Twist Around the Clock

Concert promoter and his partner believe the rock scene is kaput--but while driving through the mountain town of Alpine Peaks, they happen upon a crowded hall where all the dancers (young and old) are sandpapering the bottoms of their shoes...turns out it's in preparation for a local dance called the Twist. Once the promoter gets a load of those gyrating hips and slippery feet, he sees dollar signs; the next step is to head for New York City to spread the word on this craze, but unleashing a new dance on an unsuspecting public is met with some skepticism. Cheap, stilted attempt at tracing the Twist's origins, with corny dialogue and amateurish performances. Producer Sam Katzman lifted the plot (and much of the dialogue) from his 1956 hit "Rock Around the Clock", which was followed in 1957 by "Don't Knock the Rock"; this movie had a sequel of its own, "Don't Knock the Twist" in 1962. Why Katzman felt rock and roll was fading out and needed this boost is unclear, unless it was just a pretext for getting the plot in motion. Either way, it's a pretty lousy affair, even with performances by Chubby Checker and Dion. *1/2 from ****

When Chubby Checker performs, he has an energy that is almost as electric as Elvis. Dion's writing talents are showcased also. Beyond that, Twist Around the Clock is only interesting as a comedy.

You've got older management-types speaking some real hep lines that someone has written for them. While The Twist is being performed onstage, you can see the middle-class, sedate audience sitting like statues. Seriously, no one is even tapping a foot.

Finally, dig those bogus songs that are performed by Vicki Spencer. The lyrics are laughable. Really, much of this movie is laughable, and I received some enjoyment viewing it on that level.

I really enjoyed TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK as a genuinely snazzy low budget 1961 dance pic with a roster of (still) very well known songs. Other comments will tell you how identical it is to ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (it certainly is) but for me that did not diminish any of the delight. I am quite fascinated by Vicki Spencer who I see only made one other film TEENAGE MILLIONAIRE. What happened to her? In TWIST she is almost everything Ann-Margret is a year later in BYE BYE BIRDIE... even in her gorgeous looks. Dion I had never seen but knew the songs well (The Wanderer, Runaround Sue) ... he is certainly the iconic 60s nightclub star in the Bobby Darin style. I found the script hilarious. It is actually funny with some great sly comments... especially between the father and daughter nemeses... Chubby Checker is his dynamite fun self... I also thought he was very handsome in this film, given I guess he was in his mid 20s, something I had never observed... perhaps that is because I am used to seeing later years material when he looks good, but here, younger he is certainly compelling. TWIST is enormous musical fun and for kids to enjoy because they could actually dance along with it. My DVD is a Canadian reprint with new titles over the original Katzman/Columbia 35mm release... the body of the film is the same as the original film. I had such a good time watching this film... I really laughed with it and thought the songs terrific... and then there is the dance team fun.... and The incredible Marcels to top it off.

TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK, the first of two TWIST films produced by Sam Katzman and featuring the great Chubby Checker, is basically a remake of the old BIll Haley vehicle ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, and like that film, the "star" here, Chubby Checker, is little more than a guest star in his own film. In the earlier film, Alan Dale is featured as the lead performer and his story is told, with Bill Haley merely being a "friend" who helps the lead character and who performs a handful of songs. Here, Clay Cole is featured, and Chubby Checker does three or four songs, has a few lines of dialogue, and performs in a group number at the film's finale. Checker is a fine performer, and he handles the dialogue well--the NEXT Twist movie he was in, DON'T KNOCK THE TWIST, was MUCH better in that Checker was given a lot more importance in the story, and had much more dialogue with star Lang Jeffries. As for TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK, it also has Dion do three songs, and the vocal group the Marcels do a nice Christmas twist song. However, the dramatic sections of the film are weak, especially so since they are a carbon copy of the same plot in the earlier Bill Haley movie. If you take the Dion and Chubby songs, and the Marcels' number, out of the film, there is really not much else worthwhile. Fans of DON'T KNOCK THE TWIST will recognize the same cheesy sets and tiny "stage" used as the TV studio in that film. Serious rock and roll fans should see this film ONCE so they can say they have seen ALL the pre-Beatles rock and roll films, but only the lip-synched Chubby Checker and Dion songs are worth keeping. This was aired a few years back on AMC, where I taped my copy and originally saw the film.

Typical of its Type, this is another Teen Phenom Film that doesn't have a clue. First, more than once the Script puts down Rock n Roll as a thing of the Past and berates it and says there is no need for that Flash in the Pan, forget it, because now there is "The Twist".

Well, The Twist is RnR albeit a safe variation thereof that got accepted by Middle Agers before the Kids could say "get your own groove Daddy-O". This Movie was just another example of Dumbed Down, Cash Raking, Corporate Sanitizing and Filtration, by way of The Twist Craze, of the Raw and Raunchy Music that was the first wave of Rock n' Roll and deemed a Blight on America's Youth.

Most of these Movies have at the Lead some White Bread Spasmodic embarrassingly mimicking His betters. A Clean-Cut Crooner with all the right "Attributes" except Talent. Here there is some Dolt named Clay Cole making an Ass out of Himself through most of the Film while a couple of real Stars are given time to Perform a few Real Hits.

Chubby Checker, who stole Hank Ballard's Song and Singing Style and Re-Released Hank's "The Twist" Record without a mention or a nod, does do one Legitimate Song, Twistin USA. Dion does His two Biggest Hits, The Wanderer and Runaround Sue, both Great Pop Teen Anthems. There is also an appearance by The Marcels that had a huge Hit or two, but here deliver only a Novelty called Merry Twistmas.

There is more in this Movie to Hate than to Love and overall it is worth a View for a Few Minutes of Time-Capsule Song Performances by Chubby Checker and Dion but that's it.