I saw this in the theaters when it came out, and had high hopes for a factual telling of the story of Alan Freed. Since my husband and I own an oldies record store, we have a good knowledge of the groups and the history. We were sorely disappointed. The problem is that the movie mixed fact and fiction. If it was a generic story about an "Alan Freed-like" disc jockey, and they gave all of the singers and actors phony names, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, by calling the disc jockey Alan Freed, they had an obligation to be somewhat truthful about the events in his life. I realize poetic license is to be expected in most movies about real life figures, but this was so fictional it was embarrassing.Here are some of the major goofs. Alan Freed never had a secretary or chauffeur like those played by Fran Drescher and Jay Leno. When the young boy was waiting in line, Alan asked him what he was going to do for summer vacation. Later on, he wanted to make a dedication to Buddy Holly on his birthday, but Buddy's birthday was Sept. 7, not in June. All of the groups were fictitious and based on real life groups which was not bad, but having them audition was crazy. The singer who was supposed to represent Lavern Baker would have already been an established singer. Same for the young girls, who represented Patience & Prudence. They were popular in 1956. Which brings me to the date they set the movie in. In 1959 Alan Freed was no longer producing oldies shows. The show that had the riot was in 1956. Teenager Louise was not a real life character, she was based on Carole King. However,Carole King didn't discover the Chesterfields(Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers), and she never wrote Since I Don't Have You. In 1959 Jerry Lee Lewis was blackballed because he married his cousin in 1958. He didn't have his comeback until years later. So he never would have appeared in an oldie show in that year.I know the producer of the film, and he has been in the music business for years, and still performs.I like him very much. He is a talented and accomplished singer and musician, but he missed the boat on this movie. That is another reason for my disappointment. I expected a lot more from him.For those who don't know the history of early Rock & Roll and Alan Freed, enjoy the movie. Those who do know the history, prepare to be disappointed.

From about the same time as The Buddy Holly Story, American Hot Wax is another story of the renegade nature of rock and roll. It features an impassioned performance by the late Tim McIntyre (who was the saving grace in Robert Aldrich's imperfectly awful The Choirboys), a slew of solid rock hits, and a general feel for the greatness of the breakthrough musical genre of the late 1950's.I haven't seen AHW since USA showed it on their old "Night Flight" movies in the '80's--remember the state-of-the-art computer animation of flying over a dazzlingly lighted city? I saw the movie and loved it when HBO showed it ten years earlier and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. If you can find a copy, watch it for the nostalgia, regardless of historical accuracy.Back to McIntyre. He was a wonderfully menacing chameleon who could play bad guys on TV, then turn around and nail a renegade disk spinner like Alan Freed. McIntyre holds the movie together and you would be wise in finding a copy of American Hot Wax to add to your video--and music--collections.

This is one of the few films about Rock & Roll that gets it. The film has great music much of it from some of the original musicians. It has one of the most interesting performances in film history from Tim McIntire. He makes you feel both Freed's love of the music and the complexity of an individual who had great impact on our society. But most of all the film communicates how Rock & Roll can bring people together. If you can get beyond the film's lack of a plot you can pick up on the "feeling" the film has. There are scenes, such as the one in the recording studio, that are great examples of Marshall McLuhan's concept of "all-at- onceness" that is essential to the power of Rock & Roll.

Amusing look at Hollywood's version of the birth of rock n' roll. Some good old tunes were played throughout, the acting was good, the radio station looked like the real thing, but some of the picture didn't ring true [and I don't mean Chuck Berry's lousy acting]. Those rabid anti-rockers were so far out with their "rock music will end civilization" rant as to be totally hilarious; although there were some back then that held that opinion. I liked the film, the doo-wop harmony singers were great, McIntyre played his character to the hilt, and it just felt like going back in time to re-live the events all over. The old timer rockers should go for this one.