Rock, Pretty Baby! *** (1956, Sal Mineo, John Saxon, Luana Patten, Fay Wray, Shelley Fabares) – Classic Movie Review 9861

‘I’m the victim of the greatest social disease of our generation: parents.’ – Angelo Barrato (Sal Mineo).

Director Richard Bartlett’s engaging 1956 American low-budget youth-oriented comedy musical movie Rock, Pretty Baby stars Sal Mineo, John Saxon and Luana Patten.

Sal Mineo and John Saxon play Angelo Barrato and Jimmy Daley, members of a fame-seeking teen band who learn of a battle of the bands contest that has a cash prize. Jimmy fights the opposition of his doctor father, Thomas Daley Sr MD (Edward C Platt), who wants him to become a lawyer, but he pawns his law books for the $300 he needs to buy an electric guitar. Will the boys win the contest? Who is going to end up with the lovely Joan Wright (Luana Patten).

John Saxon, Sue George and Sal Mineo in Rock, Pretty Baby! (1956).

Sal Mineo and Shelley Fabares enjoy the best of what’s going, which is ironic because most of the plot hinges round John Saxon’s Jimmy Daley, and he got to come back for Universal’s 1958 sequel, Summer Love (along with McKuen, Wray, Platt, Fabares and Winslow). Sal Mineo was said to be ‘too busy’ to be in it.

Also in the cast are Fay Wray as Mrs Beth Daley, Rod McKuen as ‘Ox’ Bentley, John Wilder as ‘Fingers’ Porter, Alan Reed Jr as ‘Sax’ Lewis, Douglas Fowley as ‘Pop’ Wright, Bob Courtney as ‘Half-Note’ Harris, Shelley Fabares as Twinky Daley, Susan Volkmann as Carol Saunders, Caryl Volkmann as Claire Saunders, April Kent as Kay Norton, Sue George as Lori Parker, Walter Reed as Mr Reid, Glen Kramer as Bruce Carter, Johnny Grant as Johnny Grant and George Winslow as Thomas Daley III.

Universal announced the film in June 1956 as Crazy Love and it was next known as The Living End. Filming started July 1956 and it was released in December 1956. Head of Universal Pictures Al Daff said it ‘is not an important picture but it will gross more than many multi-million dollar pictures’. In the event it cost $1,000,000 and earned $1,430,000 (US).

Mineo and Saxon went on a promotional tour to launch the film.

Universal signed George Winslow to a two-picture a year deal over five years on the basis of his performance, though he made only two more films and quit after Wild Heritage (1958).

George Winslow [Wentzlaff] retired from show business at 12, finished school, served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, moved to Camp Meeker, California, in the late Seventies and later retired from the Postal Service. Wentzlaff, a lifelong bachelor and cat lover, died of a heart attack on 13 June 2015 at his Camp Meeker home.

Child actress Luana Patten stopped working at age 14 to concentrate on school, but after eight years she wanted to act again and was cast in Rock Pretty Baby at $650 a week. The contract had options for seven years but Patten sued to get out of it.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9861

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