Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Michael O'Keefe Rockabilly, Doo Wop and early Rock 'N' Roll bring the energy to this quirky flick filmed in Dallas, Texas. Very lacking in script, but its the music that is the premise of ROCK BABY - ROCK IT. At times good for a little laugh, but it is the music and dancing circa 1957 that redeems the use of film. Young people at a rockabilly club are about to lose the building where they meet to rock out. In order to get enough money to keep a small-time crime element from taking the location, the young people decide to put together a show featuring local talent.Some of the music featured: Ben Coats and the Bon-Aires with "Stop The World" and "China Star"; The Five Stars singing "Juanita" and "Polly Molly". The Belew Twins harmonize, Everly Brothers style, "Lonesome". Preacher Smith and the Deacons do "Eat Your Heart Out"; Roscoe Gordon and the Red Tops' "Bopp It" and "Chicken In The Rough" and then there is the only artist in the film to actually make a splash in the music world...Johnny Carroll and his Hot Rocks doing "Crazy Crazy Loving" and "Wild Wild Women" in his best attempt honoring the two men who influenced him...Gene Vincent and Elvis Presley. Also in the cast: Gayla Graves, Mike Biggs, George Russell and Kay Wheeler. Remember the time is 1957 and this was some of the best talent in Dallas they could get together for this 84 minute black and white lower than B flick. Rockin', boppin' and dancin'! ROCK BABY - ROCK IT.

Lang Jr Out-of-balance no-budget teen film features terrific music set to threadbare non-plot. The movie is little more than a showcase for several early, obscure, but talented acts; all the numbers are above average and quite entertaining. Like Louie Prima's awful "The Continental Twist" which hit drive-in screens four years later, the story involves a group of mobsters who are trying to evict the local teens from a makeshift dance club. In this picture the hoodlums need a hangout to run the connection to the "Detroit Syndicate". Highlight of the action is when the boss makes Crackers Louie dance by the pool. Standout musical numbers include "Roogie Doogie" by Preacher Smith, and "Juanita" by the Five Stars. The cast is divided into "Wheels" and "Squares".

amosduncan_2000 This is both one of the truly terrible films ever shown in a movie theater (?) and an absolutely vital part of rock and pop culture history. It's the local Dallas talent in 57, and the influence of Elvis on one of his most passionate imitators is deeply felt. Then we see some of the local bands, both black and white, get down. Oh yeah, there is a story that has to be about the worst written, acted, and directed things ever put on film. You will roll around on the floor laughing, but these are also just local kids. There is a naturalness to there bad acting that is very authentic. You feel if you were back in that time and place, this is what the people would be like. There is nothing else quite like "Rock Baby, Rock It."

Woodyanders Undoubtedly one of the chintziest and hence most authentically grubby of the numerous cheap rocksploitation churned out in mass volume in the 50's, this Dallas, Texas marvel thrillingly captures the sweetly ingenuous bring-the-house-down rumbling excitement rock possessed when it first came into being. Technically, it's a ratty shambles, with ragged editing, scroungy photography, primitive fade-outs, lovably dated hep-cat lingo ("You're the most"), and hopelessly stiff acting. However, the sincerity and eagerness evident throughout make the pic's shoddiness both forgivable and ultimately strangely endearing. In fact, the rough ramshackle quality of the film-making actually lends a certain grungy quasi-documentary verisimilitude to the divinely naive and dippy proceedings.As usual, the story is really threadbare, a faint whiff of a plot that solely exists as a flimsy excuse to show off plenty of hot local rock'n'roll acts. This time a bunch of ugly, tubby, nefarious middle-aged square mobsters threaten to take over a hoppin' Lone Star state teen nightspot, so the smart and resourceful kids hold an impromptu charity rock benefit concert to raise enough bread to save their beloved hangout from the greasy gangsters' vile clutches. And, boy oh boy, does said concert deliver the tasty and eclectic a little bit of everything multi-genre music goods. The Cellblock Seven sweep up the floor with a few just swell and stirring bebop jazz swing tunes. The exquisitely dulcet Belew Twins vault straight for the heavens with their sharp, keen, downright otherworldly harmonizing. The Five Stars display lots of style and charm with their delicious serving of right-on doo-wop nirvana. Preacher Smith and the Deacans lay down some slow, funky-stompin' boogie woogie barn burners. Don Coats and the Bon-Aires set hearts aflutter with their gorgeously dreamy, swooning and romantic white guy pop crooning. Roscoe Gordon and the Red Tops rock it up something nice with their supremely wailin', yet still beautifully forlorn and lonesome blues moping. All these bands seriously smoke, but the cat who clearly makes off with the whole stupendously hip'n'happening show is 19-year-old rockabilly firecracker Ron "Hot Rocks" Carroll, a dynamic spark-plug whose wild gyrations and scorching stage presence damn nearly make Elvis seem like small potatoes. And speaking of the Big E, Kay Wheeler, the founder and president of the Elvis Presley fan club, puts in a simply dazzling cameo appearance, energetically cuttin' it up on stage like nobody's business. All in all, this crudely slapped together item sizes up as the lively, exuberant, rockin' all through the night delightful living end, daddy-o!