Jamboree!
Jamboree!
| 07 December 1957 (USA)
Jamboree! Trailers

Jamboree adheres to the usual formula of late-1950s rock&roll films: A plethora of musical numbers linked together by the wispiest of plotlines. Kay Medford heads the cast as manipulative showbiz agent Grace Shaw. Hoping to land pop singer Pete Porter (Paul Carr), Grace connives to break up Pete's romance with female vocalist Honey Wynn (Freda Holloway). But who cares? The audience came to see such musical faves as Fats Domino, Count Basie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jodie Sands, Ron Coby, Slim Whitman, Carl Perkins, Frankie Avalon, Charlie Gracie and the Four Coins. As a promotional tie-in, Jamboree also features appearances by 21 of North America's top rock-and-roll deejays.

Reviews
jmillerdp

Hilariously, howlingly bad movie! Supposedly intended for rock 'n' roll audiences, this amazingly wrongheaded movie instead puts bland-beyond-bland crooning couple at its center.They are managed by two agents, played by actors who are bad beyond belief! Wow. I know this was on late at night on TCM, but I wasn't that drowsy! You think you're hallucinating watching the scenery chewing by the two agent characters and the sleep inducing "performances" by the two young singers.The "plot" has the two agents breaking up the singing duo, for no reason whatsoever, just to get them back together at the end. Inexplicably, there are actual! musicians involved here, like Jerry Lee Lewis, who just pop in for no discernible reason. Even Dick Clark shows up, hosting a telethon half way through.This just demonstrates a major studio like Warner Bros. trying desperately to crank out a quicky "rock 'n' roll movie" and not having any idea whatsoever how to do it!Y-I-K-E-S!** (2 Out of 10 Stars) = Cinematic Calamity!

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LeonLouisRicci

Here we go again with a virtually Unwatchable, Wretched Hollywood attempt to bring the success of early Rock n Roll to the Screen.Trouble is they never did get it. They saw this Music as a Threat or at the very Least a Fad and they didn't expect it to get any Respect or Consideration, nothing more than a Novelty or believe it or not, a Communist Plot.The few good Acts are slipped in and out of other "Respectable" Pre-Packaged Pap and Cornball Crooners. The lead "Actor" Kids Sing more than anybody and they are Presented to Epitomize what was deemed Desirable to all except Juvenile Delinquents and God-Forbid, "Race Record" Fans.If You can avoid turning it off there will be some Rewards if very Brief. The always Rockin', Jerry Lee Lewis...the Fun Rockabilly Sound of Carl Perkins...Frankie Lymon for some Doo Wop...and the Velvet Voice and R&B Rhythms of Fats Domino.All of these Greats do only One Song but it is Really-Cool that it was captured on Film. Get out the Cut and Paste Program.

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lorenellroy

Movies like Jamboree are not really about plot or acting which is just as well since both are pretty feeble.The story is simple to the point of idiocy-two agents played by Kay Medford and Bob Pastine are trying without success to pitch their clients ,a young male and young female singer ,to record companies.They opt to pair them as a duo and success follows but the machinations of Medford drive them apart ,professionally and personally.Will they get back together and find happiness along with fame and fortune? Stick around and you will find out but the only real reason most people will stick with this picture are the scenes depicting pop stars of the day each doing a single number. The footage of the acts is unimaginatively shot but some of the performers make up for this .Jerry Lee Lewis is edgy and manic,while luminaries like Basie ,Domino and Perkins are always worth watching.I was more into the relatively lesser known names like the wonderful Charlie Gracie and Buddy Knox . Watch it for its pot pourri of period acts and ignore the woeful acting of the young leads and its bearable.

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Michael O'Keefe

Pitiful plot and sorry as a movie. But the real stars performing makes for good viewing. A young couple played by Freda Holloway and Paul Carr want to be famous singers. Kay Medford plays the agitating manager that manipulates the two songbirds,that don't even come near professionalism; let alone sing good rock 'n' roll. Although the singing voice of Holloway is that of singer Connie Francis.Also in the cast are disc jockey Dick Clark and songwriter Aaron Schroder. Schroder in the real world wrote many hit songs; the best were for Elvis Presley and Gene Pitney.Some of the real stars of this film, doing their thing for the camera are: Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Avalon, Fats Domino, Charlie Gracie, Buddy Knox, Count Basie, Slim Whitman and Carl Perkins. The plot is a flop and the music is hip. Turn the lights on low and GO! Daddyo! GO!

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