Don't Knock the Rock

This film is very much of it's time. Sam Katzman produced a number of films featuring record stars and this is one of the best. The star is Alan Dale, who was one of the leading pop singers of the day. Dale was in the forefront of the post-Sinatra generation of crooners, and his versatility ranged from opera to rock 'n' roll. This diversity made him a perfect choice for the role of a rock singer with a "serious" side. Dale's romantic interest is played by Patricia Hardy, who soon afterward married actor Richard Egan and retired.

The main reason for these films was, of course, the records acts --- most of whom were seldom if ever seen on network television (Bill Haley and the Comets being an exception). In fact, outside of major urban areas, someone like Little Richard was not even played on most RADIO stations (who chose instead to play Pat Boone's versions of "Long Tall Sally" and "Tutti Fruitti"!). But, thanks to films like this, people in Pocatello and Salt Lake City were able to experience these seminal rock 'n' roll performers. It's a fun film.

A rock 'n' roll singer played by Alan Dale takes time out from his busy schedule to vacation back in his home town. The town's teens are there to meet the train; but the Mayor of Melonville warns the singer that his kind is not thought of too highly. DJ Alan Freed schedules a big charity dance to convince a newspaper columnist there is no harm in the new form of music.

Also in the cast are Jana Lund, Patricia Hardy and Gail Ganley. Spotlight musical acts are: Bill Haley & the Comets, Little Richard, the Treniers and Dave Appell & the Apple Jacks.

Low budget "B" flick produced by 'king of the quickies', Sam Katzman. Interesting to watch Haley & the Comets and Little Richard perform.

I recently purchased this movie for the Lindy Hop scenes and I wasn't disappointed, the dancing is incredible. If only the movie opened with dancing instead of Arnie Haines and screaming teenagers! Once you get into the film there's dancing on pianos and couches in Arnie's apartment/hotel room?, a killer jam circle with Bill Hailey and the Comets backing, and a crazy Charleston scene that rivals anything I've seen on film. The plot was OK and the acting so-so, but the music and dancing makes up for the film's shortcomings. I was impressed with Bill Hailey and the Comets, especially during their instrumental jam session, which displays their musical talent and personality more so than their most well-known commercial hits.

This is yet another of a group of early R&R films with the same moral...."Parents, don't judge the music of your kids harshly...after all, you were a bunch of flappers back in your day, screaming '23 Skiddoo' while jitterbugging like crazy..." This film would have been better, MUCH better, if they actually had a Rock N Roll guy as the lead. But they had a Bing Crosby type, moaning out some pretty awful tunes. I'm sure there were some very restless teenagers in the theater when this film was released. They probably couldn't wait 'till the REAL rockers came on screen. Once that happened, the film came into it's own. As has been pointed out in earlier posts, these performances are the centerpiece of the film.

In addition to the musical numbers by Haley & the Comets, the Treniers and Little Richard, the dancing was pretty amazing in this movie. Young people of the past could really move, unlike today (also check out YouTube clips of Ronnie Spector dancing at the Pepppermint Lounge during The Beatles '64 tour; clips from the early 70's Soul Train line; and clips from the 80's film "Breakin'" to see what young folks could do during the past decades).

Another bright spot was the performance of Jana Lund as the bratty, teenage nymphet. She did an amazingly sultry dance when first spotted, and you just knew this kitten would be trouble. On top of that, Ms. Lund was wearing the most blatant example of a 50's "Balistic Missle Bra" since Janet Leigh in "Jet Pilot".

All in all, not a bad film, but not as good or as much fun as "Rock Around The Clock".

The second film featuring Bill Haley and the Comets, DON'T KNOCK THE ROCK, features a lot of great music from Haley's Comets, Little Richard, and the Treniers, and this is probably the biggest dramatic role that Alan Freed had in any of his 1950's rock and roll epics, a role that he handles quite well. Bill Haley also seems more relaxed here in his dialogue scenes than he was in ROCK AROUND THE CLOCk, although Bill and band are really not the stars of the film. The character of Arnie Haines, played by Alan Dale, is the protagonist of the film, and Haines' story is the one told here. Dale sings three songs--a ballad that could have come from the big band era, a Johnnie Ray-style emotion-filled number, and a semi rock and roll number in the Bobby Darin vein. Dale is a fine actor and he has the dramatic ability and charisma to carry a film on his own. I was unfamiliar with him and wondered why he got the role in the film, since he was not playing himself. It seems Mr. Dale made his mark as a singer late in the big band era, and had his own television show in 1948. He had a number of hit records in the late 40s and early 50s produced by Bob Thiele (later of Flying Dutchman records fame, for those of us under 50). He was evidently a very talented man, as well as a courageous (standing up to the mob) and intelligent (published author) one. However, he is really not a rock and roll performer. If you can get past that, the rest of the movie is a lot of fun, the performances are exciting, and the show even gives away some of the phony tricks and staged events of the music promotion world. Haley never starred in a third film (although he and the band were in others, both here and abroad), and despite a half dozen hot songs in this one, he and band are basically guest stars in their own film. Little Richard does two of his best-known numbers in classic style (playing the piano while standing with his back to it, playing the piano while one leg is over the top of the piano, etc.), and the Treniers do two numbers that give some hint about why they were so legendary for their live act (although I'm sure this is a VERY watered down version of what they did live). I like Dave Appell's music, in the Philadelphia jive-rock style, but the number he does here is not that impressive. Overall, this is a nice window into 1950's rock and roll and a good opportunity to see some of the best artists of the period performing (or should I say miming). Worth finding for the 50's fan.