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.
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.
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.