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An attempt by Hollywood to cash in on the early folk music craze of the sixties, "Hootenanny's" cheap budget makes it look much like a television episode.

Let's talk about the good things of this movie first:

1. A young Johnny Cash does his version of "Frankie and Johnny". It's great to see The Man In Black looking so good.

2. Pamela Austin (who went on to become "The Dodge Girl"). She is in the prime of her beauty at this time and she reveals a smoking body in her many dances.

3. Ruta Lee is also quite attractive to look at. Still, a movie career that went from "Witness for the Prosecution" to "Hootenanny Hoot" is not going well. Lots of TV game shows were to be in Ms. Lee's future.

4. Appearances by Vickie (baby got back) Dougan and an uncredited Maureen Reagan (daughter of Pres. Ronald Reagan). Ms. Dougan was a pretty gal who made a name for herself by wearing dresses in the fifties that revealed anal cleavage. Ms. Reagan shows up for a brief moment to call Joby Baker "a square".

Um, that's about it.

The folk music is innocuous for the most part. Although by the end of the movie, I found myself really disliking Sheb Wooley, who gets to do three songs, including the title theme. Would have been nice to see Johnny Cash showcased more. The Gateway Trio made me nauseous jumping on a trampoline in the chorus of one of their amusing (?) songs. For token's sake, they throw in two black guys, Joe and Eddie (no, not Flo and Eddie) doing a rousing hand-clapping version of "There's A Meeting Here Tonight". Hopefully, it's not a KKK meeting.

Pretty silly film in the end. I can only recommend it for a look at a young Johnny Cash, the marvelous legs of Ms. Austin and Ms. Ruta Lee showing some attractive décolletage and gams.

Enterprising New York producer Peter Breck (as Ted Grover) discovers the combination of folk and country music is taking the Midwest by storm, so he goes to Missouri for a "Hootenanny Hoot!" There, college-aged crowds groove to several music acts. Aiming to sign some of the popular singers, Mr. Breck summons chum Joby Baker (as Steve Laughlin) to assist. Breck watches Mr. Baker to pursue a romance with shapely blonde Pam Austin (as Billie Jo Henley) while he tries to get over leggy ex-wife Ruta Lee (as A.G. Bannister). The "Hootenanny" TV series was on the air before the movie premiered; some musical guests appeared in both.

At the time, the biggest act appearing in this cast was arguably folk favorites The Brothers Four, who sing their hit version of the novelty song "Frogg" (from 1961). In hindsight, the enduring star is certainly a gauntly appearing Johnny Cash, reaching back for his version of "Frankie's Man Johnny" (from 1959). The biggest hit from the time of this film's release was George Hamilton IV's pretty pop version of John D. Loudermilk's "Abilene" (a #15 pop hit for him, in August 1963). The Brothers Four had a "Hootenanny" hit (from the then airing ABC-TV folk music variety show), but Sheb Wooley does it here, helped by some attractive young dancers.

Gospel duo Joe (Gilbert) and Eddie (Brown) do a rousing "There's a Meeting Here Tonight" and the humorous "The Frozen Logger" is sung by Cathie Taylor. It's unfortunate to see The Gateway Trio singing "Foolish Questions" on a trampoline, and downright embarrassing that Gary Crosby and Judy Henske were asked to perform in their bathing suits. Mr. Crosby's "Sweet Love" is more like recent Rick Nelson recordings. By the way, Ms. Henske singing "Wade in the Water" may make you wonder why you haven't heard her fine voice more often. The movie is truly mediocre, but director Gene Nelson allows his dancers to strut their stuff.

**** Hootenanny Hoot! (8/63) Gene Nelson ~ Peter Breck, Joby Baker, Ruta Lee, Pamela Austin

Honestly I'm not sure how to rate this movie. I was laughing so hard at times I had tears in my eyes.

Any movie that tries so hard to be hip, but has a banjo in every other song, is doomed to the ridiculous.

The Hootenany circus, the grand finale of the movie, is maybe the most bizarre staging of musical numbers I have ever seen in a movie. The Gateway Trio singing "Foolish Questions" while bouncing up and down on a trampoline is the epitome of square.

On the other hand, Judy Henske torches her two songs in the movie. Wow! There's several other really strong songs as well, and also a few that are snooze inducers. The choreography is a strange mix of early Rock n' Roll, Broadway, and Hee Haw. All rolled together, the dancing is kind of great.

The plot and acting are awful, the sets cheap as can be. But if you're in a silly mood and like folk music, it's quite a movie, and I'll recommend it to you.

Hootenanny Hoot (1963)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Slight but entertaining musical from MGM has a television director (Peter Breck) and a producer (Ruta Lee) whose marriage is breaking apart. He leaves town a soon finds himself in a small town in Missouri where he's introduced to a local "hootenanny". After seeing some of the musical acts he tries to get it produced and on television but guess who he'll after meet again? The actual "story" here isn't much as its poorly written and probably done so on purpose. There's no doubt that the main goal of this film was to show off some of the musical performers and as long as you like the music you should have an okay time going through the film. The film follows the same structure as stuff like ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK and TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK and that's to introduce new music to a wider range of people for acceptance. The music here just happens to be country and folk, which the film tries to say is one in the same. I'm sure many people would debate that but either way we get some very good numbers here with the highlight being an appearance by Johnny Cash doing Frankie's Man Johnny. Other numbers include Joe and Eddy's There's a Meeting Here Tonight, The Brothers Four doing Frogg and Little Cory and a strong Abilene by George Hamilton IV. There are a lot of banjos and old-fashion dances going around but I guess that's what a hootenanny is all about. If you hate country music and folk then there's really do reason to check this out as the story isn't strong enough to carry the thing. If you can put up with the music it's worth checking out, although I'm sure many will be hitting the fast-forward button to get to the music.

I watched this bit of harmless nonsense on TCM. I remember the "hootenanny fad" and oddly did not recall this movie at all. Seeing a young Johhny Cash was a treat, although I'd hardly classify his music as part of the hootenanny craze. Likewise for Sheb Wooley, what no "Purple People Eater", and George Hamilton IV or whatever number he was. The Brothers 4 I recall, but other performers I do not remember at all. The format reminded me of the rock and roll movies with Alan Freed and a few others. Extremely corny, but a record of some of the music of the times !