Starring Tom Ewell, Jayne Mansfield, Edmond O'Brian, and Henry Jones
Directed by Frank Tashlin
Music and Lyrics by various
Most of the rock musicals made during the genre's first flush of popularity in the mid-late 50's were even cheaper affairs than Rock Around the Clock. They were mainly low-budget affairs that featured great rock acts and dancing and little else. By 1956, rock was popular enough for the major studios to want to take a chance on it.
Fox originally wanted to focus on their newest blonde discovery Jayne Mansfield. The music was supposed to be a minor subplot, but thanks to Tashlin's skill and the wacky script, it ended up being a celebration of both the music and Mansfield's oddly innocent charms. How does this story of a former gangster who wants to push his girlfriend into the rock spotlight look today? Let's begin with Ewell as he explains how movies and music are changing in the 1950's and find out...
The Story: Former "slot machine king" Marty "Fats" Murdock (O'Brian) hires drunken press agent Tom Miller to promote his current girlfriend Georgianna "Jeri" Jordan (Mansfield) into a singing star. Tom takes her to the top clubs and has her parade in front of the managers to get their attention. It works like gangbusters and gets her noticed. Trouble is, it turns out that not only does Jeri have no desire for a career, but her singing is so bad, she can shatter glass.
Tom tries to convince Fats to call it off, but he has another idea. He digs out a song he wrote in prison, "Rock Around the Rock Pile," and has Ray Anthony and His Orchestra record it with Jeri as the prison siren. Tom tries to sell it to Mr. Wheeler (John Emery), the leading manufacturer of jukeboxes. Wheeler throws him out. Turns out he was Murdock's rival in slot machines in the 30's. Murdock is starting to be suspicious of Jeri and Tom's relationship, too, but his assistant Mousie (Jones) convinces him that it's strictly business.
Murdock destroys Wheeler's jukeboxes and replaces them with his own. It's a big enough hit to have a show built around it...but Murdock may not live to enjoy it. Tom finally sobers up long enough to make sure his boss lives to enjoy the show and realizes that Jeri isn't the one who wants a career.
The Song and Dance: Tashlin, a former animator at Warner Bros and MGM, was definitely the right man to helm this movie. It's more-or-less a live-action cartoon, with Mansfield wiggling all over the place, O'Brian shouting and jumping around, and Tom so drunk, he hallucinates his former client and lover Julie London singing "Cry Me a River." The rock bands here are among the top from the early rock era, and Tashlin makes sure to film them in a way that captures their rebellious, anarchic spirit. From the sexually suggestive jokes (check out Mansfield holding the milk bottles in front of her chest) to the stunning use of DeLuxe Color with all the red gowns and plaid suits practically leaping off the screen, this movie captures the early rock scene in a way even the cheaper B-films couldn't manage.
Favorite Number: The movie puts its literal best foot forward early as dancers whirl to Little Richard performing the title number over the credits. Nino Tempo gets into his own "Tempo's Tempo" during the opening sequence with Tom and the guy he's trying to sell his current group to. Johnny Olenn has two ballads, "My Idea of Love" and "I Ain't Gonna Cry No More." Little Richard burns up the stage at the first venue Tom takes Jeri to with "Ready Teddy" and "She's Got It," the latter coming off as a commentary Mansfield's combustible sex appeal. Eddie Fontaine douses the heat with "Cool It Baby," while the Three Chuckles claim to be a "Cinnamon Sinner." Abbey London gives us a gorgeous gospel song amid the rock in a flaming gown, inviting everyone to "Spread the Word."
"Cry Me a River" is done as a stand-alone sequence, with Julie London dressed in an array of stunning gowns as heavily sloshed Tom imagines her everywhere in his apartment. With the minimal but effective filming, it pretty much amounts to the first music video on film. Vincent and his Blue Caps really get into their major hit "Be-Bop-A-Lula" at the rehearsal hall. Eddie Cochran's strong performance of his hit "Twenty Flight Rock" is what inspires Murdock to break out his "Rock Around the Rock Pile."
"Rock Pile" is supposed to be a parody of "Rock Around the Clock," but it's actually pretty good in its own right. Ray Anthony and his band give it a strong run-through the first time around. Murdock joins them for a reprise in the finale and really gets into it, dancing around and having a ball. The Treniers remind everyone that "Rockin' Is Our Business" at the rehearsal. Anthony and His Orchestra also get the slightly more traditional "Big Band Boogie." Fats Domino has a great time with one of his biggest hits "Blue Monday," while the Platters give us the ballad "You'll Never, Ever Know." Jeri is supposed to prove she can sing with "Every Time It Happens" in the finale, but ironically, she was dubbed by Eileen Wilson.
Trivia: Elvis was invited to appear in this movie, but his boss Colonel Tom Parker wanted too much money.
This movie and its performers were major influences on a generation of rock fans, notably Paul McCartney and John Lennon. McCartney performed "Twenty Flight Rock" just as Cochran did it in the film to join Lennon's early group "The Quarrymen," and they tried to sneak into the movie together wearing false mustaches.
Julie London would marry Bobby Troup, who wrote the score and the song "Rock Around the Rock Pile," in 1959.
What I Don't Like: Once again, this is very much a movie of its time. If you aren't a fan of early rock or Tashlin's nutty style, this won't be your bottle of bourbon. Ewell is rather bland compared to all the nuttiness around him and comes off especially dull next to sexually charged Mansfield. And some gags, like Miller defending himself when he ends up in Jeri's pajamas and Murdock catches them, go on for way, way too long. All the nostalgia for the 30's Murdock slings around does seem a little odd in a movie celebrating the 50's, too.
The Big Finale: If you want an idea of what early rock was all about, this and Rock Around the Clock are probably your best bets. Also recommended for fans of Mansfield and the wacky rock musicals of the 50's and 60's.
Home Media: Disc only at this writing; was released as part of the Criterion Collection last year.
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