American Hot Wax
American Hot Wax | |
---|---|
Directed by | Floyd Mutrux |
Screenplay by | John Kaye |
Story by | John Kaye Art Linson |
Produced by | Art Linson |
Starring | Tim McIntire Fran Drescher Jay Leno Laraine Newman Moosie Drier Jeff Altman John Lehne Richard Perry Chuck Berry Jerry Lee Lewis Screamin' Jay Hawkins Frankie Ford Charles Greene |
Cinematography | William A. Fraker |
Edited by | Ronald J. Fagan Melvin Shapiro Danford B. Greene (sup) |
Music by | Kenny Vance |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $11,000,000[1] |
American Hot Wax is a 1978 biographical film directed by Floyd Mutrux with a screenplay by John Kaye from a story by John Kaye and Art Linson. The film tells the story of pioneering disc jockey Alan Freed, who in the 1950s helped introduce and popularize rock and roll, and is often credited with coining the term "rock 'n' roll". The film starred Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Jay Leno, Laraine Newman, Jeff Altman, and Moosie Drier. It also featured musical performances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Ford, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Brooklyn Dreams as "Professor La Plano and The Planotones". The film was not a box-office success.
Producer Art Linson discusses the movie's production and failure at the box office in his book What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line.
Plot
In late-1950s New York City, WROL disc jockey Alan Freed (Tim McIntire) promotes his upcoming rock n' roll show at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater, headlined by Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. Freed's radio program is hugely popular with teenagers, and the Paramount show is expected to sell out, despite concern that the police will shut it down as they did with Freed's previous show in Boston. Local law enforcement, led by D.A. Coleman (John Lehne), targets Freed for allegedly inciting teenagers to wild and immoral behavior by broadcasting raucous and sexually suggestive rock n' roll songs, many of them by black musicians. WROL station management also dislike Freed's unconventional programming habits, including playing songs that the station has banned such as "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard. Freed nevertheless rejects all suggestions that he change his programming style and feature more socially acceptable musical acts, such as Pat Boone. He also refuses to sign a statement declaring that he never accepted anything in return for playing a record, on the grounds that signing it would be a lie and that all disc jockeys, including those who have signed the statement, take such bribes.
Because Freed has the power to make a record a hit by playing it on his show, he is constantly besieged by record promoters and artist managers. He avoids most of these people, but takes an interest in those who share his love for rock n' roll. He repeatedly rebuffs the aggressive record promoter Lennie Richfield (Jeff Altman), but is kind to Artie Moress (Moosie Drier), a young boy who is the president of a Buddy Holly fan club, and even puts Artie on the air to talk about his idol Holly. Freed also encourages Louise (Laraine Newman), a white teenage songwriter whose parents ignore her talent and disapprove of her associating with the Chesterfields, a black doo-wop group who perform her songs. Freed himself suffers discrimination when he takes a racially mixed group of teenagers with him to look at a luxury home he wants to buy; the owner refuses to sell to him at any price. Freed's own father back in Akron, Ohio also rejects him, returning a check Freed sent him and refusing to talk on the telephone with his son.
The Paramount show goes on despite Coleman's attempts to stop it, including a failed attempt at a drug bust. Louise is moved to tears after the Chesterfields, a late addition to the show, perform her songs to thunderous applause from the capacity crowd. Freed's feisty young secretary Sheryl (Fran Drescher) and his chauffeur Mookie (Jay Leno), who have constantly bickered on the job, finally bond over their shared love of Freed and rock n' roll, and begin a romance. Mid-show,
Cast
- Tim McIntire—Alan Freed
- Fran Drescher—Sheryl
- Jay Leno—Mookie (Michael)
- Laraine Newman—Teenaged Louise
- Moosie Drier—Artie Moress
- Jeff Altman—Lennie Richfield
- John Lehne—D.A. Coleman
- Richard Perry—Record producer
Performers
- Chuck Berry—Himself
- Jerry Lee Lewis—Himself
- Screamin' Jay Hawkins—Himself
- Frankie Ford—Himself
- Charles Greene—Chuck Otis
The Chesterfields
- Carl Earl Weaver
- Al Chalk
- Sam Harkness
- Arnold McCuller
The Delights
- Stephanie Spruill
- Joyce King
- Yolanda Howard
- Brenda Russell
Timmy and The Tulips (erroneously shown as "Timmy and The Tangerines" in the end credits)
- Charles Irwin—Timmy
- Jeanne Sheffield
- Jo Ann Harris
The Planotones
- Kenny Vance—Professor La Plano
- Joe Esposito
- Bruce Sudano
- Ed Hokenson
Reception
The film was a
Charts
Chart (1978) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 68 |
References
- ^ Box Office Information for American Hot Wax. The Numbers. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
- ^ Champlin, Charles (July 7, 1978). "What to Do for an Encore: CRITIC AT LARGE". Los Angeles Times. p. h1.
- ISBN 978-1-250-03357-4.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (March 17, 1978). "Screen: 'American Hot Wax'". The New York Times. C13.
- ^ Murphy, Arthur D. (March 15, 1978). "Film Reviews: American Hot Wax". Variety. 21.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (March 21, 1978). "Phonographic memory blurs the 'Hot Wax' facts". Chicago Tribune. Section 4, p. 5.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (March 17, 1978). "Freed as a Hero in 'Hot Wax'". Los Angeles Times. Part IV, p. 30.
- ^ Arnold, Gary (March 18, 1978). "'Hot Wax' Waxes Nostalgic". The Washington Post. C7.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.