Reviews

49 minutes of comedy, singing and dancing starring The Nitwits (Sid Millward, Wally Stewart, Cyril Lagey, Arthur Calkin, Dennis Croker) and singer-comedian Max Bygraves. The Nitwits were kind of the English version of Spike Jones. They were featured twice in the film Juke Box Rhythm (1959) as their only other film appearance. Other "NitWits" were Charlie Rossi, Tony Traverci, Harry Coles, Ronnie Genarda and Tommy Fielding. They sold out Las Vegas clubs in the 1960s. Rex Ramer's claim to fame was imitating various instruments with his voice. He also appeared on American TV (The Ed Sullivan Show, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Cavalcade of Stars).This was the only movie appearance for most of the other performers.

Fans of Mickey Rooney will enjoy this movie although its not one of his best. He appears a bit older than his girlfriend (the beautiful Terry Moore, 10 years his junior), but at times you don't notice it. He plays an orange tester who inherits his uncle's magic act (and Jimmy the Crow) and accidentally stumbles across a payroll robbery. There are some comical moments, especially when he is trying to learn the act as well as his interactions with Jimmy. But the picture is mostly to show off Moore in one of her first starring roles. Rooney's career unfortunately was going the other way. Luckily for his fans, the resilient Rooney never gave up and rebounded several years later.

A Belford College scout recruits the best player from a prison team, Thomas Burke, arranging for a parole on good faith. When Burke hesitates, he shows him how he could also find potential robbery victims at the college. Rich people. But he gets in trouble during the first practice with a dirty tackle and quits the team. To keep him in school, the scout enlists the help of a pretty coed who happens to be a policeman's daughter. He quits again over a misunderstanding, gets arrested, gets sprung and is rushed to the big game in time to score the winning touchdown. Quillan did not look the part of a star halfback as he stood just 5-foot-6. But he certainly had the look of a jailbird. And also lots of energy.

Mean Joe Greene and the Pittsburgh Steelers temporarily adopt a nine-year-old boy and they learn a valuable lesson from each other. Featured is a dream sequence where the kid plays quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This show is based on the popular award-winning 1979 Coca-Cola commercial where Greene trades his jersey in exchange for a coke from a kid. The commercial was so successful it was run all over the world and different versions were eventually filmed for different sports using the top athletes of the day. Henry Thomas, who played the boy, also played Elliott in Steven Spielberg's E.T. the following year. Shot on location in Dallas, Texas,and at Texas Stadium. A local semi-pro team was used to fill out the roster.

Still timely and with a strong supporting cast. Outspoken college football star Val Webster (Van Heflin) sounds off against collegiate political corruption. He is basically fed up with amateur athletes betting on games, scalping tickets and accepting subsidies. The same goes for the college board of directors, who pocket most of the profits. Webster is expelled but is aided by sportswriter Red Watson (Richard Lane) to expose them. And by winning the big game against them as the rival coach, he proves himself right and them wrong. He also wins the girl, of course. Heflin was well cast as an athlete as he was an accomplished swimmer, fisherman and sailor.

The movie also features several Hollywood veterans - Brian Donlevy, George Jessel, Hans Conried, Marjorie Reynolds and Fritz Feld. But this 1960s rocker is more worth seeing for the performances of the Earl Grant Trio ("12th Street Rag" and "Last Night"), Johnnie Otis ("Willie and the Hand Jive") and, of course, the fabulous Treniers ("Get Out of the Car"). For years the Treniers thrilled crowds with their energetic song and dance act on the Las Vegas strip - the only rocking act to do so until Elvis conquered Vegas. Three other movies - Don't Knock the Rock, The Girl Can't Help It and Calypso Heat Wave - showcase their act much better though. This also was The Nitwits Act only film appearance. They were a Spike Jones-type novelty act led by Sid Millward.

Injured Carlton State quarterback Ken Thomas (knee) makes a promise to his girl friend that he won't play again. Then, when she relents, he is kidnapped by crooks hoping to make money from the big game. Production values hurt the film in some scenes but there are a few enthusiastic performances, especially from Scat Davis. He displays penchant for comedy. Also, his fine singing voice and trumpet playing are featured in two short songs and in a production number near the middle of the film. Members of the USC football team also appear as it was partially filmed in the Rose Bowl. Marie Wilson and Jane Wyman appear briefly as co-eds.

December Bride had a neighbor Pete Porter played by Harry Morgan (later featured in Dragnet and M*A*S*H) but Gladys, his nagging and sloppy wife, was never seen. Here she was featured as well as some of the supporting cast from Bride, as that show had just ended. Gladys proved to be neither nagging nor a slob but was kind of wacky in the Lucy vein. This was probably Morgan's funniest role, as audiences loved his sarcastic humor on Bride that fueled the spin-off. Morgan and Cara Williams were veteran actors from TV and movies so they performed well together and the comedy chemistry clicked. Williams had a short-lived show of her own (The Cara Williams Show) after this one ended.

Documentary on the career of Cleveland disc jockey Bill Randle, who was almost as famous as Alan Freed. Pat Boone, Bill Haley and Elvis Presley appear along with members of Haley's Comets. Randle sold the rights in 1992. Polygram International later bought the film, which has yet to be shown in a commercialized release. This was Elvis' first film. He sang "That's All Right," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," "Good Rockin' Tonight," "Mystery Train" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," accompanied by Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on bass. Filmed at Brooklyn (Ohio) High School in the afternoon with an evening concert at St. Michael's Hall in Cleveland, October 20, 1955. The Four Lads and Priscilla Wright were also on the bill that night. Presley's first concert north of the Mason-Dixon Line was in February 1955 at Cleveland's Circle Theater. He played there again the following month and also the night before the Brooklyn show. Headliners were Roy Acuff and Kitty Wells.