Beginning in the mid-1950s rock and roll was
beginning to hit the public consciousness with a wake-up slap to the face
and there was a flurry of low-budget films that were basically showcases
for certain acts with a plot as thin as a vermicelli noodle tying them together.
I enjoy them all - souvenirs of our past musical history before MTV and social
media. But the best of them all was this classic film. It had been years
since I last saw this and I had forgotten just how many great acts there
were. I only remembered Little Richard who takes the screen by storm. At
the time these were extremely influential performers - Little Richard in
rock and roll, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran in Rockabilly, Fats Domino
in the rock and blues, The Platters in Doo-wop - and then there was the world
of jazz with the stunning Abbey Lincoln and Julie London. It is said that
Cochran's Twenty Flight Rock that he sings here changed musical history.
Why? Because when John Lennon met Paul McCartney that was the song that McCartney
sang to get into the band. Lennon was so impressed that he could remember
all the lyrics. London with her Cry Like a River sends chills up my leg.
One can't help but note that it is a very integrated mix of acts - which
back in 1956 was a big deal. I wonder if they had to edit the black acts
out when the film played below the Mason-Dixon Line - a common occurrence
back then.
The plot almost gets in the way. I would
have been happy if the entire film was Ewell's character taking Jane Mansfield's
character all around town to hear these acts and having her get up to go
to the powder room in that sleek red heart-attack dress that sculpts every
ounce in her body. After a few smaller roles in films, this was Mansfield's
first starring role and though she often feels like an imitation of Marilyn
Monroe that is exactly what Fox was looking for. Fox had partly signed Mansfield
as an insurance policy for the increasingly erratic behavior of Monroe. Mansfield
never became the icon that Monroe did, but she radiates here. Probably not
a coincidence, but the year before Ewell had starred with Monroe in The Seven
Year Itch. It was a big hit and he must have become the go to guy to pair
off with blonde bombshells. In The Seven Year Itch morality and the code
stopped him from getting the girl, but this time it is different. Though
in truth Ewell hooking up with Mansfield feels like a field mouse getting
lucky with Minnie Mouse.
He plays Tom Miller, an agent who has hit
the skids with drink and remorse. He had been the agent for Julie London
and she broke his heart. Now deeply in debt he takes the offer when an ex-gangster
Fats (Edmond O'Brien) hires him to make Jerri (Mansfield) a singing star.
He initially says no but then gets an eyeful of her in a shimming dress.
Fats hired him because he has a reputation of not going after his female
clients. Miller's strategy is just to take her around to all the hot nightspots
and let men gaze upon her. For her part, Jerri has no desire to be a singer
- she just wants to take care of her man, cook for him and have lots of babies.
It goes kind of as expected but all that great music is a blessing.
