User Reviews

Looking more like a young and slimmed down Rush Limbaugh then the legendary pioneer Rock & Roll DJ the late Tim Mcintire, who ironically died in 1986 at almost the same age that Freed passed away some twenty years earlier. "American Hot Wax" is tragic as well as prophetic story about Alan Freed who more then anyone else put Rock & Roll on the map and made the saying,like the song says,"Rock & Roll is here to Stay" a reality.

Mcintire in the best performance of his career gives it all he's got as Alan Freed and comes across, despite his obvious non-resemblance to Alan Freed, as good as Freed ever was on the silver screen in a number of films that he stared in. The movie starts at the hight of Freed's popularity in 1959 as he's getting together a number of top Rock & Roll singers and groups to appear at the Brooklyn Paramount for his first anniversary Rock & Roll show.

The local authorities as well as the big wigs in the record industry have had in in for Freed since he came on the scene back in 1952 in Clevelend. It was then when Freed first coined the word Rock & Roll and, according to them and the blue noses of that time, corrupted the American youth with that wild and uncontrollable music.

The movie has the theater raided by the police because it was declared a fire hazard and Freed arrested and the entertainers dragged off the stage as the thousands of Rock & Roll fans go wild. The movie "American Hot Wax" briefly touched on the payola scandal of 1959-1960 that in reality was the real reason for Freed's downfall not the wild scene at the Brooklyn Paramount at the end of the movie.

Freed never played a record that he didn't like payola or not and took money to play the records that he liked unsolicited thinking that it was just part of being a DJ on the radio. The fact that Alan Freed wouldn't sign a statement that he never took payola, which was untrue, had him fired from the WABC radio station that he worked for in 1960. Later Freed, after having brief jobs as a DJ in L.A and Miami on stations KDAY & WQAM, was blackballed out of the music business altogether.

Hit with charges by the IRS in March 1964 for back taxes Alan Freed, who was already at that time both unemployed and unemployable, went into a tailspin as his drinking got out of hand and he died in a California hospital, broke and forgotten, of kidney failure on January 20, 1965, Freed was 43 years old.

There was one irony to Freed's life, and death, that really sticks out and makes you think if there's truly such a thing as fate and destiny. Exactly three months to the day that Alan Freed died on April 19, 1965 the radio station that Alan Freed made synonymous with himself and into the flagship radio station in playing the music that he loved and died for in the fabulous 1950's. Freed's old station 1010 WINS New York changed it's policy of playing Rock & Roll, or any other type of, music by becoming the first radio station in the nation to go all news all the time, an all-news network, which it still is today. April 19, 1965 was for all intents and purposes "The Day the Music Died" on 1010 WINS.

There are plenty of hokey things in this film, but Tim McIntire's performance is one of the best ever in a rock and roll film. I don't know if this is what Alan Freed was really like, but I would like to think so. So often actors can't manage to provide charisma in their portrayal of a well known figure -- this was no problem for McIntire, who's charisma practically burns through the film. Lots of fun.

At the time this movie came out (1978) America was having its 20 year later nostalgia craze for the 1950s and it's music. "Happy Days" and "LaVerne And Shirley" were on TV and songs from the 50s were being remade and heard again. What great timing for this movie! The greatest thing about this movie, of course, are the musical performances. Instead of hiring all soundalikes from central casting, they actually brought back musicians and singers from the 1950s to sing their hits. Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Frankie Ford and others are on hand to show you what made them great. Of course, this was 20 years after Alan Freed's shows played and the performers do look a little worse for the wear, but their music more than makes up for it. Tin McIntire was fantastic as Alan Freed, a young Jay Leno as Mookie was adequate as was an also young Fran Drescher as Sheryl. Laraine Newman shines as a sort of Carole King character, writing songs for others. Why isnt this movie more popular than it is? Maybe because it's not on video? If you see this on TV some night, be sure to watch it and see the magical early days of Rock and Roll.

This movie is based very loosely on the career of Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed and his contribution to the development of rock 'n' roll. I thought the acting was way over the top. I do appreciate Tim McIntire's portrayal of Freed. He put the point across that Freed lived and breathed rock 'n' roll and introduced a score of hit makers to the world. But remember he was also trying his best to better his own career.

My favorite part of the movie is the finale where wild man Jerry Lee Lewis stands singing on top of a piano in the middle of a riot. Chuck Berry helped make the move legit. And Screamin' Jay Hawkins brought the house down.

I hate to say that I thought the whole movie was pretty much self serving, but very fun to watch. If you were a teen or near teen as I was when the real thing was happening, you will certainly start having flashbacks.

Also in the cast are a very young Jay Leno and Fran Drescher. There is also Laraine Newman and Melanie Chartoff way before they made careers in comedy. You also might notice Hamilton Camp, Moosie Drier and Brenda Russell.

Watch this again and don't be afraid to let the good times roll.

Amusing look at Hollywood's version of the birth of rock n' roll. Some good old tunes were played throughout, the acting was good, the radio station looked like the real thing, but some of the picture didn't ring true [and I don't mean Chuck Berry's lousy acting]. Those rabid anti-rockers were so far out with their "rock music will end civilization" rant as to be totally hilarious; although there were some back then that held that opinion. I liked the film, the doo-wop harmony singers were great, McIntyre played his character to the hilt, and it just felt like going back in time to re-live the events all over. The old timer rockers should go for this one.

While a lot of movies have tried to show what the early rock'n'roll era was like -- American Hot Wax is the only movie that showed us what it FELT like.

Jerry Lee, Chuck Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and groups put together for the movie -- The Chesterfields (as Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers), The Delights (as The Chantels), and Timmy and the Tulips (as The Fleetwoods) -- Man Oh Man -- Wowee! These last three groups were in some ways better then the originals -- if that's possible. Check out those "Dee-Lites!"

What music, what a house band! What a recreation of an early rock'n'roll show in a movie theater. Hot Wax is amazing!

The Freed character -- Somewhat sanitized, but dynomite! Jay Leno and Fran Dresher -- wonderful! Lorrane Newman was a knock out! Every character is perfect. Teenage Louise's parents -- real or what?

Look for period details like the manager's (of the Laverne Baker-like singer) shades. Like the lable on the Little Richard record in the film's opening scene.

In a recent TV movie about Alan Freed, the character played a Little Richard record on the radio. The camera focused on the turntable. There was a generic record playing. Phony baloney. I changed the channel.

In American Hot Wax, the record was spinning on a turntable in the foreground. It was a Little Richard record all right -- and it was on the Specialty lable!

We originally saw American Hot Wax at the drive-in back when it first came out. Somehow it seemed fitting. I now have the sound track and a video copy of the movie from an HBO showing. Someday, hopefully, this great film will be commercially available on video. You have got to see this movie!

There is a scene in the radio station where the Program Director asks Freed why he has to play his monitor speakers so loud. "Because they know when you are listening," answers Freed. How true. Crank it up Alan!

I saw "Wax" back in '78, bought the excellent soundtrack as soon as it was released, and have wished, ever since, to watch this movie again. It caught me from the opening minutes with its "you-are-there" sense, in both intimate and crowd scenes, of the excitement and energy flowing during the high-water of rock 'n roll.

Like "American Graffiti", "American Hot Wax" is about what are labeled "the '50's". "Graffiti" was about the characters, with rock 'n roll as the backdrop; "Wax", however, is about rock 'n roll itself, and about its place in the lives of the characters -- promoters, musicians, and fans -- involved with it.

Floyd Mutrux is a golden god of American film making. "Hollywood Knights" is the greatest movie ever made, and this (American Hot Wax) may be the second. If "American Graffiti" can make it to DVD, this can.

I would imagine the reason it hasn't yet been released is licensing of all the songs, the reason the Hollywood Knights disc was delayed for so long. Everyone is greedy these days, but isn't a little something better than nothing at all? Let it go, people!

It is a great movie about a great time not only in America, but music. This is the 'big bang' of rock n'roll. Chuck Berry wears the exact same clothes from his very own closet as he did in '56, in this movie. The reason the RnR Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, is because that's where Alan Freed started - and he coined the phrase "rock n'roll".

In this movie, like the aforementioned HK movie, Mutrux's eye for talent brings to the screen for the first time actors/actresses that would become luminaries in the future. Leno, Drescher, who knew?

GET THIS MOVIE TO DVD NOW, thank you. :)

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.

I wanted very much to love this film, but I couldn't get past simply liking it. Having been a 50's teenager, I was witness to the events that took place at the very beginning of the Rock and Roll phenomenon. At points, however, the film becomes more than a bit pretentious in it's projection of the people and times. But more important,the key problem I have is with it's far too casual portrayal of the man who virtually started it all; namely disc jockey, Allen Freed. To me, Tim MacIntire was the wrong actor to portray Freed. I don't fault his acting, only his loose characterization of a very complex individual. Still in all, I enjoyed the film and would recommend it, especially to those not so fortunate to have been there at the beginning. In time however, a better more detailed film should be made about Allen Freed, the man who almost single-handly brought about this most important musical revolution and who, in the end, was destroyed for his efforts.

This movie has heart, soul and a passion for the music. A loving tribute to an exciting era. I grew up in Philadelphia, where guys doo-wopped in garages and on street corners, hoping Alan Freed would someday play their song. This movie successfully shows how important our new music was to us. Long Live Rock and Roll!

This movie is forgotten nowadays, but I managed to see it in 2022.

The movie is short on plot: nothing much really happens in terms of events except for the rock n' roll show that occurs at the very end. I also feel that some of the small-talk dialogue drags on a bit, and I had a trouble keeping track of who's who. The movie overall relies on heavily on nostalgia, especially with the non-stop background music (very reminiscent of "American Graffiti" in that respect).

The biggest issue, I feel, is that this movie seems to expect the viewer to already know about Alan Freed and rock n' roll music; so the movie doesn't attempt to educate or inform the viewer about Alan Freed and rock n' roll music. This quality might have been fine in 1978, as many viewers were probably old enough to remember the 1950s; but in 2022, I think a lot of people (like me) would expect more in terms of details.

Basically, the movie is not informative or educational: don't watch if you're expecting to learn much about Alan Freed. But if you're a huge fan who already knows a lot of Alan Freed, then you may want to watch just for the visuals, the music, and the nostalgia. The acting is good all-around (even Jay Leno puts in an acceptable performance)

The anachronisms fly in this Hollywood rendition of the beginnings of Rock and Roll (a genre best defined as the introduction of black Rhythym and Blues music "crossing over" to white teenage audiences in the early and mid-fifties).

The subsequent discovery of the economic power of these teenagers buying the records would change popular music forever.

The movie is redeemed by some energetic youthful performers and the exuberance that was such a feature of the time. But nowhere near enough credit,however,is paid to the original black harmony groups who were overwhelmingly responsible for this explosion of a new popular culture without precedent in US history. They are overshadowed by white single performers who Freed never played.

The movie stars Tim McIntyre, son of renowned character actor John McIntyre, delivering a sensitive portrayal of Freed. A pretty Fran Drescher is here before she assumed her affected froggy-voiced caricature so familiar today. Jay Leno is here also, sincere as always, and quite good as Freed's chauffeur.

Framed around the payola scandals, an ill-disguised attempt to destroy the music and its too-black associations, Freed was convicted of what was hardly a major offense (a common practice in the industry at the time), lost his job, and died a few years later. It's hard to convey today how virulent was the opposition to this music by the moral majority of that time.

One has only to listen to the Chesterfield's ersatz performances in the movie imitating Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, which are workmanlike, and then listen to the original. It is probably the best way to understand how this movie doesn't quite measure up to the reality it is trying to describe (what Hollywood movie ever does?). The real Frankie Lymon had a voice that was simply unbelievable, and a stage presence that awed Bing Crosby (!). Frank Sinatra, uncharacteristically, said he had never seen nor heard anything like him. (Crosby and Sinatra had been invited to the Apollo to see Lymon). Frankie Lymon died tragically about a decade later - long forgotten, and a microcosm, perhaps, of the black groups who started the whole thing.

Worth watching, but for a more truthful approach to the music itself, and much grittier, catch the earlier rock movies from 1956 with the real Alan Freed and the great original artists. Not much plot, but - oh! what performances!

I am a movie buff. I enjoy buying DVD's I f the 70s and 80s that you never see on tv or the rare DVDs you can't buy in any store. This movie was all over the place. In order for a movie to be good, not great you have to be able to know and love the character(s). You have NO character building here, non. 30% of the movie is "Freed" in the booth. 55% takes place during concert. 15% is Drescher and Leno yelling, Freed trying to buy a house. What? Like I said this movie is everywhere.

Looking over the VHS/DVD titles in the reduced price area of local department stores, I find it impossible to believe that some of these titles make the light of day and "American Hot Wax" is not available for purchase. I'm lucky enough to have taped it off of cable or I would be reduced to its limited showing on AMC. This failure to make this movie available reminds me of the 20 years it took for "Hollywood Knights" to make it's appearance. If you have a chance to see this movie, don't miss it. This movie is a classic. The performances of Jay Leno and Fran Dresher are very enjoyable. The job done by Tim McIntire defies description. Although I didn't know Alan Freed, I feel McIntire probably hit the mark in his portrayal.

Jim McIntire stars in this popular biopic loosely based on the life of Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock and roll to teenage American radio listeners in in 1950s. Interesting if not historically accurate. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 2013

Very evocative of the 1950's rock era and especially what the music meant to those who listened, wrote and sang it. Excellent music too. Wonderful performances by Jay Leno and Fran Drescher. I didn't realize until I saw it here on imdb that Cameron Crowe has a bit part. Unfortunately, does not seem to be available on vhs or dvd but shows up on cable from time to time.

The thing is about movies like that, that they always give illusion of being good.The only people to give review of this are the only people who actually bothered to see it, and mostly liked it due to ... air pressure anomaly of some sort.

To start of, this is that kind of "Mess around" movie, which is basically around nothing, that kind of movie where you can without haste go to WC if you will, and loose nothing. A man, who is named Alan Freed in credits, goes around everywhere and talking to people.Yes just like that, goes talking to people from the beginning until the end.There would be never a second of silence in this movie, so as distinctive talk too.Maybe its that particular recording i seen, but boommick must have been attached to a camera.Speaking about that, camera work is inventive as in morning news.Corner shot, corner shot, back shot, oh a shot from upstairs, genius. Okay now for less technical details. While i liked the man who played Alan Freed as an actor, i didn't liked him as a man who played Alan Freed in this movie.He has a charisma and naturality, but he is not Alan Freed, and not Alan Freed in this movie. The characters.Check - we have characters.A composer girl, Buddy Holly fan boy and a vocal group.Yes and i am the walrus.As much as this statement impresses you, as much as those character develop.They just exist, and thats all.We have here a scene with a girl who doesn't want to go to the college, and conversation with her parents.Oh wait, it never existed.Because actually i don't have any memories in my mind to connect this to anything. The whole movie is just like a big deleted scene.Or like a canceled TV- pilot that managed to finish its own plot line even before starting the series.EVEN BEFORE STARTING THE PILOT. That kind of movie that gives illusions.See it has a few "features" that are not actually bad, in fact they taking you imagination the whole movie just to keep you busy.And while you think about them, the movie is over, and your judgment is based on them.(That explains overwhelmingly positive reviews in here).We got Jerry Lee and Chuckie, boy who says "Buddy Holly is alive" and a bum playing Little Richard on trash bins.When you swimming the ocean of dullness, you can notice every minor water circle that appears.While there are greater movies that are ocean of awesomeness, you see every minor water circle of flaws, which is one of paradoxes of human being. The verdict.The movie exists.Imagine you driving a car to work and thinking about making a movie about Alan Freed for a few seconds.While HAR-HAR, that movie exists, and it exists with all ideas you came up with for those few seconds.Thats the only purpose of this movie i see. Why am i even writing this: barely 100 people saw that movie, excluding all who parted in making.I don't know how about extras, if they never were told the name of this movie, probably they wouldn't be able to find it anywhere. This movie isn't kind of movie where people wear ugly masks and throwing stupid lines, i mean grade z movie: This is a movie you expect to be good, but it just annoys you on technical way.Its not like you got punch in a balls, rather then you got continuously got bitten by mosquitoes for 2 hours. I give it three, okay? Just because I'm in good mood. And respect to Alan Freed.

I love this movie. I saw it again on television a couple of years ago and tried to get my kids to sit down and watch it. I thought that the movie would give them a better appreciation of the music they take for granted and enjoy today if they could see what some people went through and the risks they took so that rock and roll could survive.