Mister Rock 'n' Roll

This film suffers badly from a case of what might be called "TV-Movie Syndrome," a disease that is widespread and often fatal. Its symptoms are a bland, homogenized product that seems to have been mixed in a blender with every other TV-movie and poured into various molds. Superficially the movies may look different, but the essence is the same. Characters are shorn of rough edges and interesting quirks. At the same time subtleties and nuances in stories are glossed over and painted in broad strokes with the same brush. As a result you get a product that almost by definition is vastly inferior to a theatrical release.

A great movie might be made about Alan Freed. He was at the cutting edge at the very beginning of the rock & roll culture, helping to promote a new kind of music that raised an excitement never seen before from a new class in America, the teenager. Besides influencing the popular culture enormously, he also turned out to be one of the forces that helped with the racial integration of this country by bringing black music into white homes and by staging concerts that put blacks and whites in seats together, often for the first time in their lives.

None of that great story is captured very well here. This movie plays out simply as a tale about a popular deejay who ran into a few personal problems. Although it may not have been entirely his fault, Judd Nelson gives an utterly bland performance as Freed, a genuinely charismatic broadcaster and overall character. Obviously the producers felt that very few viewers would have ever seen or heard Freed work, so no attempt was made to create a character that even resembled his on-air persona. There are also lots of lip-synched performances from actors imitating various rock & roll greats. These don't help out at all, not even when using a talented performer like Leon to portray the dynamic Jackie Wilson.

Previously there was a movie made about Freed and his rock & roll career, 'American Hot Wax' starring Tim McIntire. Whatever faults that film may have had it was easily twice the movie this one is. Alan Freed was an important cultural figure of his time whose influence is not generally recognized. This TV-movie is hardly going to change that.

I bought this movie on DVD because I like Judd Nelson and I like the music. I didn't know who Alan Freed was before watching the movie, I had heard the name and knew he had something to do with Rock n Roll, but that's it. I'm afraid I still don't know that much about him after watching this movie. There were quite a couple of scenes (especially those which showed his private life) when I was like "hello, did I miss something?". Sometimes there didn't seem to be much of a connection between the scenes...there simply was too much music (which by the way was great!) and very little story. I know Judd Nelson as a gorgeous character actor and I read he wanted to do this movie because he loved the music, so I'm sure he put some effort in it. I guess there simply was too little time to support any real character development, or else the movie was made for people who already know about Alan Freed's work and don't mind about the gaps. Anyway, I gave the movie 6/10, but not necessarily as an Alan Freed Story, but a Rock n Roll story.

I didn't see this movie, but was looking for another one about Alan Freed. If you enjoyed this movie, though, you should also see the movie, which doesn't appear to cross reference, American Hot Wax....and the soundtrack is pretty awesome,too. It also tells about Alan Freed, and the start of Rock and Roll.

If you love music history, or even just the RockaBilly sound of early Rock, then this movie should be a part of your collection....It came out in 1978 or so, and I had the soundtrack, until a friend decided they liked it too much to let me keep it.....Can't tell you if it is still available....but it's definitely one to have if you love Rock, if it is.

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.

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.