Twist (1992)

Director:

Ron Mann

Release Date:

17 November 1993 (France)

Genre:

Documentary | History | Music

Tagline:

How rock 'n' roll got its soul.

Plot:

The history of post-World War II popular dance up to the mid-sixties is explored with the focus being on the Twist.

Plot Keywords:

Dance | Black American | 1950s | Baby Boomer | 1960s

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Cholly Atkins	...	Himself
Frankie Avalon	...	Himself
Hank Ballard	...	Himself
Gary U.S. Bonds	...	Himself
Chubby Checker	...	Himself
Joey Dee	...	Himself
Fats Domino	...	Himself
Joe Fusco	...	Himself
Buddy Holly	...	Himself (archive footage)
Gladys Horton	...	Herself
Susan Horton	...	Dancer
Little Richard	...	Himself
Mama Lu Parks	...	Herself
Elvis Presley	...	Himself (archive footage)
DeeDee Sharp	...	Herself

Directed by
Ron Mann

Produced by
Don Haig	....	executive producer
Sue Len Quon	....	co-producer
Ron Mann	....	producer
Ann Mayall	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Keith Elliott
Nicholas Stirling

Cinematography by
Robert Fresco

Film Editing by
Robert Kennedy

Art Direction by
Gerlinde Scharinger

Production Management
Ann Mayall	....	production manager

Art Department
Lynda Nakashima	....	set designer

Sound Department
Brian Avery	....	sound recordist
David Evans	....	sound editor
Wayne Griffin	....	sound editor
Steve Munro	....	sound editor
Daniel Pellerin	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Sarossy	....	additional photographer

Editorial Department
Sue Len Quon	....	assistant editor
Gordon McClellan	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Dave Booth	....	music consultant
Robert Kennedy	....	music editor

Other crew
Wendy Rowland	....	researcher: dance & music
David Segal	....	researcher: dance & music
Sally Sommer	....	consultant: dance

Production Companies

• Alliance Entertainment
• CITY-TV
• Canada Council, The
• Magnum
• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
• Ontario Film Development Corporation, The
• Téléfilm Canada

Distributors

• Alive (1993) (France) (theatrical)
• Cineplex Odeon Films (1992) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Triton Pictures (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• New Line Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language and some brief nudity

Runtime:

74 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Alliance Entertainment

Movie Connections:

Features The Continental Twist (1961)

Entertaining and valuable

Not only is TWIST a remarkable documentary film, it is also an invaluable social document, charting not only the various dance crazes that swept the USA in the 60s, but reflecting too the social attitudes of the dominant ideology of those times.

As a European, it is amazing to me that on a cultural level, white and black American seemed in those days to inhabit two separate planets, and equally amazing that when white folks finally came to embrace `Rock 'n' Roll', so few of them were aware that this indigenous music of black America had been on their doorsteps, (those of the back porch, sadly) for many years already, only it was known as `Rhythm & Blues'.

To some extent, this documentary goes some way in redressing this cultural injustice, and had more footage of R&B performers been made at the time, no doubt they could have done it even more cogently. But time and again, this documentary shows that white folks repeatedly appropriated black culture as if it were their own invention, and even to the bitter end of the era, seemed to prefer the diluted over the authentic and the real. This was well demonstrated by the well chosen recordings used which were performed by black artists - not only were the rhythmic patterns more complex, seductive and compelling, but the sheer musicality was nearly always vastly superior to the ersatz white versions.

Apart from illustrative clips of the many dances that first sprang from the streets and then from the executive offices (which of course spelt the beginning of the end), the comments from those who lived to dance and who made the records, are always revealing and lucid. Although these dances were called decadent and immoral, towards the end of the film we see glimpses of Nixon, Kruschev, missile launches and other decadent and immoral items, until finally we see the ultimate appropriation and theft of black American musical culture, the British musical invasion.

Although in the main the film is a glorious celebration of dance culture, it also left me saddened, because beneath the smooth surface of American Bandstand and The Peppermint Lounge, it seemed to suggest that no matter what black folks do in America, they're never going to get the real credit all the while others can leach off their creativity and musical genius. For revealing this truth alone, this film deserves the highest possible praise. And to this day, what a great record The Marvelettes' `Please, Mr. Postman' is!