scenery without hitting any false notes as teen singer Sand's hard-driving and hard-bitten agent. Blending his publicity agent from Barefoot Contessa with Kirk Douglas's unscrupulous reporter from Ace In The Hole, O'Brien takes Sands on a magic carpet ride without letting him see the bulldozer he has doing the actual dirty work underneath. Jerry Paris has a strong role as O'Brien's henchman who can only sell so much of his soul. A nice moment by Hank Worden in an unbilled part helps provide context of the actual price others pay for the boy's success.

As for the comment that it's "ripped-off" from Elvis Presley's story, today Law & Order and other NBC series proudly boast about ripping their stories from today's headlines. There are elements here that could be from Presley's story, but also from many others. O'Brien has some Colonel Parker in him, but those elements seem overwhelmed by the others mentioned. Of course, today, Edmond O'Brien's character would qualify as a goody-two-shoes!