One of the best films i have seen

A lot of fun.

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

I just saw this film for the first time last night and was quite impressed by some of the songs. When it comes to 50's and 60's music, I watch for and listen for harmony.I was about 5 when this movie came out, but my 8 year old sister and I were already listening to rock music on the radio. Later I grew up hearing Dion and the Belmonts, The Fleetwoods, etc. While still in grade school, I heard Connie Francis singing Where the Boys Are. Every song was special.Today I enjoy collecting late 50's and early 60's music and discovered a great link on You Tube called Echo in the Halls. There is a ten CD set of great rocksongs from late 50's to early 60's.Returning to the film, I knew it would be good for me when I heard the first number (dubbed by wonderful Connie Francis). I love I Never Had a Sweetheart. The great voice, harmony in the background, and lovely words of the song gave it special meaning.I am not sure of the name of the wonderful singer or song, but right after that, the boyfriend sings a great song with Tuesday Weld.Later The Moonglows two numbers were wonderful and it was great to see Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers. I collect all of their music too.Connie Francis was beautiful as well as Tuesday Weld, so I did wonder why she was dubbed. I collect and treasure Connie's music as well.I have given the film a 7, as the plot seems to revolve solely around the money for the prom dress and the girl's machinations to get the dress she wanted. However, it is more than made up for in the musical numbers.

Really, this is just one wretched teen musical, all about Tuesday Weld's effort to come up with enough money to buy a dress for a school dance. It's a toss up which is worse, her acting or the song that the characters sing in an effort to use music to move the plot. Fortunately there are enough specialties by real rock and roll stars forget the best opportunities to perform. It certainly isn't the little girl who sings about wanting a new dolly or Weld, dubbed by Connie Francis, singing about never having a boyfriend or the over- emoting of Teddy Ranzanno in his big solo. successful more successful musically are the Moonglows, Lavern Baker, Chuck Berry, the Flamingos and Frankie Lythe abundance of songs makes this more of an over long music video with brief interruptions for what little plot it had. some of the musical numbers however feel like they were more meant for a television variety show then the big screen. Alan Freed makes an appearance as himself, but he was better utilized in the first of the rock and roll musicals, "Rock around the Clock". I guess you could call Freed the Dick Clark of his day, although he basically is forgotten.

I agree with many comments, the acting can be atrocious at times. But that wasn't the focus of this film. The fact that there's rock songs and artists performing every few minutes is proof of that. So while the acting and plot are weak, it's a great movie to watch for all the different music acts of the 1950s. Pretty cool. Tuesday Weld is cute and her nemesis is enough to hate, even beyond the poor acting skill. She's a conniving little beast and has no qualms about getting the guy she wants, even when it's obvious he doesn't like her. I wasn't impressed with the singing of "Baby" though. I've heard kids sing and do just fine. She was too annoying sounding. Was she actually a big thing at this time? Her voice grated. My three year old doesn't always keep in tune, but he sings better and has a clearer voice. Even taking into consideration the graininess of the soundtrack, she was harsh. Oh well. It's still a film worth watching.

"Rock Rock Rock" (1956): Alan Freed was to Rock and Roll movies what Ed Wood was to sci fi: an idiot. But, I side with Wood - at least he did it for the "love". Freed was creating a market and nothing more. He was the P.T. Barnum of Pop music. Shoving known and unknown singers and other musicians in front of a camera – many for the very first time, expecting them to dub a tune – many for the first time, and expecting them to have any sort of stage presence, gave everyone the results they deserved. If these films weren't so painfully staged, they could hold up as Rock and Roll documents. As they are, they are laughable, pathetic, embarrassing collections of awkward, amateurish kids who are being scooped up, wagered upon, and thrown away by music industry investors. NONE THE LESS, if you're a fan of movies, this one is so transparent it's entertaining. Watch Alan Freed sell himself with his wide eyed, crap-eating grin as he pretends to be a band leader, or introduce the next act; watch the premier of Tuesday Weld – so young she's still a gawky teen - not the beauty of later years - as she dubs songs in the voice of Connie Francis (!); watch countless singers and groups who are getting their one shot – and were never heard from again; watch Frankie Lymon lead "his" Teenagers through a couple of their actual hits with slick professional behavior (corny as it was, the entire film is worth their performance of "I'm not a Juvenile Delinquent")… but keep in mind he was 13 years old, in 2 years would be a heroin addict, and 10 years later would be dead of an overdose; watch La Vern Baker do the dumbest song of all time ("Tra La La"); watch Chuck Berry stand on stage like a funky puppet performing "You Can't Catch Me"; watch many others make fools of themselves; and remember that only a year later, Freed would be busted for DJ payola, lose everything, and drink himself to death by the age of 32. There is some good décor detailing, incredibly lame dialog, numb-skulled plot devices, awful acting, and primitive editing… yet, I'm already in the mood to watch it again. I must have a mental problem... like those jerks who tie up traffic by slowing down and rubber-necking a car wreck