The first bona-fide rock and roll movie undoubtedly has the look of quick cash-in about it with its formulaic plot, stock characterisations and predictable pauses for musical numbers but it has an identifiable charm about it and at a mere 77 minutes long, certainly doesn't overstay its welcome.Sure, rock and roll really hit its stride a little later with its more direct progenitors like Elvis, Jerry Lee and Little Richard, all of whom make the line-up here of the Comets, Platters and The Bell-Hops seem somewhat tame by comparison, but there's no denying the vigour and freshness of the music itself, even if portly, kiss-curled Bill looks old enough to be the youngsters' pet uncle.The Comets' popularity, like their name suggests, came crashing back to earth soon enough with the rise of the Tupelo Mississippi Flash, but their brand of enthusiastic swinging beat music can still set toes tapping and the band members could certainly put on a show. Just a shame that the title song, an epochal record for sure, doesn't even get played in its entirety at the end. The Platters deliver their two lovely hit songs with aplomb and the Bell Hops ably fill the gaps left for teenage energy and enthusiasm. Interesting too, to see celebrated DJ Alan Freed in his element, before the Payola scandal engulfed him.The background story of competing managers pushing and pulling over the fates of their rock and rolling protégés just about holds together with Jonny Johnson performing well as the Comets' new manager. Maybe if the likes of him had managed Presley things might have turned out differently for the movement's biggest star.An interesting and enjoyable document of the changing times, especially for the musical numbers with great accompanying dance routines.

In this movie, a lifeless and somewhat ridiculous plot acts as a frame story to showcase some rock-and-roll bands when that kind of music was becoming popular in the 1950s. Young people in their rebellious stage like to shock their elders, so naturally we have a scene in which Bill Haley and the Comets perform at a prestigious and very proper girls' school, which scandalizes the matronly chaperones. The Comets wear suits and are clean-cut, singing songs without suggestive lyrics, but no matter, because the beat alone is indecent. So the movie has it both ways, allowing teenagers to enjoy the fantasy of shocking their elders, while the real elders watching the movie in the theaters would be reassured that rock and roll was quite harmless.Part of the plot of this movie is that dancing is on its way out, by which is meant ballroom dancing. But the dancing done by teenagers to rock and roll is alive and well. It is basically jitterbug (also known as swing, boogie-woogie, and the bop). In a sense, however, this died too. Once the twist became popular in the early 1960s, partner dancing, in which couples make contact with each other, pretty much came to an end, to be replaced by various forms of free style, in which couples never touch each other. To see partner dancing any more, you either have to go to a country-western nightclub or to a dance studio where ballroom still lingers on.Partner dancing in the movies is one of two kinds: either the dancers are professionals, or they are just barely able to shuffle around the dance floor. The reality would be somewhere in between, with amateurs doing a fairly decent job of cutting a rug. In this movie, the brother and sister who dance together are obviously professionals. They become part of the act with the Comets, the idea being that they will show teenagers at the performances how to dance to rock and roll, to break the ice and get others on the dance floor. Of course, all those supposedly novice teenagers who venture onto the dance floor are professional dancers themselves. In fact, having that brother-and-sister team dance like that in real life would intimidate ordinary would-be dancers, making it less likely for them to get out on the floor.Unfortunately, most of the songs performed in this movie are not that good, and in several cases, no one dances at all, usually because the beat is too fast, even for professionals. There are a couple of good numbers from the Comets and a couple from the Platters. The rest are mediocre, which when combined with the boring plot make the movie a disappointment.

this movie is really just an excuse for playing some music. The plot is thin bordering on non existent. A music promotor falls in love with one of Haleys dancers, and tries to win her by promoting Rock'n roll. We get Bill Haley, The Bellboys and The Platters to fill in while the plot unfolds. Ahh yes, there's also another promotor (female) who tries to prevent it all from happening. You really have to be a big fan of early Rock to sit through this rubbish. My 2 stars goes to the platters. These folks could really sing!!! But what were they doing in a rock'n roll movie ??? Those 2 songs seem completely out of place. Oh well, I guess something had to be done to save this piece of nonsense !

...and it was not intellectual at the time;people did not listen to the words to the songs,all they wanted to do was dancing.The plot is very thin and almost devoid of interest .A fight between two managers :One of them is in love with Bill Haley and the Comets' dancer .Billy Haley -perhaps because he plays himself,has no love affair like Presley would do.He 's sure a good singer but he is not particularly good-looking.The other manager (a woman) puts a wrench in her colleague's works.Musically,for me ,the two magic moments are the two Platters songs "only you" and "the great pretender".What singers!