Why Isn't This classic B-movie out on video?
Here is a classic B-movie with an all-star cast (granted they were all starting out then, including Dick Clark in his first film appearance) with a gritty teen drama story, which has three or four memorable Oldies but Goodies hit tunes in it, and it isn't available on video! Why?
It bears more than a passing resemblance to BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (MGM, 1955) in style and substance, with Clark in the Glenn Ford role, Vickie Shaw in the Anne Francis role, Mickey Callan in the Vic Morrow role, etc.
I fondly remember this movie from my early teen years, and would love to have it on video or DVD. I highly recommend it for those of you who love the styles and music of the Fifties and Sixties. It's a good movie, but not a great film, but interesting, and even more so now from a historical perspective.
I noticed from a recent viewing of this movie that the Columbia Orchestra conducted by John Williams did the original theme song, NOT Duane Eddy. His version was not used in the film, but was released at the same time. Also Bobby Rydell's song "Swingin' School" was a different version than the one released on records at that time. And James Darren's saccharin-sweet pop ballad vocal of the theme song was enough to put anyone to sleep. It's too bad they didn't have him vocal over Duane Eddy's rocking guitar version, with both of them onstage together. Now that would have been a bigger hit than his "Gidget" in 1959!
Dejael