Jamboree! (1957) Poster

(1957)

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4/10
More For Those Just Wanting To See These Rock Legends
ccthemovieman-110 July 2006
I believe this was put out only about a year after Dick Clark began hosting the long-running Amercian Bandstand television show. Clark plays an emcee in this film, similar to his role on that famous TV show. It's very interesting to see him as such a young guy. It was just about 50 years ago....hard to believe.

Joining him are some mega-stars from the early rock 'n roll era: Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins Frankie Avalon and Fats Domino and some lesser-names like Jimmy Bowen, Jodie Sands, Buddy Knox and a bunch more.

For viewers looking for upbeat music, this was disappointing. Most of the songs were Connie Francis-type ballads. Also, the dubbing in here is horrible. It's obvious these singers were dubbing the music and - no surprise here - they weren't all the greatest of actors and the script was lame.....very lame. Hey, that's what you got with a lot of "rock" movies back then - some horrible scripts. I guess you just watch it to see the singers in their heyday.
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4/10
America's Sweethearts
bkoganbing22 July 2019
Elvis Presley didn't make the cut here. But just about every other act from those early days of rock and roll made it into Jamboree. It's like one long version of the old Ed Sullivan show with a plot tossed in between the acts.

The story such as it is involves Paul Carr and Freda Holloway two aspiring singers who are teamed together by their managers Kay Medford and Robert Pastene respectively who are busy playing their own oneupsmanship games.

But you bought a ticket to see and rock and roll show and in 1957 that's what you got here.

So if you are fan of the music of the era, this is your movie.
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4/10
A real stinker, and yet-
beanybeanwhite12 October 2021
Barely a plot and truly terrible acting, not to mention the super cheap stage sets. And, yet, some of the performances are so awesome. Both Buddy Knox, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Williams! What's not to like?
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3/10
Rock 'n' roll, rockabilly and jazz entertainers shine.
michaelRokeefe3 October 2000
Pitiful plot and sorry as a movie. But the real stars performing makes for good viewing. A young couple played by Freda Holloway and Paul Carr want to be famous singers. Kay Medford plays the agitating manager that manipulates the two songbirds,that don't even come near professionalism; let alone sing good rock 'n' roll. Although the singing voice of Holloway is that of singer Connie Francis.

Also in the cast are disc jockey Dick Clark and songwriter Aaron Schroder. Schroder in the real world wrote many hit songs; the best were for Elvis Presley and Gene Pitney.

Some of the real stars of this film, doing their thing for the camera are: Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Avalon, Fats Domino, Charlie Gracie, Buddy Knox, Count Basie, Slim Whitman and Carl Perkins.

The plot is a flop and the music is hip. Turn the lights on low and GO! Daddyo! GO!
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Pitiful plot redeemed by musical guests
lorenellroy7 July 2003
Movies like Jamboree are not really about plot or acting which is just as well since both are pretty feeble.The story is simple to the point of idiocy-two agents played by Kay Medford and Bob Pastine are trying without success to pitch their clients ,a young male and young female singer ,to record companies.They opt to pair them as a duo and success follows but the machinations of Medford drive them apart ,professionally and personally.Will they get back together and find happiness along with fame and fortune? Stick around and you will find out but the only real reason most people will stick with this picture are the scenes depicting pop stars of the day each doing a single number. The footage of the acts is unimaginatively shot but some of the performers make up for this .Jerry Lee Lewis is edgy and manic,while luminaries like Basie ,Domino and Perkins are always worth watching.I was more into the relatively lesser known names like the wonderful Charlie Gracie and Buddy Knox . Watch it for its pot pourri of period acts and ignore the woeful acting of the young leads and its bearable.
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2/10
Oh My Gosh, This is Awful!
jmillerdp16 April 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Hilariously, howlingly bad movie! Supposedly intended for rock 'n' roll audiences, this amazingly wrongheaded movie instead puts bland-beyond-bland crooning couple at its center.

They are managed by two agents, played by actors who are bad beyond belief! Wow. I know this was on late at night on TCM, but I wasn't that drowsy! You think you're hallucinating watching the scenery chewing by the two agent characters and the sleep inducing "performances" by the two young singers.

The "plot" has the two agents breaking up the singing duo, for no reason whatsoever, just to get them back together at the end. Inexplicably, there are actual! musicians involved here, like Jerry Lee Lewis, who just pop in for no discernible reason. Even Dick Clark shows up, hosting a telethon half way through.

This just demonstrates a major studio like Warner Bros. trying desperately to crank out a quicky "rock 'n' roll movie" and not having any idea whatsoever how to do it!

Y-I-K-E-S!

** (2 Out of 10 Stars) = Cinematic Calamity!
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3/10
Some Very Brief Rewards
LeonLouisRicci22 September 2012
Here we go again with a virtually Unwatchable, Wretched Hollywood attempt to bring the success of early Rock n Roll to the Screen.

Trouble is they never did get it. They saw this Music as a Threat or at the very Least a Fad and they didn't expect it to get any Respect or Consideration, nothing more than a Novelty or believe it or not, a Communist Plot.

The few good Acts are slipped in and out of other "Respectable" Pre-Packaged Pap and Cornball Crooners. The lead "Actor" Kids Sing more than anybody and they are Presented to Epitomize what was deemed Desirable to all except Juvenile Delinquents and God-Forbid, "Race Record" Fans.

If You can avoid turning it off there will be some Rewards if very Brief. The always Rockin', Jerry Lee Lewis...the Fun Rockabilly Sound of Carl Perkins...Frankie Lymon for some Doo Wop...and the Velvet Voice and R&B Rhythms of Fats Domino.

All of these Greats do only One Song but it is Really-Cool that it was captured on Film. Get out the Cut and Paste Program.
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7/10
Great showcase for lots of acts
drrvenable22 July 2019
Don't watch this for the plot. The acting is so-so.

The music? Cool man, cool.

Lots of acts from the past. Great ones (Fats Domino, Carl Perkins), and good ones you never heard of
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3/10
Not one of the better 50's rock movies.
sabata3 July 2000
This is one of those movies made up mostly of acts playing for the screen. But most of them are lightweights or just plain bad! You may want to see it for Fats Domino, Joe Williams, Slim Whitman and Jerry Lee Lewis. There is also the "plot" to get in the way, too. It's about these two singing teenagers...only what they sing is a long way from "rock" and is a total miscalculation as to being included in this movie. They also end up being extremely annoying!
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6/10
some interesting music performers and Dick Cark
SnoopyStyle5 July 2022
In New York City, Pete Porter and Honey Wynn are fresh-faced performers eager for their big break. Managers start pushing them onto the radio and they become the hot new sweetheart duo.

This would have been interesting if Connie Francis actually play the part of Honey Wynn. I don't know if she's any good as an actress but at least, that would have been historically interesting. At the end of the day, non of the written story is that compelling. Pete and Honey are very white bread. They just about have as much heat... next to non. What is more interesting are the real world music performers and a few familiar faces. I wonder if those local DJs were actually famous. Dick Clark is so young and in the same year, he's going nation-wide with American Bandstand. This is a piece of music history although it's not much of a film.
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5/10
jamboree
mossgrymk29 October 2021
The non musical stuff'll give the fast forward finger on your remote a real workout and some of the acts are on the forgettable side (i.e. Was Frankie Avalon really THAT bad?) but there are a few gems like Lyman And The Teens, Carl Perkins and, of course, Fats.
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The guest stars steal the show
dbdumonteil11 September 2006
This is the story of a duo two managers (there's no such a thing since Nelson Eddy and Janette MacDonald,so why not them?) pair in order to make money (Pete and Honey= bank and money).The managers have their own ambitions for their respective protégés and after a big hit ,they urge both of them to go single .Then the heartache begins.

Pete and Honey's songs are rather syrupy and bland but their story takes barely 50 % of the time and the rest is given over to the guests :some of them are exciting indeed:Jerry lee Lewis and his fiery "great balls of fire" Carl Perkins ' "glad all over" and doowop whizz kid Frankie Lymon's "your last chance" are gems .Plus Count Basie and Slim Whitman for jazz and C& W fans.
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