Rock Around the Clock *** (1956, Bill Haley and the Comets, The Platters, Freddie Bell and His Bellboys, Tony Martinez and His Band) – Classic Movie Review 9862

‘It’s The MOST!!!’

Disc jockey Alan Freed (as himself) discovers Bill Haley and the Comets in a small-town and makes them a hit in New York, in director Fred F Sears’s 1956 black and white teensploitation sensation Rock Around the Clock.

The world’s first major rock ‘n’ roll film gets you jiving to ‘See You Later Alligator’ (written by Bobby Charles), ‘Razzle Dazzle’ (written by Charles F Calhoun) and ‘Rock around the Clock’ (written by Max Freedman and James E Myers), among several other songs, and makes you wonder how this laid-back, elderly-looking band could have started a youth phenomenon. (Haley was 40 and had previously been a country music performer,)

There is virtually no plot, but the film is good fun thanks to the tunes, the kiss-curled one, and The Platters in support singing the wonderful ‘Only You’ and ‘The Great Pretender’ (both written by Buck Ram). Freddie Bell and His Bellboys have a couple of songs and Tony Martinez and His Band have four. There’s a lot of music crammed into 77 minutes, so there is virtually no need for a plot.

Bill Haley and His Comets (left to right): Rudy Pompilli, Billy Williamson, Al Rex, Bill Haley, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones, Franny Beecher.

Also in the cast are Johnny Johnston, Lisa Gaye, Alix Talton, John Archer, Henry Slate, Earl Barton, Tony Martinez and His Band, Ernie Freeman Combo, Freddie Bell and His Bellboys.

It was quickly produced by B-movie king Sam Katzman (who also produced several Elvis Presley films in the Sixties) in January 1956 and released in March 1956 to capitalise on Haley’s sudden success.

Sequel: Don’t Knock the Rock (1957). Twist version with Chubby Checker: Twist Around the Clock (1961).

‘Rock around the Clock’ was recorded in April 1954, and was a flop on its initial release, but went on to become the first single to sell more than a million copies in the UK alone. The multi-million-selling record previously played over the opening credits in the 1955 teen film Blackboard Jungle. And it was used again to open the 1973 film American Graffiti.

‘See You Later Alligator’ was a new recording, taped at Decca’s Hollywood studio in December 1955, just a few weeks before filming began.

After the film’s first showings in Norway, teenagers stormed through the streets of Oslo shouting ‘more rock!’

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9862

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