The Cool Ones (1967)

A young, millionaire rock promoter decides to create a new boy/girl duo team for his teen TV dance show by teaming up an ambitious go-go dancer and a has-been pop star and presenting them to the public as a new romantic pair.

Director:

Gene Nelson

Writers:

Joyce Geller (screenplay), Joyce Geller (story),

Stars:

Roddy McDowall, Debbie Watson, Gil Peterson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roddy McDowall	...	Tony Krum
Debbie Watson	...	Hallie Rogers
Gil Peterson	...	Cliff Donner
Phil Harris	...	MacElwaine
Robert Coote	...	Stanley Krum
Nita Talbot	...	Dee Dee Howitzer
George Furth	...	Howie
Mrs. Miller	...	Herself
Jim Begg	...	Charlie Forbes
James Millhollin	...	Henry - Hotel Manager
Phil Arnold	...	Stage Manager
Melanie Alexander	...	Sandy
The Bantams	...	Themselves
Glen Campbell	...	Patrick
The Leaves	...	Themselves

Storyline

Hallie Rogers is a pent-up go-go dancer itching for her big break. She's up for a spot on the network rock'n'roll show "Whizbam," a detailed send-up of both "Shindig" and "Hullaballo," but the studio bosses keep giving her the shaft. So Hallie wigs out, escapes from her go-go cage, and steals the mike from Glen Campbell, who's singing onstage at the time. While Glen does all he can to stop this crazy girl on live TV, Hallie shakes and shimmies her way out of impending handcuffs. The audience goes wild, imitating her moves, and when a misdirected camera sends a message out to the nation, a new dance craze is born - the Tantrum! Tony Krum, a teen tycoon begins to manage her booming career. Hallie gets fired from "Whizbam," but her go-go dancing pals take her to Palm Springs, where they see the Leaves perform. She soon meets out-of-step teen idol Cliff Donner, with whom she forms a duo.

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Taglines:

Baffling... bewildering... bizarre... it's the TANTRUM world of THE COOL ONES

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cool Baby, Cool!

Filming Locations:

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Palm Springs, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Was announced initially as a starring vehicle for Nancy Sinatra, though her role ultimately went to Debbie Watson.

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Quotes

Cliff Donner: What the hell ever got into her to let herself get bullied into a hairy scheme like that?
Dee Dee: She's young, ambitious and therefore dangerous. It takes a few years on a girl to know how to mix a cocktail of ambition and desire.
Cliff Donner: Yeah, I guess so. In the meantime a man could bleed to death.

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Soundtracks

"The Cool Ones"
Written by Lee Hazlewood
Performed by Gil Peterson and Debbie Watson

User Reviews

Roddy McDowall as Simon Cowell?

"The Cool Ones" is definitely a second-string musical but it's more entertaining than many of the A-list musicals of the decade and doesn't deserve the obscurity to which it's consigned. It's well-paced, with lots of song and dance numbers, directed by Gene Nelson, who has a great feel for these elements. The real standout in this film is Gil Peterson who greatly resembles Grant Williams. He has enough charisma and talent to pull the whole thing together with a convincing performance and wonderful vocals. If his songs were dubbed, it is incredible how synchronized they were and how appropriately they matched his speaking voice. It's a mystery why this talented, handsome and energetic performer didn't achieve a more successful career.

Unfortunately there is far too much screen time and energy devoted to Roddy McDowall's annoying and overly fey portrayal of the promoter. Could this be an earlier incarnation of Simon Cowell?