Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story

This film is so historically inaccurate it's hard to believe it was ever produced. There is music from the early 60s being played in what was supposed to be 1952 based on what else was happened in the movie. It appears no one bothered ot do anhy research.

OK, so it is a TV movie. And it didn't cost 100 million to make. But there are several charming story lines throughout the movie, and you do get to re-live some of the songs and performances you loved as a teenager. The actors do passable impersonations of the real stars of yesteryear. Give it a look when it is broadcast, you'll not be disappointed!

OK it could have been better, but overall I thought it covered the lift of Alan Freed quite well. There are bound to be gaps but the main message got through. It is amazing how racist the music industry was and still is and one producer in the film said 'there are plenty of white acts doing rock and roll now, we don't need to feature blacks anymore' It was good that Mr Freed stood up to this. The actors playing the various Rock&Roll stars varied in how good they were. As usual they often over act and make it look so obvious they are miming. Watch the original Little Richard etc and you will see the charisma coming through in a way that the actors can't seem to get. Leon playing Jackie Wilson? Leon seems to play every black singer. he was David Ruffin in the Temptations story and Little Richard in the film about his life, but here as Jackie Wilson he just didn't seem right. I would recommend this film to any fan of Rock or anyone interested in the struggle of black artists.

Judd Nelson gave an excellent performance as Alan Freed the disk jockey who coined the term Rock & Roll. All of the performances were fine and the songs of course were great. The lady who played his wife was a new face and very classy. The actor who played the heavy role was also quite good. Well worth watching.

This is an interesting movie on several levels. First, a good look at early rock and roll. You get glimpses of what goes on behind the scenes to start something new. We forget that rock and roll was a scary, challenging music to the parents in the early 1950's. We forget how people looked at race relations in the 1950's. This movie provides glimpses of that time.

The teens took to it because they liked the beat, as a means of rebelling, and as a way to show their independence. Mostly I think they liked the upbeat tempo of the music.

As Alan Freed liked to keep pointing out, he was Mr. Rock and Roll. He started the revolution. Unfortunately for him, the music grew bigger than him. In time, the music was what became important. It took him awhile but I think he finally understood that.

Unfortunately we don't get to see the original stars (this was made in 1991 - 35 years later). But the music is there, how they performed is there, how they danced is there. The story of the movie is the music. And it was (is) great music. Enjoy it.