A group of about ten of us in our early 30s, who worked in the music business in the 60s and 70s: musicians, manager, publicist, tour manager... went to the premier of Let The Good Times Roll at the Dominion, Tottenham Court Road, London. The screen was full-size and we had great seats. The excitement of watching and listening to those legends is still with me and I especially remember the amazement that registered on Chubby Checker's face when he saw the enthusiastic response he was getting from the crowd so many years after his hit version of Hank Ballard's Twist. I had never seen the Five Satins and they remain in my memory as great performers that I'd enjoy seeing more of, but I haven't heard anything of this great movie since. Would love to see it again, own it, DVD or VHS - show my young friends, nephews and nieces! The time is ripe to release it on DVD, kids are really interested in searching through the archives and finding original great music - they'd love this.
23 Reviews
Dated rockumentary
JohnSeal23 January 2000
The producers of Let the Good Times Roll tried utilising the multiple split-screen format made famous by Woodstock for this documentary of a rock and roll revival. It was an ill advised decision, playing down the films strengths (it's performers) in favour of some fairly hoary cliches (big cars, Levis, The Wild One, etc.). Nonetheless any rock n roll fan worth their salt needs to see this film for two reasons: to see Bo Diddley strut his stuff and to see Bill Haley and the Comets. Bo ALWAYS earns his paycheque (and in the film's finale he earns some of Chuck Berry's, too) and Haley is simply sublime, appearing perfectly preserved in coat and tie. Everyone else is fine, with the exception of an unneeded Danny and the Juniors and an out of tune Shirelles, but Bo and Bill are the mostest, Daddy-O!
the best of the lot
beauzee7 November 2014
very well produced, edited, documentary of the "Rock and Roll" revival, through the eyes, initially of the great Music/Event Promoter Richard Nader, who ran his first R & R Revival in 1969 at Madison Square Garden, and drew about 25,000 people! he also "drew" dozens of real rocking icons of the '50s! they showed up and yes, they were better than ever. maybe 20 pounds heavier, but exploding with enthusiasm for a medium of which most of them were about to bid adieu.
Chuck, Fats, Richard, Shirelles, Five Satins..they are all here...in clever split screens (i.e. Little Richard singing LUCILLE in the '50s/'70s). Great onstage footage and very groovy backstage footage, capturing the excitement not only of the music but a lot of performers who just a little amazed that perhaps five years before they were que-ing up for the post office test.
my complaint is not in the concept or the execution > just that, in my opinion, by 1972-3 the "oldies" review was getting a mite tired. I was there at the Garden, Octyober, 1970, when Little Richard arrived with a big band 3 drummers as I recall) to tear the roof off the place! he got down on piano on every song in his 38 minutes and his voice was astonishing. by the filming of LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, he has lost a step going down the line (baseball expression). as tight as he was in '70, he seemed to have aged much more than 2, huffing and puffing thru LUCILLE; when he launches into GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY, it is positively mesmerizing but he cuts it off and then proceeds to do a strip tease for the remainder. It looks great...the audience loves it. But..the Music! I think Fats Domino and the Five Satins are the only acts *not* to disappoint.
finally, I want to say, I am also a little disappointed in that the apparent "view" of the filmmakers is that the oldies are more fun, not because the music had a harder backbeat and more relatable lyrics but that more a more "intellectual" sound made them oldies but goodies...not any radio station programming bias towards the "older" recording artist. the final shot is Little Richard - he's not rockin' away, one foot over the keyboard as he flails the high keys - he's sitting atop a high speaker, mugging for the front-row, teasing them: who will get the fragment of his costume?
Chuck, Fats, Richard, Shirelles, Five Satins..they are all here...in clever split screens (i.e. Little Richard singing LUCILLE in the '50s/'70s). Great onstage footage and very groovy backstage footage, capturing the excitement not only of the music but a lot of performers who just a little amazed that perhaps five years before they were que-ing up for the post office test.
my complaint is not in the concept or the execution > just that, in my opinion, by 1972-3 the "oldies" review was getting a mite tired. I was there at the Garden, Octyober, 1970, when Little Richard arrived with a big band 3 drummers as I recall) to tear the roof off the place! he got down on piano on every song in his 38 minutes and his voice was astonishing. by the filming of LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL, he has lost a step going down the line (baseball expression). as tight as he was in '70, he seemed to have aged much more than 2, huffing and puffing thru LUCILLE; when he launches into GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY, it is positively mesmerizing but he cuts it off and then proceeds to do a strip tease for the remainder. It looks great...the audience loves it. But..the Music! I think Fats Domino and the Five Satins are the only acts *not* to disappoint.
finally, I want to say, I am also a little disappointed in that the apparent "view" of the filmmakers is that the oldies are more fun, not because the music had a harder backbeat and more relatable lyrics but that more a more "intellectual" sound made them oldies but goodies...not any radio station programming bias towards the "older" recording artist. the final shot is Little Richard - he's not rockin' away, one foot over the keyboard as he flails the high keys - he's sitting atop a high speaker, mugging for the front-row, teasing them: who will get the fragment of his costume?
Unsung platinum
Vince-513 May 2001
This rockumentary blends concert footage and archival clips into a thoroughly entertaining time capsule. The artists are fantastic, clad in wild costumes and performing against glittery, Vegas-style backdrops. I especially enjoyed the Shirelles (referred to as "the Coppertone Rockettes"), looking and sounding sensational. As they sing "Soldier Boy" on one half of the screen, the other half shows footage from The Day the Earth Stood Still and From Here to Eternity. This photography is sharp (especially the aforementioned split-screen technique), complete with backstage footage and shots of the joyfully stunned audience. Some conservative-themed archive footage (demonstration of a proper dress code, a starched suit smashing a record and declaring that "rock 'n' roll has got to go!") serves as a telling semi-parody of the repression and conformity of the '50s and early '60s and an example of how this jubilant new strain of music helped break it down. The opening title sequence, with Shirley and Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll" playing against flashes of hula hoops and Chevrolet Bel Airs, is worth seeing by itself. VH-1 used to show this movie occasionally.
A great Rock and Roll Revival Film that needs to be revived...
16mmshow31 August 1999
This is a great movie for those who grew up in the 1950's. I didn't. I wasn't born until 1962, but when I was a young tyke, I had to see this movie from the moment I saw the TV spot advertising it on television. Dad and I went out to the newest theater in Austin-- the four-plex was the newest and biggest theater in the Austin area, with an name to mystify those reading the ads ~~~~The Aquarius 4, it was called. The movie was loaded with all kinds of footage from the 1950's, and included in this footage was some ancient looking film clips of the students in High School in Hicksville, NY. These students were demonstrating good and bad dress codes. On the left of the teacher were the ones dressed poorly with t-shirts, 'dungarees', open toed shoes, etc. And on the right, a group of kids that would make today's 90210 crowd look like the Peanut Gallery. In addition to this footage, there was other footage showing the fads of the day, the cars, Chuck Berry's tour bus sitting in a junk yard, and all kinds of things that I had never seen at the age of 11 or so. It was a collage of old films and reminders of an era past that people were trying to remember by the early 1970's. The makers of this film used a technique where they had one inmage on one side of the screen and another image on the other side. So, while the footage would roll on the right, you would see a modern-day Chuck Berry singing in concert. The film was half concert and half archival footage. It was a great film. The Shirelles were in the show live as was Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bill Haley, and Chuck Berry. The 5 Satins did a set too and let us not forget that 'guitar playing fool', Bo Diddley. Bo was there with his rectangular guitar, a pimp's hat with a feather and his uniquie timekeeping abilities. It was a memorable show. For some reason the makers of this film never released this again. It isn't on video, I have never seen it on television that I know of and all attempts at finding it on my favorite film guage (16mm) are futile. The only thing that I have been able to locate is a tv spot from the movie and this is valuable to me for the reasons above. I recommend this movie highly and I will never forget my experience with having seen this movie.
One of the Best Rock and Roll Movies Ever
fd108015 May 2005
This movie begins with the opening lines to Shirley and Lee's "Let the Good Times Roll." I started singing along, and sang along to every single song until the very end. The punchline: I was there with two guys I worked with, who barely knew me, and there were only about fifty people in the theater. What a movie! It rocked from beginning to end... The stars in this movie were the Beatles of their day, the Stones of their day... Many of them have made major comebacks due to Public TV extravaganzas (So, where's the DVD?) The split screen is fun, giving the movie a pretentious look: "This is serious business, younsgters" on one side of the screen, and "We're having a whale of a time" on the other side of the screen. I have begun a campaign to get it re - released -- I kid you not! I want my DVD!
It'll Blow Your Mind
kb6kgx4 July 2004
Will we be talking about a "rockumentary" film twenty or thirty years from now featuring performances by "N'Synch", Britney Spears and Red Hot Chili Peppers? I would think probably not.
BUT... HERE is a film, though made more than thirty years ago, with performances by some of the greatest artists of their time, many of which are STILL performing today! This film was as close to a religious experience as it could be. I, too, would buy this film, should it become available.
And, I, too, ask the question regarding the soundtrack album: WHERE the bloody #$*@&( ~! is CHUCK BERRY?????????
BUT... HERE is a film, though made more than thirty years ago, with performances by some of the greatest artists of their time, many of which are STILL performing today! This film was as close to a religious experience as it could be. I, too, would buy this film, should it become available.
And, I, too, ask the question regarding the soundtrack album: WHERE the bloody #$*@&( ~! is CHUCK BERRY?????????
Free 35mm screening, Saturday, 2:00 pm, Culpeper, VA
sndtrackng18 September 2009
"Let the Good Times Roll" will be screened Saturday, 9/19 in the Packard Theater at the Library of Congress Packard Campus Audiovisual Conservation Center in Culpeper, VA. The screening is free, but reservations are advised. Call (540) 827-1079, x79994, or (202) 707-9994. This is the third film in a Rock and Roll series that also includes "Ferry Cross the Mersey" on Friday, 9/18/09 at 7:30 pm, and "The Big TNT Show" on Saturday, 9/19 at 7:30 pm. Also showing with "Ferry Cross the Mersey" will be "Rhythm 'n' Greens" starring the Shadows. The theater is located at 19053 Mount Pony Road, Culpeper, VA. More details: http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2009/09-161.
Rock and Roll will never die
vadorman31 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
This was my introduction into Rock and Roll. My mother paid for my friends and me to see this movie on my 12th birthday. It was running with the Lords of Flatbush. After the movie I just had to find out who those performers were. I did not understand how the audience knew the words to all those songs I had never heard. This movie was very influential in my life. I had seen Bill Haley and the Comets of course. I knew of Chuck Berry, but it seems he did "My Dingaling" and reelin' and rockin'. These were very controversial lyrics. Also I only knew Robert Riener from "All in the family" I did not know he was a director. I did find this movie for sale here http://shop.vendio.com/supersounds/item/944867200/index.html
Great Rock and Roll Film, bring it back!!!
Rich-944 August 2001
I saw this film as a kid growing up in New Jersey and it really knocked me out. The performances were electrifying and the visuals only amplified that electricity. Little Richard, standing on the piano while the crowd went berserk is a stand-out. I sincerely hope that some saint is toiling away to get this released onto DVD sometime in the near future.
Keeps Up the Energy
recluse25 September 2019
Exciting like a rock n roll film oughta be. Uses split-screen to great effect. Doesn't hit you over the head with too much history/social commentary, but has some old footage in that vein. (not speaking about the b&w clips of the stars in the 50s, but cultural/political stuff). Hot spots: Chubby Checker---has incredible charisma and dancing skills. Bo Diddly's second tune, rocks out w/ the distortion. Little Richard doing some performance art atop a stack of speakers.
Let the Good Times Roll is the fourth film featuring the late Chuck Berry that I'm reviewing in his memory
tavm21 March 2017
Having just reviewed The London Rock and Roll Show-a concert film featuring such great '50s musicians as Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry-here they all are for an American version from about the same period, along with Danny and the Juniors, The Five Satins, Chubby Checker, The Shirelles, The Coasters, and Fats Domino who's from New Orleans in my home state of Louisiana. Little Richard is perhaps the most energetic of the performers. He certainly got a rise out of the crowd, some of whom had to be handled by the police in the audience. Chuck begins and ends the show with his highlight being his jamming duet with Diddley. Lots of split screen angles with photos and movie and TV images of the '50s period being spread throughout along with various adults of the time saying what a danger Rock 'n' Roll was with the only exception being that of Alan Freed at the beginning. So on that note, Let the Good Times Roll is highly recommended.
Great Rock Documentary
dlhdonn5 October 2012
This movie is a must see for anyone who, not only loves the music from the era...but also is curious about the times surrounding the birth of rock & roll. I don't know if other reviewers have found this...but in response to multiple demands for a DVD of this film, I found it available at a site called thevideobeat dot com. The link is good as I write this October, 2012. When I was a kid,I bought the soundtrack album before I was able to go and see the movie. One of the high points for me was the introduction to the Coasters by Murry The "K". It actually helped inspire me to a career in broadcasting. Here on IMDb that person is listed as Rob Reiner. I'm almost positive that it is the actual Murry The "K" in the movie and listed on the soundtrack albums' credits. However, in Rob Reiner's film, "Stand By Me"...that complete introduction dialogue can be heard in two separate segments heard on the radio. It's an excellent example of the rhyming patter top DJ's of the 50's would use. It's so catchy...to this day I can't hear "Poison Ivy" without also thinking of the intro.
Want this movie
pbachran14 December 2014
I admit up front that I have not seen this movie. However, I was at one of the three concerts that were filmed to make this movie. I went to the Nassau Coliseum (1972) for the best concert I've ever seen. I still talk about it. I want very much to see this film. When it was originally released, I wasn't able to get to the theater. The concert is burned into my memory. One night, one stage and a packed Coliseum with: Chuck Berry, The Angels, The Five Satins, Bo Diddly, Jay and the Americans, The Brooklyn Bridge, The Shirelles and others. It was a memorable event that I would love to relive. It would be a great way to teach the grandchildren what music means to me and others of a certain age.
Long Live Rock and Roll
owenhd26 July 2005
I am long in the tooth enough to have seen, Little Richard, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry live and in their prime. I was never the same again. These performers were Giants of entertainment. Supremely aware of their own talent, and full of a life and energy that isn't around in todays music scene. Although it's many years since I saw this film, the memory of it still excites me This film is more than entertainment. It is an historical document, and MUST be released on DVD. We should all be able to experience the lights going down, the silence, then Shirly & Lee with Let The Good Times Roll. Superb film. Now where's that leather jacket?
The greatest concert ever filmed!!!
27-327 January 2001
My wife and I saw Let The Good Times Roll when it first came out in the early 70's. We were dancing in the aisle. I hadn't seen it again for about 25 years. Then it was on American Movie Classics. I have 7 VCR's, and every one of them had a blank tape in, just to be sure I got a good copy. They all came out good. What I don't understand is why it's not available to buy.
Iconic duo makes the movie
paneraifreak25 June 2016
I will keep it simple. Best parts: seeing Little Richard fighting for his piano to be closer to his audience(true showman right there), Chubby's face showing how intensely he was taking his moment of glory in, and the best: historical footage of two Big Icons together on the stage; Chuck and Bo, gives this movie an epic ending. Young people who will view this movie should know that many of these performers are still alive and some have left us (RIP Fred Parris and Bo). This movie shows us the originators in raw form, live, with no lip synch and with the audio equipment of the times and yet it still sounds like rock n roll heaven. I am not surprised that the big studios don't offer DVD's of movies like this: no money in it for them.
I would BUY this movie if it was available!!
eleihy25 January 2001
My wife and I saw this when it was first released (not that I ever recall it being re-released!) at a 1-screen theater in the Philadelphia area. It had been heavily advertised on a local "oldies" radio station, and many of the viewers showed up dressed for the era - saddle shoes, poodle skirts, etc. My wife and I enjoyed the show, both as a historical overview and a concert. I was fortunate enough to come across a SOUNDTRACK ALBUM (LP) which included the 2-track stereo format with narration on one side and music on the the other channel. Interestingly, though the liner notes explicitly referred to this movie as the source for the soundtrack, there is no mention anywhere in print or in song of Chuck Berry. Anyone know why??
Let the good times roll
therock21428910 October 2020
Great Doc
Michael_Elliott13 May 2009
Let the Good Times Roll (1973)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Concert/documentary covering a Rock 'n Roll Revival, which toured the country and featured legendary acts like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chubby Checker, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, The Five Satins and many other bands who probably hadn't been seen since the 1950's.
I'm not sure if this tour or the film was done due to the success of American GRAFFITI but they could have called this film a live version of the soundtrack to that film. The movie will certainly have your foot a shaking' throughout the running time as we get one classic song after another. If it was a hit in the 1950's then more than likely its being played here.
There's just so much wonderful energy in each and every performance that you can't help but love this thing. The film was shot 2.20:1 so there's a lot of wide shots to perfectly capture all the performances. Much like WOODSTOCK, this film uses split screens to capture a lot of the action and this works out nicely. We also get some archival clips from the 1950's with various people preaching about how rock music is evil.
It's always fun seeing these clips just to see how foolish those people still look. Also thrown in are clips from various films from that era including THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE WILD ONE and I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF. Fans of the classic rock 'n roll will certainly be doing themselves a favor by watching this great gem.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Concert/documentary covering a Rock 'n Roll Revival, which toured the country and featured legendary acts like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, Chubby Checker, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, The Five Satins and many other bands who probably hadn't been seen since the 1950's.
I'm not sure if this tour or the film was done due to the success of American GRAFFITI but they could have called this film a live version of the soundtrack to that film. The movie will certainly have your foot a shaking' throughout the running time as we get one classic song after another. If it was a hit in the 1950's then more than likely its being played here.
There's just so much wonderful energy in each and every performance that you can't help but love this thing. The film was shot 2.20:1 so there's a lot of wide shots to perfectly capture all the performances. Much like WOODSTOCK, this film uses split screens to capture a lot of the action and this works out nicely. We also get some archival clips from the 1950's with various people preaching about how rock music is evil.
It's always fun seeing these clips just to see how foolish those people still look. Also thrown in are clips from various films from that era including THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE WILD ONE and I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF. Fans of the classic rock 'n roll will certainly be doing themselves a favor by watching this great gem.
Needs to be on video
Gnossos24 September 1999
The commercial for this movie (which I saw in a shopping mall in, yes, Hicksville, N.Y.) was a kid magnet. We made someone's mom take us in a station wagon. It was double-featured with an older film that had some of the same players.
Little Richard and Chuck Berry's performances were UNREAL. This movie came out at a time when such music seemed completely irrelevant, yet it changed the way I looked at music forever.
cf. American Hot Wax (1978), which has been playing on cable lately.
Little Richard and Chuck Berry's performances were UNREAL. This movie came out at a time when such music seemed completely irrelevant, yet it changed the way I looked at music forever.
cf. American Hot Wax (1978), which has been playing on cable lately.
Where to purchase the below mentioned DVD
georgeerotokritou2 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this great film back in the early 70s and loved it, can't believe that a great film like that even if it was a documentary, believe it or not i was only a teenager then for film to have had such an impact on a teenager that is a great job done. Have not seen or heard of this in some thirty six years, the way it was put really showed up all the artists, a big thank you to all involved in making this film so memorable that i can still remember some scenes of the film as if it was yesterday that i watched it. Loved Chuck Berry's Guitar playing, the song Great Balls of Fire and Fats Domino. Now i am trying to purchase this on DVD so i can add to the rest of my collection. Please can someone let me know.....
Really fun 50s rock nostalgia
gortx8 September 2020
Really fun package of 50s rock and pop acts brought back together by promoter Richard Nader for a series of concerts in the early 70s. It's an interesting time capsule as enough time had passed for these shows to be nostalgic, but the artists themselves were mainly only in their 40s, so it wasn't entirely a last-gasp oldies program either (especially when you look at today with McCartney and Jagger headlining stadiums in their 70s). And, the evidence is on film - most of these artists still had the chops.
Bookened by headliner Chuck Berry (who had a #1 song in '72) the concert footage is quite good with supporting acts like Bill Haley and the Comets, Fats Domino, the Coasters (introduced by Rob Reiner!) and The Shirelles all turning lively short sets backed by Bobby Comstock's band. But, it's when Bo Diddley hits the stage that the show really ratchets it up. Electrifying. And, then enters the self proclaimed "King of Rock & Roll" Little Richard -- and he manages to live up to his diva preening. When sings 'Rip It Up' he isn't kidding as he mounts a stack of speakers and...well...you'll just have to see it yourselves!
Directors Robert Abel and Sidney Levin frame the film with lots of footage and photos from the 50s, including bits of the artists in the film from their heydays. Taking a page from Michael Wadleigh's WOODSTOCK, they also use split screens to capture the action (and to show the vintage material side by side). Both techniques are a bit over-used here. You have Chuck Berry wielding his ax in his late prime - why cut away to footage of politicians, malts shops and TV episodes?
That minor critique aside, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL is a terrific time capsule - even if folks didn't quite appreciate it at as such at the time. It's an integral contribution to the 50s retro boom of the early 70s (Grease, Happy Days, AMERICAN GRAFFITI). A darn shame that, apparently, song and film clip rights have kept it off of DVD. A Soundtrack album exists (sans Berry, unfortunately) and it can be found sometimes on the internet. Find it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
