Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

While recovering from surgery a few months ago I watched quite lot of movies, so many in fact that they are a blur to me in some instances, but this one remains in my mind as does the tune that rocked the world during it’s moment in time and spread a new kind of music and messages to the music world and the world of teenagers...It was the beginning of Rock and Roll, and the song, Rock Around The Clock, was the music and movie that spread the word.


Rock Around the Clock was released in 1956, a film starring music legends today but back then they were treated like lepers, as least by the parents of the teenagers who discovered them and their music, such names as Bill Haley and The Comets, The Platters and Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. The movie also features Allen Freed, a radio disc jockey and concert promoter, who made these names famous and brought this New Music to the attention of the world.


The story wasn’t much to speak of...An unknown talent scout, Johnny Johnson, (Steve Hollis), finds himself in a small town on the night of the “big dance”, (though I was very young, I do remember the 50’s and those dances certainly were a big deal back then), he discovers a group of teenagers who were “with it”, who loved to dance to the music of Bill Haley and the Comets and really let lose...Their style of dancing was completely different than was the norm of the time and Johnny was very impressed. He was also impressed with the way a certain teenage couple did those dances, inspiring the rest of the kids to get up and "rock" to the music...especially impressed with the girl Lisa, (Lisa Gaye), who was related to one of the band members and instigated the other kids to get up and dance to this new rock and roll and music...He had been involved with a top theatrical agent and thought she might help promote these new musical talents but she was not too thrilled with the idea when she noticed the attraction Johnny had for Lisa…Hmm, was she going to throw a wrench into his plans??


He then remembers Allen Freed, the well known disc jockey and persuades him to watch these young performers...the rest is history!


One thing though was really funny to see, these kids all dressed up in suits and ties dancing away, the girls in their crinolines and full skirts, boy, a time machine to music.


There really isn’t much more to the plot of the movie, just how both females act towards to each other when Johnny finally persuades the agent to promote a concert…Even she was impressed by the way the crowd reacted to the music. Funny also, the dour faces of the adults when they first heard these new sounds.


It was this music that was the star of the film, sending rock waves around the world. The movie was even banned by some theaters in America, England and other countries around the world when stories began to surface of teenagers in the audience, getting a bit rambunctious when the music played, ripped up their seats in the excitement...It’s hard to understand that now with the way music has evolved and what goes on today.


This was really the first film that focused on Rock and Roll and basically was made to promote Bill Haley and the other band, Freddie Bell and the Bellboys as well as the singing group who became very popular, known as the Platters….I still remember the songs they sang and hearing them again in this movie was certainly another blast from the past.


The movie was directed by Fred Sears in a very short period of time since he wanted to get it out during the time when the song “Rock Around The Clock” was at the peak of popularity after it was featured in the movie Blackboard Jungle . The story was really only secondary to the music giving this film the distinction of being known as the very first rock and roll musical.


Rock Around The Clock is not a movie to see with serious intent, but one to watch if interested in the beginning of Rock and Roll before Elvis Presley started a new revolution….Yes, after Elvis, even this movie was no longer the voice of Rock and Roll just a stepping stone but a fun one to watch and to listen to today.


The Songs Performed in the Movie:

"Rock Around the Clock" - Bill Haley and His Comets
"See You Later Alligator" - Haley
"Rock-a-Beatin' Boogie" - Haley
"A.B.C. Boogie" - Haley - first verse only
"Cuero (Skins)" - Tony Martinez and His Band
"Mambo Capri" - Martinez
"Solo Y Triste (Sad And Lonely)" - Martinez
"Razzle-Dazzle" - Haley
"Teach You to Rock" - Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
"Bacaloa Con Papa (Codfish And Potatoes)" - Martinez
"Only You (And You Alone)" - The Platters
"R-O-C-K" - Haley
"Happy Baby" - Haley - first verse and chorus only
"Mambo Rock" - Haley - chorus only
"Giddy Up A Ding Dong" - Bell
"The Great Pretender" - Platters
"Rudy's Rock" - Haley





Recommended: Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening