Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story (1999)

This is the story of Alan Freed. He was working as a DJ in Cleveland, Ohio, and he discovered how amazing R&B or Rhytym & Blues is, however, the music is considered to be "BLACK" music. So,... See full summary »

Director:

Andy Wolk

Writers:

John A. Jackson (book), Matt Dorff (teleplay)

Stars:

Judd Nelson, Mädchen Amick, David Gianopoulos

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Judd Nelson	...	Alan Freed
Mädchen Amick	...	Jackie McCoy
David Gianopoulos	...	Morris Levy
Daniel Kash	...	Hooke
Leon	...	Jackie Wilson
Paula Abdul	...	Denise Walton
Fabian
Bobby Rydell
James C. Victor	...	Jerry Lee Lewis
Walter Franks	...	Little Richard
Joe W. Davis	...	Buddy Holly (as Joe Warren Davis)
Michael Dunston	...	Bo Diddley
LeRoy D. Brazile	...	Frankie Lymon
Michael Daingerfield	...	Bill Haley
Fulvio Cecere	...	Pete Bell

Storyline

This is the story of Alan Freed. He was working as a DJ in Cleveland, Ohio, and he discovered how amazing R&B or Rhytym & Blues is, however, the music is considered to be "BLACK" music. So, most radio stations won't play it. However, Freed believed that it's the next wave, so he fights to have it played on the air. Eventually, he went into the big time - New York, and he decided to dub this music "ROCK & ROLL". Despite his success, he still had a lot of opposition and made deals with the wrong people, which would lead to his downfall.

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Plot Keywords:

cleveland ohio | manhattan new york city | ends with text | woman smoker | saxophone | 

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Taglines:

The story of rock 'n' roll and the people who changed music forever.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mr. Rock and Roll

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Von Zerneck Sertner Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The actor playing Bill Haley is shown playing a guitar solo during "Rock Around the Clock", something the real Haley never did, at least not in 1957-58 when the sequence takes place.

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Connections

Featured in The South Bank Show: Little Richard (1985)

User Reviews

similar movie u might enjoy....

I didn't see this movie, but was looking for another one about Alan Freed. If you enjoyed this movie, though, you should also see the movie, which doesn't appear to cross reference, American Hot Wax....and the soundtrack is pretty awesome,too. It also tells about Alan Freed, and the start of Rock and Roll.

If you love music history, or even just the RockaBilly sound of early Rock, then this movie should be a part of your collection....It came out in 1978 or so, and I had the soundtrack, until a friend decided they liked it too much to let me keep it.....Can't tell you if it is still available....but it's definitely one to have if you love Rock, if it is.