American Hot Wax (1978)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Floyd Mutrux

Writers:

John Kaye (screenplay)
John Kaye (story)

Release Date:

17 March 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Music

Tagline:

1959. New York City. The battleground was Rock and Roll. It was the beginning of an era. You shoulda been there.

Plot:

This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950's...

Plot Keywords:

Disc Jockey | 1950s | Payola | Radio | Music Industry

Cast

Tim McIntire	...	Alan Freed
Fran Drescher	...	Sheryl
Jay Leno	...	Mookie (Michael)
Laraine Newman	...	Teenage Louise
Carl Weaver	...	Chesterfields
Al Chalk	...	Chesterfields
Sam Harkness	...	Chesterfields
Arnold McCuller	...	Chesterfields
Jeff Altman	...	Lennie Richfield
Moosie Drier	...	Artie Moress, Buddy Holly Fanclub President
John Lehne	...	D.A. Coleman
Stewart Steinberg	...	Stone
Jack Edward Ellis	...	Phillips
Richard Forbes	...	Donahue
Stephen Pearlman	...	Peter Overmyer

Runtime:

91 min | Canada:95 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:AL | Finland:S | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

The Wiltern - 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Carole King was the inspiration for the character "Teenage Louise".

Goofs:

Factual errors: Buddy Holly's birthday (7 September) fell on Labor Day in 1959, so Artie would have had the day off from school anyway.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Alan Freed: You can stop me, but you're never gonna stop rock & roll!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Proof (2007)

Soundtrack:

Sea Cruise

This is rock'n'roll!

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!