Rock, Pretty Baby

This is another of the '50s movies I've watched of late showcasing teens, Rock 'n' Roll, and the troubles they get into. John Saxon is the teen wanting to play guitar instead of studying medicine as his father-played by Edward Platt years before becoming Chief on "Get Smart"-did. His mother is Fay Wray-yes, the original damsel in distress in the original King Kong. Former Disney child actress Luana Patten is Saxon's girlfriend Joan. Sal Mineo, previously a friend of James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause, is one of Saxon's band members as is singer/songwriter Rod McKuen. Oh, and young emerging teen Shelley Fabares-several months before her role in "The Donna Reed Show"-is Saxon's little sister. The drama veers between pretty compelling to bland in spots. Still, it's worth a look if you're curious about seeing all the films of all I just mentioned above.

In the 1950s and 60s, Hollywood made a bazillion films geared towards teens and young adults. Most of them are, frankly, pretty poor...and they lack depth and good writing. However, surprisingly, I did like "Rock, Pretty Baby!"...and recommend it.

Jimmy (John Saxon) is a high school senior who is in a rock 'n roll band. But the guy has some problems. The first set of problems is his dad, the Doctor. Dad (Ed Platt) expects Jimmy to be a doctor one day and has little respect for Jimmy's music...and that's a problem since Jimmy needs an electric guitar and cannot afford one. Jimmy's girlfriend, Joan, is also a problem...and you'll just have to see the film to see what I mean.

I liked this film because the music is nice and the writing is excellent. Jimmy's family is NOT filled with cliched characters and you really care for and understand them. Well worth seeing...even if you are an old grouch like me!

One look at the box cover, and you pretty much know what you're in for should you decide to rent this film. Lots of moralizing and stilted dialogue that's fairly typical of low budget youth oriented movies of this vintage. Like Leslie Neilsen, Ed Platt's overly serious deadpan delivery would prove to be much more effective when put to comedic purposes nine years later on "Get Smart."

Prolific actor John Saxon broods a lot, and comes across looking like an ersatz Marlon Brando. Luanna Patten, as his romantic interest, is equally as dour. Only the ever reliable Sal Mineo and the then 13-year-old Shelley Fabares seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Even when she has to perform such obligatory clichés as screaming "I'll never grow up if you keep treating me like a child!" and then running up to her room and crying, one gets the impression that she's in on the fact that this ain't exactly Shakespear, and is purposely camping it up. Her character is named "Twinkie" for gosh sakes!

Other than that, this film will be of interest to trivia buffs who might be surprised to know that before becomming the well known poet/songwriter, Rod McKuen actually had a brief film career in low budget productions such as this, and even gets to croon a tune while Saxon pretends to strum his guitar...One of the great running gags of this film is the fact that it is so obvious that the activity of his fingers never even remotely resembles the music emanating from his instrument. Sal Mineo, on the other hand, appears to be really playing the drums, A talent he would put to good use a few years later in the "Gene Crupa Story."

Relatively harmless Universal-International JD flick. Mancini supervised the music, which is mostly NOT rock and roll, as much as Saxon, Mineo, their girlfriends, and eventually hip parents shout that it is!

The quality of the photography is much higher than that of the film in general, reflecting U-I's overabundance of talent relative to its lowered late 50s production standards. This results in transforming the conceivably banal -- a beachside conversation with light "necking" -- into a fabulous play of light and shadows in the old Germanic tradition. Or, in other words, something truly lovely emerging from a pic that was meant to last a week.

Anyway, the film itself is pretty engaging, but much too long. Not enough thrills or "crazy" speeches to satisfy those strictly into JD "kicks", and not enough rock to really roll.