Rock Around the Clock (1956)

Orchestra manager Steve Hollis realizes that big-band music is dead. People want something new, but what? On their way to New York, Steve and his companion Corny, stop at a motel in a small... See full summary »

Director:

Fred F. Sears

Writers:

Robert E. Kent (story and screenplay), James B. Gordon (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Bill Haley and the Comets, Bill Haley, The Platters

Cast

Cast overview:
Bill Haley and the Comets	...	Bill Haley and His Comets
Bill Haley	...	Bill Haley
The Platters	...	The Platters
Ernie Freeman Combo	...	Ernie Freeman Combo
Tony Martinez and His Band	...	Tony Martinez and his Band
Tony Martinez	...	Tony Martinez
Freddie Bell	...	Freddie Bell
Freddie Bell and the Bellboys	...	Freddie Bell and the Bellboys (as Freddie Bell and His Bellboys)
Alan Freed	...	Alan Freed
Johnny Johnston	...	Steve Hollis
Alix Talton	...	Corinne Talbot
Lisa Gaye	...	Lisa Johns
John Archer	...	Mike Dodd
Henry Slate	...	Corny LaSalle
Earl Barton	...	Jimmy Johns

Storyline

Orchestra manager Steve Hollis realizes that big-band music is dead. People want something new, but what? On their way to New York, Steve and his companion Corny, stop at a motel in a small place called Strawberry Springs. It's Saturday evening, and a huge number of young people are going to the Town Hall to listen to a local band called Bill Haley and His Comets, playing a new kind of music called rock'n'roll. It is accompanied by a new way of dancing, led by the siblings Lisa and Jimmy Johns. Steve immediately recognizes that this could be what all America is waiting for. He convinces the band and the dancers to let him organize their nationwide breakthrough, and goes to New York to arrange bookings with the top agent Corinne Talbot. Corinne has for a long time tried to get Steve to marry her, but in vain. She now realizes that Steve is in love with the young dancer Lisa Johns, which makes her change her strategy. Corinne tries to stop the rock'n'roll group everywhere, but despite ...

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Plot Keywords:

teensploitation | psychotronic film | female sexual predator | female female relationship | female jealousy | 

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Taglines:

The screen's first great rock 'n' roll feature!

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

A few months prior to shooting, Bill Haley and the Comets had undergone a major change in personnel, with several members leaving the group. As a result, most of the songs lip-synched in the film actually feature a different line-up of musicians from those shown performing. The only songs on which all musicians shown on screen were also involved in the recording session are "See You Later Alligator", the rehearsal prior to "R-O-C-K" and the live-on-camera rendition of "Rudy's Rock". During the performances of "Rock Around the Clock", Franny Beecher is shown playing the guitar for Danny Cedrone, who had originally been on the recording session, and who had died 18 months earlier. Cedrone's guitar work can also be heard on "ABC Boogie", the opening bars of which are performed off-camera.

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Goofs

The TV cameras at the Jamboree have a "W" call-sign on them. Since they are supposed to be in Los Angeles, it would be expected that they had a "K" call-sign.

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Quotes

Alan Freed: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the West River Club. We're very happy to have you with us tonight and we're really going to rock-n-roll. This is your's truly Alan Freed, the old king of the rock-n-rollers. And you're going to meet two of the most exciting combinations you've ever met in your life. And here they are: The Ernie Freeman Combo with the sensational recording group, The Platters!
Tony Williams: [singing] Only you can make all this world seem right, Only you can make the darkness ...

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Crazy Credits

Instead of "The End," the movie concludes with THE LIVING END

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Connections

Featured in Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer (2009)

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Soundtracks

Mambo Rock
Written by Tony Martinez (uncredited)
Performed by Bill Haley and the Comets (as Bill Haley and His Comets) (uncredited)
Recording through the courtesy of Decca Records: Inc.

User Reviews

musically-historical fun

It ain't great cinema, folks, but it IS fun. It's also a great reminder of the roots of rock- and-roll (old-fashioned hyphenated spelling intentional), and how far that musical genre has developed in the last (choke) 50 years.

I was only 9 when this film was released, and had never seen it until today (thanks, Turner Classics). Bill Hailey was certainly no Eric Clapton on the guitar, but was definitely a showman...in what would now be considered a cornball sort of way. The whole film is a good display of the fact that choreographing singers' movements didn't start with Madonnna. It also shows modern viewers that the Platters could REALLY sing!

Another thing I really enjoyed was the dancing in this movie. Lisa Gaye and Earl Barton could move! About an hour and 15 minutes into the film (which is only about 1:20 long) there's a number which shows them off well, during which they're joined by a couple of dozen other excellent dancers. It's a fun way to end the film.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al compás del reloj

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Clover Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1