American Hot Wax

This film was the great story of Alan Freed, his struggle to bring black Rythym and Blues to the forefront, and the events of one such Rock and Roll show set in the mid 1950's. Alan Freed has been said to have coined the term 'Rock and Roll', but long before he used this word it was used in old blues songs for many of the same reasons: To describe a feeling.

My interest in this film had to do with one performer who wasn't mentioned in the credits here at IMDB and that was Jerry Lee Lewis. He chose to play himself in an earlier setting and his performance was a wee-bit more electrifying than those charming Chesterfields: Who were they anyway and why were they in this movie? I know, they used them to illustrate the struggling groups at that time... The movie was only successful as far as I was concerned by the appearances of Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Where was Fats Domino and where was Little Richard? Well, we got a glimpse of what was supposed to be Little Richard, out in the alley playing drums on the garbage cans. I think that the message there was that black performers of the day just didn't get a fair shake...We all know that this really isn't true, but we also know that many of them were exploited merely because they didn't know business too well, and for one bottle of whiskey a good blues recording could be made, a contract signed and the pockets of the smarter, more knowledgeable white businessmen in the record industry lined as the royalties rolled in, signed back to the studio instead of the artist. Alan Freed did a lot for black rythym and blues. He took the heat in the payola scandal when others like him, who by then, had branched out into television went away free as a bird. Alan Freed made no apologies: The black Rythym and Blues would have a place in history---- even at the expense of shows being closed down because of that so-called 'negro music'. The IRS thing was just the excuse-- Alan Freed was a hero and in my book, he still is. The appearance of Fran Drescher and Jay Leno is amusing to look back on today, but in no way do they help to accurately portray the story of Alan Freed, the big Rock and Roll shows, and the success of the Rock and Roll that we have come to know and love today. If you see this movie, get a good book on Alan Freed and read it. It will help. The movie really doesn't convey the story with as much passion as the real bio of the man Alan Freed does. Still a great soundtrack to have in your LP collection. Jerry Lee's segment will rock away all of your blues....

Looking more like a young and slimmed down Rush Limbaugh then the legendary pioneer Rock & Roll DJ the late Tim Mcintire, who ironically died in 1986 at almost the same age that Freed passed away some twenty years earlier. "American Hot Wax" is tragic as well as prophetic story about Alan Freed who more then anyone else put Rock & Roll on the map and made the saying,like the song says,"Rock & Roll is here to Stay" a reality.

Mcintire in the best performance of his career gives it all he's got as Alan Freed and comes across, despite his obvious non-resemblance to Alan Freed, as good as Freed ever was on the silver screen in a number of films that he stared in. The movie starts at the hight of Freed's popularity in 1959 as he's getting together a number of top Rock & Roll singers and groups to appear at the Brooklyn Paramount for his first anniversary Rock & Roll show.

The local authorities as well as the big wigs in the record industry have had in in for Freed since he came on the scene back in 1952 in Clevelend. It was then when Freed first coined the word Rock & Roll and, according to them and the blue noses of that time, corrupted the American youth with that wild and uncontrollable music.

The movie has the theater raided by the police because it was declared a fire hazard and Freed arrested and the entertainers dragged off the stage as the thousands of Rock & Roll fans go wild. The movie "American Hot Wax" briefly touched on the payola scandal of 1959-1960 that in reality was the real reason for Freed's downfall not the wild scene at the Brooklyn Paramount at the end of the movie.

Freed never played a record that he didn't like payola or not and took money to play the records that he liked unsolicited thinking that it was just part of being a DJ on the radio. The fact that Alan Freed wouldn't sign a statement that he never took payola, which was untrue, had him fired from the WABC radio station that he worked for in 1960. Later Freed, after having brief jobs as a DJ in L.A and Miami on stations KDAY & WQAM, was blackballed out of the music business altogether.

Hit with charges by the IRS in March 1964 for back taxes Alan Freed, who was already at that time both unemployed and unemployable, went into a tailspin as his drinking got out of hand and he died in a California hospital, broke and forgotten, of kidney failure on January 20, 1965, Freed was 43 years old.

There was one irony to Freed's life, and death, that really sticks out and makes you think if there's truly such a thing as fate and destiny. Exactly three months to the day that Alan Freed died on April 19, 1965 the radio station that Alan Freed made synonymous with himself and into the flagship radio station in playing the music that he loved and died for in the fabulous 1950's. Freed's old station 1010 WINS New York changed it's policy of playing Rock & Roll, or any other type of, music by becoming the first radio station in the nation to go all news all the time, an all-news network, which it still is today. April 19, 1965 was for all intents and purposes "The Day the Music Died" on 1010 WINS.

While a lot of movies have tried to show what the early rock'n'roll era was like -- American Hot Wax is the only movie that showed us what it FELT like.

Jerry Lee, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and groups put together for the movie -- The Chesterfields (as Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers), The Delights (as The Chantels), and Timmy and the Tulips (as The Fleetwoods) -- Man Oh Man -- Wowee! These last three groups were in some ways better then the originals -- if that's possible. Check out those "Dee-Lites!"

What music, what a house band! What a recreation of an early rock'n'roll show in a movie theater. Hot Wax is amazing!

The Freed character -- Somewhat sanitized, but dynomite! Jay Leno and Fran Dresher -- wonderful! Lorrane Newman was a knock out! Every character is perfect. Teenage Louise's parents -- real or what?

Look for period details like the manager's (of the Laverne Baker-like singer) shades. Like the lable on the Little Richard record in the film's opening scene.

In a recent TV movie about Alan Freed, the character played a Little Richard record on the radio. The camera focused on the turntable. There was a generic record playing. Phony baloney. I changed the channel.

In American Hot Wax, the record was spinning on a turntable in the foreground. It was a Little Richard record all right -- and it was on the Specialty lable!

We originally saw American Hot Wax at the drive-in back when it first came out. Somehow it seemed fitting. I now have the sound track and a video copy of the movie from an HBO showing. Someday, hopefully, this great film will be commercially available on video. You have got to see this movie!

There is a scene in the radio station where the Program Director asks Freed why he has to play his monitor speakers so loud. "Because they know when you are listening," answers Freed. How true. Crank it up Alan!

At the time this movie came out (1978) America was having its 20 year later nostalgia craze for the 1950s and it's music. "Happy Days" and "LaVerne And Shirley" were on TV and songs from the 50s were being remade and heard again. What great timing for this movie! The greatest thing about this movie, of course, are the musical performances. Instead of hiring all soundalikes from central casting, they actually brought back musicians and singers from the 1950s to sing their hits. Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Frankie Ford and others are on hand to show you what made them great. Of course, this was 20 years after Alan Freed's shows played and the performers do look a little worse for the wear, but their music more than makes up for it. Tin McIntire was fantastic as Alan Freed, a young Jay Leno as Mookie was adequate as was an also young Fran Drescher as Sheryl. Laraine Newman shines as a sort of Carole King character, writing songs for others. Why isnt this movie more popular than it is? Maybe because it's not on video? If you see this on TV some night, be sure to watch it and see the magical early days of Rock and Roll.

This movie has heart, soul and a passion for the music. A loving tribute to an exciting era. I grew up in Philadelphia, where guys doo-wopped in garages and on street corners, hoping Alan Freed would someday play their song. This movie successfully shows how important our new music was to us. Long Live Rock and Roll!