''Rock, Pretty Baby'' is a 1956 American
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
directed by
Richard Bartlett
Richard H. Bartlett (8 November 1922 – 11 June 1994), also known as Dick Bartlett, was an American film director, director and film producer, producer in film and TV. He also acted and wrote. He is best known for his low budget features in th ...
and starring
Sal Mineo
Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination f ...
,
John Saxon
John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...
and
Luana Patten
Luana Patten (July 6, 1938 – May 1, 1996) was an American actress who appeared in films produced by Walt Disney Pictures, such as '' Song of the South'' (1946), ''Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947), and ''Melody Time'' (1948). Later in life, she pl ...
.
Plot
Young musician Jimmy Daley (Saxon) needs to come up with $300 to purchase the electric guitar he wants. He pawns his law books, to the disappointment of his father (Platt), a doctor whose goal is for Jimmy to become a lawyer.
Jimmy's jealous nature results in a ruckus at a party and $150 in damage to a neighbor, which Dr. Daley insists his son pay. His girlfriend Joan Wright (Patten) learns that a battle of the bands has a cash prize. Jimmy and his group end up losing the contest, but he earns the respect of his dad.
Cast
*
Sal Mineo
Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination f ...
as Angelo Barrato
*
John Saxon
John Saxon (born Carmine Orrico; August 5, 1936 – July 25, 2020) was an American actor who worked on more than 200 film and television projects during a span of 60 years. He was known for his work in Western (genre), Westerns and horror film ...
as Jimmy Daley
*
Luana Patten
Luana Patten (July 6, 1938 – May 1, 1996) was an American actress who appeared in films produced by Walt Disney Pictures, such as '' Song of the South'' (1946), ''Fun and Fancy Free'' (1947), and ''Melody Time'' (1948). Later in life, she pl ...
as Joan Wright
*
Edward C. Platt as Thomas Daley Sr. M.D.
*
Fay Wray
Vina Fay Wray (September 15, 1907 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian/American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film ''King Kong (1933 film), King Kong''. Through an acting career that spanned nearly six decades, Wray a ...
as Beth Daley
*
Rod McKuen
Rodney Marvin McKuen (; April 29, 1933 – January 29, 2015) was an American poet, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range ...
as 'Ox' Bentley
* John Wilder as 'Fingers' Porter
* Alan Reed Jr. as 'Sax' Lewis
*
Douglas Fowley
Douglas Fowley (born Daniel Vincent Fowley, May 30, 1911 – May 21, 1998) was an American movie and television actor in more than 240 films and dozens of television programs, He is probably best remembered for his role as the frustrated m ...
as 'Pop' Wright
*
Bob Courtney
Bob Courtney (31 October 1922 – 24 October 2010) was a British-born South African actor and broadcaster. He appeared in more than twenty film roles and worked as an on-air presenter and broadcaster on Springbok Radio. Additionally, Courtney co- ...
as 'Half-Note' Harris
*
Shelley Fabares
Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom ...
as Twinky Daley
* Susan Volkmann as Carol Saunders
* Caryl Volkmann as Claire Saunders
* April Kent as Kay Norton
* Sue George as Lori Parker
*
Walter Reed
Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 22, 1902) was a U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito species rather than b ...
as Mr. Reid
* Glen Kramer as Bruce Carter
* Johnny Grant as Johnny Grant
*
George Winslow
George Karl Wentzlaff, whose stage name was George "Foghorn" Winslow (May 3, 1946 June 13, 2015), was an American child actor of the 1950s known for his stentorian voice and deadpan demeanor. He appeared in several films, opposite such stars as ...
as Thomas Daley, III
Production
The film was announced in June 1956, under the title ''Crazy Love''.
Luana Patten had been a child actor then stopped working at age 14 to concentrate on school. After several years she told her agent she wanted to act again and she was cast in ''Rock Pretty Baby''. She signed at $650 a week. The contract had options for another seven years. Universal tried to exercise it and Patten sued to get out of it.
Filming started July 1956. It was also known as ''The Living End'' before being titled ''Rock Pretty Baby''.
Before the film came out,
Al Daff
Alfred Edward Daff (18 August 1902 – 1991) was an Australian born executive who became head of Universal Pictures.
Biography
Daff was born in Melbourne. He joined the Melbourne office of Universal Pictures at 18 years of age. In 1922 he took ear ...
of Universal said the movie "is not an important picture but it will gross more than many multi million dollar pictures."
Release
Sal Mineo
Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination f ...
and John Saxon were sent out on a promotional tour on the launch of the film.
Universal signed George Winslow to a two picture a year deal over five years on the basis of his performance in the movie.
''Variety'' said it "should emerge a box office winner."
''Filmink'' called it "a jaunty, energetic teen film, with a surprisingly hot late-night beach kissing scene between Saxon and co-star Luana Patten. It became a sleeper hit for Universal."
Sequel
In May 1957 Universal announced they would make a sequel ''
Summer Love
Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, with ...
''.
[Saxon Starred in New Teen-age Salute; Jan Harrison Term-Pacted
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 1 May 1957: B11]
See also
*
List of American films of 1956
A list of American films released in 1956
''Around the World in 80 Days'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
A-B
C-D
E-I
J-M
N-R
S-Z
See also
* 1956 in the United States
Sources Footnotes
References
*
*
External links
19 ...
References
External links
*{{IMDb title, 0049683
''Rock, Pretty Baby''at
TCMDB
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of Atl ...
1956 films
1956 musical comedy films
American musical comedy films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Richard Bartlett
Films scored by Henry Mancini
Universal Pictures films
1950s English-language films
1950s American films