Bobby Vee Movies
- 2001
In the early days of rock & roll in the '50s, while the public knew the voices and faces of the folks who snag the tunes, it was often the people behind the scenes who truly held the talent that made a song a hit, and as the sounds of "teenage music" took over the charts, a new breed of young songwriters and producers became giants in the industry. Hit Makers: The Teens Who Stole Pop Music tells the story of the kids (mostly Jewish, mostly from Brooklyn) who wrote the tunes and brainstormed the sessions for some of the biggest hits of the era out of offices in New York City's Brill Building, where music publishing mogul Don Kirschner had the likes of Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, and Neil Sedaka under contract. Beginning with the start of the rock era and ending with the rise of hard rock and singer/songwriters at the dawn of the '70s, Hit Makers tells the story of some of the truly unsung heroes of American popular music, complete with interviews from the songwriters and producers, as well as the performers who helped bring their great songs to life. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This drama centers on life in a small college. The hero is a folk singer from the backwoods. Because he saved the dean's daughter from a car accident, he received a scholarship. The school rebel uses the folk singer to entice students into attending his rally on free speech. The folk singer rallies back and punches the radical in the nose. He then allows the dean to tell the student body the reasons why they don't need more radical ideas concerning freedom. Songs include "C'mon, Let's Live a Little," "Instnat Girl," "Baker Man," "What Fool This Mortal Be," "Tonights the Night," "For Granted," "Back-Talk," "Over and Over," "Let's Go Go," and "Way Back Home." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Vee, Jackie De Shannon, (more)
- 1963
British teens struggle to win the right to vote in this swinging musical from England. When the established political parties pay no mind to the young campaigners and so the youths decide to start their own party and use some of England's most popular singers to help them campaign. Among the artists lending their support are Freddy Cannon, Bobby Vee, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, the Spotniks and Joe Brown and the Breakaways. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wynter, Bobby Vee, (more)
- 1963
A stodgy British patriarch sends his naive daughter to Europe so that her rock & roll singing boyfriend will dump her. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned when she ends up linked with a handsome pop idol and his band. Fortunately, she is a good girl at heart and ends up learning some valuable lessons about live, love and rock & roll. Many popular singers from the early '60s perform in this tuneful outing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Bungling courier Freddie Merkel (Tommy Noonan) dreams of creative success but always manages to botch things up at crucial moments. Shortly after destroying his motorcycle, he decides to become a songwriter. This gives con man Duke (Peter Marshall) the perfect opportunity for his latest scam, one that involves submitting Freddie's song to a contest. Unfortunately, a wind gust blows the finished piece away just before Freddie turns it in. The two scramble to catch the tune, but it ends up in the hands of a priest who is suddenly inspired to enter the contest himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Noonan, Peter Marshall, (more)
Cruisin Love Songs, Volume 2 offers twenty classic rock tunes performed by the original artists as they performed at the Rock 'n Roll Palace. This program includes appearances by The Crystals ("He's a Rebel,") Bryan Hyland ("Sealed With a Kiss,") and soul legend Sam Moore ("Hold On, I'm Coming.") ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- The Diamonds, Tommy Sands, (more)
