DON'T KNOCK THE ROCK

Don't Knock the Rock
Clover / Columbia, 1956, B/W, 85 minutes
Released December, 1956

Rock 'n' roller Arnie Haines (Alan Dale) and his band take a long-needed break from touring and return to their hometown only to find that the mayor has banned rock 'n' roll!

With the help of disc jockey / publicist Alan Freed and legendary performances by Bill Haley and His Comets ("Hot Dog, Buddy Buddy," "Rip It Up") and Little Richard ("Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally"), Arnie and his gang hope to prove to all of the adult cats in town that rock 'n' roll may be really crazy, but it's not as dangerous as it looks!

Most of the early rock 'n' roll movies (there were many) were pretty bad. But there are a few standouts, and this is definitely one of them. The story deals with the general dislike that most of our parents' generation had toward the new music. Many considered it to be vulgar or a communist plot to overthrow the government and undermine the morality of our society. Just why so many of the adults of the era responded to the music this way has never really been clear, but the controversy became quite intense and often resulted in censorship, local legislation, and sometimes even violence. This film deals with that raging controversy. In the early years, rock 'n' roll had to really fight to survive!

Besides all that, Don't Knock the Rock contains some early rock performances that are legendary. Definitely worth seeing if you like the sound of early rock!

One parting thought... it seems that many adults objected to the dancing associated with rock 'n' roll. But the dance of choice in the 1950s was the jitterbug, which people were doing way back in the late 1930s! You can see some wild jitterbugging on many of the films - especially those of the World War II era . So what was all the ruckus about?

Produced by: Sam Katzman
Directed by: Fred F. Sears
Assistant Director: Sam Nelson
Written by: Robert E. Kent, James B. Gordon
Music Supervision: Fred Karger, Ross DiMaggio
Songs: Recordings through the courtesy of Decca Records, Inc.: "Calling All Comets," "Hot Dog, Buddy Buddy," "Rip It Up," "Hook, Line and Sinker"
Recordings through the courtesy of Specialty Records, Inc.: "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally,"
"Don't Knock the Rock" by Robert E. Kent, Frad Karger
Dances Staged and Created by: Earl Barton
Art Director: Paul Palmentola
Set Decorator: Sidney Clifford
Sound: Josh Westmoreland
Director of Photography: Benjamin H. Kline
Film Editors: Edwin Bryant, Paul Borofsky

Cast: Bill Haley and His Comets [Themselves], Alan Dale [Arnie Haines], Alan Freed [Himself], The Treniers [Themselves], Little Richard [Himself], Dave Appell and His Applejacks [Themselves], Patricia Hardy [Francine MacLaine], Fay Baker [Arlene MacLaine], Jana Lund [Sunny Everett], Gail Ganley [Molly Haines], Pierre Watkin [Mayor George Bagley], George Cisar [Tom Everett], Dick Elliott [Sheriff], Jovada and Jimmy Ballard [Jitterbug Contest Winners], Additional Cast: Tom Fadden [Mr. Haines], Dennis Moore [Bill Haley's Booking Agent], Ralph Sanford [Cop at Stage Door]

Musical Program: [0:00] Don't Knock the Rock (sung by Bill Haley and His Comets behind titles); [0:01] I Cry More (sung by Alan Dale); [0:06] You're Just Right (sung by Alan Dale on record player, danced by kids); [0:12] Hot Dog, Buddy Buddy (sung by Bill Haley and His Comets, danced by Chorus Girls); [0:15] Goofin' Around (instrumental played by Bill Haley and His Comets); [0:18] ? (instrumental number played by ?, danced by kids at Mellondale train station); [0:25] Hook, Line and Sinker (played by Bill Haley and His Comets on record player, danced by kids); [0:27] Applejack (instrumental number played by Dave Appell and His Applejacks, danced by kids); [0:30] Your Love Is My Love (sung by Alan Dale on the beach); [0:36] Calling All Comets (instrumental played by Bill Haley and His Comets); [0:39] ? (played on piano by ?, danced by Jana Lund); [0:46] Out of the Bushes (sung by The Treniers); [0:49] Rip It Up (sung by Bill Haley and His Comets, danced by the kids at the concert); [0:53] instrumental number (danced by kids at concert); [0:55] Rockin' on Sunday Night (performed by the Treniers, danced by the kids at the concert); [0;58] Gonna Run Not Walk That Aisle (sung by Alan Dale); [1:03] Long Tall Sally (sung by Little Richard); [1:06] Tutti Frutti (sung by Little Richard, danced by jitterbug contest winners Jimmy and Jovada Ballard); [1:08] Country Dance (performed by the Dave Appell and His Applejacks); [1:22] Don't Knock the Rock (sung by Alan Dale, danced by the players at the Pageant of Art and Culture)