I frenetici

A rock 'n' roll singer played by Alan Dale takes time out from his busy schedule to vacation back in his home town. The town's teens are there to meet the train; but the Mayor of Melonville warns the singer that his kind is not thought of too highly. DJ Alan Freed schedules a big charity dance to convince a newspaper columnist there is no harm in the new form of music.

Also in the cast are Jana Lund, Patricia Hardy and Gail Ganley. Spotlight musical acts are: Bill Haley & the Comets, Little Richard, the Treniers and Dave Appell & the Apple Jacks.

Low budget "B" flick produced by 'king of the quickies', Sam Katzman. Interesting to watch Haley & the Comets and Little Richard perform.

I always liked this film. Not a bad plot, the acting is better than average and there is, of course, some great music. Bill Haley and Little Richard provide some real excitement, plus here's a chance to see the great Treniers and talented pop singer Alan Dale in rare screen appearances. The legendary Alan Freed plays a sometimes over zealous manager and is terrific in the role. Rock and Roll fans should not pass this one by!

There is little wonder that the acting is stiff with dialogue this lame. I grew up in the 50s. Even then we would groan at this writing. We came to see Bill Haley (Rudy's sax was worth the admission) & Little Richard. Alan Dale had a nice voice, but I can't recall anyone of my teen friends buying one of his discs. If only Columbia recognized the fact that we came for the music and not the plot - particularly one as predictable as this. A man in his 30s hustled by an oversexed teenager? How did that get by the censors? All the men walking around in suits all day seemed dumb then, and very much like an old TV sitcom today. The fast-forward control is a gift from God and surely appreciated for movies such as this. A+ for dancers.

New York singer Arnie Haines (Alan Dale) is tired of his career as a famous recording star so he takes a break by visiting his old tiny home town. When he arrives he discovers that he's now despised by all the crotchety adults who feel that rock music is ruining their kids' lives. Haines decides to stage a big rock and roll show in the next town to prove to the parents that rock can be a good influence for their children. Arnie Haines himself is more of a crooner and not a joy to listen to, but we do get to hear several numbers by Bill Haley and His Comets, as well as the great Little Richard, who belts out his awesome killer renditions of "Long Tall Sally" and "Tutti Frutti". The movie is a good relic for rock 'n roll history, and also manages to take a shot at modern-day (1950s) parents to make them realize how their old music of the 20s and 30s was just as "wild" as their kids'. While the movie makes a valid point there in showing those generational similarities, the truth is that 1950s rock music was always pretty innocent enough, but the same case for a meeting of the generations couldn't be made for 2007 parents weaned on '50s music as compared to today's Gangsta cRap. *** out of ****

This film is very much of it's time. Sam Katzman produced a number of films featuring record stars and this is one of the better ones. The star is Alan Dale, who was one of the leading pop singers of the day. Dale was in the forefront of the post-Sinatra generation of crooners (which included Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, etc.), and his versatility ranged from opera to Rock 'n' Roll. This diversity made him a perfect choice for the role of a rock singer with a "serious" side. Dale's romantic interest is played by Pat Hardy, who soon afterward married actor Richard Egan. The main reason for these films was, of course, the records acts --- most of whom were seldom if ever seen on network television. Bill Haley and the Comets were well known, but outside of the major urban areas Little Richard was not even played on most RADIO stations (they opted for Pat Boone's version of "Long Tall Sally"!). However, thanks to films like this we could finally experience performers like Little Richard. Two numbers by The Treniers are another high point. Typical of these films, there's not much of a plot, but its a lot of fun.