Rock Baby Rock It! (1957)

The third of this channel's full movie uploads.

This 1957 rock n' roll quickie is famous (or infamous) in cult movie circles for it's low budget charm, combined with a rare authentic look at then contemporary youth culture.

Unlike it's more slightly higher budgeted Hollywood contemporaries from Columbia Pictures ("Don't Knock The Rock"), or Warner Brothers ("Untamed Youth"), or even American International ("Shake, Rattle, And Rock"), "Rock Baby Rock It!" was independently produced in Dallas, Texas.

Instead of big names such as Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran, or Little Richard, this gem featured local Texas talent in the way of blues singer Roscoe Gordon, vocal group the Five Stars, Everly Brothers sound-alikes The Belew Twins, Bill Haley-type combo The Cell Block Seven, and local Texas rockabilly legend, Johnny Carroll.

What makes these fine performers all the more exciting to watch here is the fact that, for the most part, they're performing their numbers live for the camera, and not lip synced.

Also of interest for retro fans is seeing real teenagers doing real teen dance styles on film, rather than the usual 30-something professionals doing Big Band-era lindy hop in most other (Hollywood) rock n' roll exploitation quickies.

Look for Kay Wheeler, president of the largest Elvis Presley fan club at the time, doing her rock n' bop routine. According to Alanna Nash's book "Baby Let's Play House", Ms. Wheeler's dancing actually influenced Elvis' hip shaking on stage. Whether true or not, you can definitely see the Elvis style in her dance routine to Johnny Carroll's "Sugar Baby."

A true time-capsule of a particular place in a particular moment in time, "Rock, Baby Rock It!" is a must-see for any fan of rockabilly or retro youth culture.

Enjoy it while you can, since this upload will be yanked in a few weeks to be replaced with a more "enhanced" version.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• rockabilly
• rock n' roll
• do wop
• rhythm and blues
• johnny carroll
• kay star
• the belew twins
• don coats
• roscoe gordon
• the five stars
• 1950's
• b-movies

[TheDJGrandPa]

That girl who's searching for rock star is the worst actor, but damn dem boobies look wonderful!

Well, I guess a movie with such great musical talent needs no acting talent :D

[sabinoson]

@TheDJGrandPa Well...that's the '50's! :-)

[guitaaress]

Strangely, I like this movie! But I really not sure where that trad Jazz version of Saints fits in!

[sabinoson]

@guitaaress Well, in it's defense, at least they don't have crooners like Alan Dale or Julius La Rosa pretending to be "rockers>" LOL!  (I like this movie too...because it's strange.)

[luckylojsan]

I´d like to see the girl in the end that shakes it, now. Coolest grandma or what?

[sabinoson]

@luckylojsan I think you're talking about "president of the Elvis fan clubs" Kay Wheeler. She's mentioned in one of the more recent books about Elvis, Alanna Nash's "Baby Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and The Women Who Loved Him." In that book, Ms. Nash states that Elvis took his shaking act from Kay Wheeler.

I'll take it as a grain of salt, but I am skeptical...

[JuckeboxMusic]

Rock baby Rock it .Let's go film Rosco.J Carrol, B.Twins :)

[wns67]

"I love my records, and I love my stuff...I don't see why you should call my bluff."

pure poetry!