Viewers of this film should know that this is a piece of historical fiction centering around the 1950's disc jockey Alan Freed, who is credited, erroneously, as the person who first coined the phrase "rock and roll"(the phrase was a sexual euphemism and was used in the lyrics of many blues songs prior to becoming a term to describe a specific musical genre). Viewers of the film may be a bit confused about the actuality of the characters and events depicted. Actor Tim MacIntyre plays Alan Freed. Musicians Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins play themselves. And then there are characters in the movie who never existed in real life, but are meant to represent certain actual persons. For instance, Larraine Newman plays character "Teenage Louise," an aspiring songwriter, obviously based on real-life musician Carol King. The vocal group The Chesterfields are a composite of Frankie Lyman and The Teenagers and The Coasters. Compounding the confusion is the fact that these characters sing actual songs from the fifties that were hits for artists who aren't acknowledged in the movie at all. The end result is a convoluted hodgepodge of actual and fictional characters and events. The real pleasure of watching this film lies in the performances of the actors and musicians. MacIntyre gives a great interpretation of renegade DJ Freed. Ms. Newman, although too old to play a character with the word "teenage" in her name, is touching as a girl pursuing, and realizing, her dream of being a professional songwriter. Jay Leno, then virtually unknown as a stand-up comic, is hilarious as Alan Freed's driver Mike, and the interplay between Leno and Fran Drescher, who plays Freed's secretary Cheryl is wonderful. Comedian Jeff Altman has short scenes as an obnoxious agent trying, literally, to get his foot in Freed's door, and he shines. The highlight of the film, however, is Alan Freed's live Rock 'n Roll show at Brooklyn's Paramount Theatre. The musicianship is top-rate. Pay particular attention to the lead singer of the fictional girl group The Delites, whose vocal on the song "Maybe" is breathtaking. Rock 'n Roll legends Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry perform as well. Lewis is red-hot; Chuck, true to his reputation at the time, gives a perfunctory and uninspired performance with his medley of "Reelin' and Rockin'/Roll Over Beethoven." Lost in the editing of the film is Screaming Jay Hawkins's performance of his R&B hit "I Put A Spell On You." The film devotes only a few seconds to his wonderfully original and oddball stage show. I have the soundtrack album in my collection, which includes Hawkins' song in its entirety, along with other performances that are either not included, or abbreviated in the editing of the film. The soundtrack also includes the original hit recordings of songs performed by Jackie Wilson, Bobby Darin, Buddy Holly, and others, and the soundtrack stands on its own apart from the film. I think I saw a VHS version of the film at a video store, so it may be available. Otherwise, good luck trying to see it. Copies of the soundtrack may be floating around second-hand record shops. If you can't find it, c'mon over to my place and we'll all listen together.
Review of American Hot Wax
