There are no beatniks in this film. There are no goatees, no bongos, no poetry readings, and no intellectuals; however, there are plenty of stupid people.
Tony Travis plays Eddy Crane, the leader of a bunch of morons. In the film's opening scene, they don masks and knock over a liquor store, then head to a greasy spoon. Eddy's babe Iris, played by Karen Kadler (a dead-ringer for Mara Corday) convinces him to sing a song while the jukebox is on. So we get treated to lyrics like this:
"Leather coat, duckbill hair, call me wild, I don't care.
Sideburns don't need your sympathy.
Save your tears, don't cry for me, I'll get along, just let me be, Sideburns don't need your sympathy."
A talent scout just happens to be standing by the phone while this is going on, and convinces Eddie to go for an audition. This is the same guy who convinced Klinton Spilsbury he'd be perfect as "The Lone Ranger."
Eddy tries out, and meets cool blonde receptionist Helen, played by Joyce Terry. It is love at first sight. Eddy goes on television (director Paul Frees lends his announcing voice) and we suffer through
"Anything your little heart desires, Your slightest wish is my command, There's nothing I won't do, I'm so in love with you"
Eddy becomes an overnight sensation, probably because the viewing audience is deaf and blind. However, he is unable to shake the losers he hangs with, especially the psychotic "Moon," played by Peter Breck.
Eventually, they all end up in a bar, where Breck clocks the bartender with a bottle of booze. The bartender gets off a shot and wounds one of the gang. This could have a negative impact on Eddy's career, so he calls Helen and tells her he is giving up his singing. The audience breathes a sigh of relief. Then he changes his mind. The audience walks out.
In the exciting climax, Eddy confesses all to Helen, Moon knifes Eddy's agent, and Eddy and Moon duke it out. Then Eddy decides to face the music (not his own, unfortunately) and take his medicine (by this point, I had a few belts myself).
I'm not sure why a voice-over specialist like Paul Frees decided to direct this (he also wrote it, and is credited with some of the songs). Coincidentally, there seem to be a lot of voice-overs in this film, including Frees doing a detective's voice. Travis is okay as an actor, and not bad as a singer, despite the lousy songs. He looks like the product of a love triangle between Steve Cochran, James Farentino, and Hal March. Breck is over-the-top and irritating; you'll want him killed off immediately, but no such luck. The girls are good looking.
My favorite scene is when the hotel manager, played by Claude Stroud, tries to assert his authority after the gang trash a room.
Stroud: "Oh my goodness, what have you done to the room? Why, this is terrible. Uh, you'll pay for this. ... Why, you young hoodlums, I'll call the police." Breck: "Hey man, you say one word to anyone and I'm gonna moon you." Stroud: "You're gonna what ?" Breck: "Moon you!"
After listening to Stroud, I now know what Porky Pig would sound like if he led an alternative lifestyle.
Tony Travis plays Eddy Crane, the leader of a bunch of morons. In the film's opening scene, they don masks and knock over a liquor store, then head to a greasy spoon. Eddy's babe Iris, played by Karen Kadler (a dead-ringer for Mara Corday) convinces him to sing a song while the jukebox is on. So we get treated to lyrics like this:
"Leather coat, duckbill hair, call me wild, I don't care.
Sideburns don't need your sympathy.
Save your tears, don't cry for me, I'll get along, just let me be, Sideburns don't need your sympathy."
A talent scout just happens to be standing by the phone while this is going on, and convinces Eddie to go for an audition. This is the same guy who convinced Klinton Spilsbury he'd be perfect as "The Lone Ranger."
Eddy tries out, and meets cool blonde receptionist Helen, played by Joyce Terry. It is love at first sight. Eddy goes on television (director Paul Frees lends his announcing voice) and we suffer through
"Anything your little heart desires, Your slightest wish is my command, There's nothing I won't do, I'm so in love with you"
Eddy becomes an overnight sensation, probably because the viewing audience is deaf and blind. However, he is unable to shake the losers he hangs with, especially the psychotic "Moon," played by Peter Breck.
Eventually, they all end up in a bar, where Breck clocks the bartender with a bottle of booze. The bartender gets off a shot and wounds one of the gang. This could have a negative impact on Eddy's career, so he calls Helen and tells her he is giving up his singing. The audience breathes a sigh of relief. Then he changes his mind. The audience walks out.
In the exciting climax, Eddy confesses all to Helen, Moon knifes Eddy's agent, and Eddy and Moon duke it out. Then Eddy decides to face the music (not his own, unfortunately) and take his medicine (by this point, I had a few belts myself).
I'm not sure why a voice-over specialist like Paul Frees decided to direct this (he also wrote it, and is credited with some of the songs). Coincidentally, there seem to be a lot of voice-overs in this film, including Frees doing a detective's voice. Travis is okay as an actor, and not bad as a singer, despite the lousy songs. He looks like the product of a love triangle between Steve Cochran, James Farentino, and Hal March. Breck is over-the-top and irritating; you'll want him killed off immediately, but no such luck. The girls are good looking.
My favorite scene is when the hotel manager, played by Claude Stroud, tries to assert his authority after the gang trash a room.
Stroud: "Oh my goodness, what have you done to the room? Why, this is terrible. Uh, you'll pay for this. ... Why, you young hoodlums, I'll call the police." Breck: "Hey man, you say one word to anyone and I'm gonna moon you." Stroud: "You're gonna what ?" Breck: "Moon you!"
After listening to Stroud, I now know what Porky Pig would sound like if he led an alternative lifestyle.