Jamboree Review
A product of independent producers Max_Rosenberg and Milton_Subotsky -- but distributed by Warner Bros. -- Jamboree (1957) was almost certainly the last "musical" release of a major studio in black-and-white. It's not much of a movie, about two young people (played by Paul_Carr and Freda_Halloway) trying to make it in the music business, surviving the manipulations of their respective managers (Kay_Medford, Robert_Pastine) and finding true love as well as success. But surrounding this are some of the top rock & roll talents of the '50s, including Fats_Domino ("Wait and See"), Carl_Perkins ("Glad All Over"), and Jerry_Lee_Lewis ("Great Balls of Fire"); there are some notables, including Frankie_Avalon, Charlie Gracie, Buddy_Knox, and Jimmy_Bowen.
Additionally, there are lots of also-rans, among them Lewis Lymon & the Teenchords; and some older acts that are completely captivating, most notably Count Basie and His Orchestra, the latter doing "One O'Clock Jump," and Joe_Williams is a great solo-featured number -- indeed, the latter is one of those oft-overlooked places where big band, R&B, and rock & roll did intersect. The other highlight for pop-culture mavens are the appearances of various disc jockeys from across the United States (D.C.'s Milt Grant, Philadelphia's Dick_Clark, and New York's Jocko Henderson) and Canada as themselves in various vignettes. The story isn't much, though the acting is above average for this kind of movie, and the fact that it was shot in New York gave the producers access to such unusual talents as Kay_Medford (in a surprisingly effective dramatic performance). The acting is also infinitely superior to Rosenberg's and Subotsky's earlier jukebox movie, Rock,_Rock,_Rock!. The matching of the shots is sometimes very poor, and there's not even an effort made -- except with the Basie and Williams clips -- to make the bands look like they're really performing, with none of the instruments hooked up or microphones visible, but the best of the performers throw themselves into the clips and make them generally worth watching. Bruce Eder, Rovi
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