Audience Member
As an historical movie document, Jimmy Clanton doing one of his top ten hits ("Just A Dream", "Venus in Blue Jeans") would have made this movie come alive. So also with big stars the Cadillacs, Eddy Cochran, Ritchie Valens, and Jackie Wilson. The only one who gets to sing his hits, albeit in a toned-down way, is the great Chuck Berry, with his trademark dance moves alive and well.
Alan Freed and the plot are simply terrible. This would have been better as a concert. And we would not want Sandy Stewart singing religious fables to us. Her songs needed to be beefed up or deleted altogether. This was supposed to be early rock and roll.
They still were proving that rock and roll didn't lead to "juvenile delinquency" as most adults, some vociferously, were claiming. Pastors, ministers, and preachers all condemned the new music from the pulpit, and many adults of the "older generation" saw rock and roll as being from the fires of the pit. As a famous evangelist said, only one would win out: either Christianity or rock and roll. Thankfully, people became more rational, and we all know what happened as a result of rock and roll's early years in the 1950s.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Go, Johnny, Go! is a cheesy B-movie exploitation of the popular "fad" rock-n-roll. It features a ludicrous story of an orphan named Johnny who becomes a great rock-n-roll singer, despite the obstacles placed in his way by the adult establishment (he gets kicked off the church choir for singing rock-n-roll, he gets fired from his job as an usher at a theater for dancing when they had a singer on the stage in between matinees, I mean really, dancing?). He meets up with a fellow female orphan from his youth who also so happens to be a singer. What they sing barely qualifies as rock-n-roll, it's more the popular Doris Day-type stuff that nobody's parents would disapprove of (Johnny doesn't play a guitar, he plays a jazzy trumpet, and you can't get much less rock-n-roll than that). Seriously, it's like Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone had a lamer kid brother. Anyway, this silly plot isn't why we're here: it's to see the classic rock-n-roll acts from the late fifties, and this doesn't disappoint. Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Jackie Wilson, and of course the great Chuck Berry (who has a pretty significant acting role in the movie) all lip sync some of their bigger songs. Alan Freed the promoter, has somehow become Alan Freed The Actor, the lone saviour of Rock-N-Roll kids around the world. I feel a little bit sorry for Chuck Berry (who plays himself), he really has to play up how great this Johnny kid is, even though I'm sure it was torture to do so. If Thom Yorke from Radiohead ever made a movie for The Man and had to play up how great Justin Beaver was, I'm sure it would be quite similar to this. Actually, in this day and age, that doesn't seem that unreasonable. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/26/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Go, Johnny, Go! is a cheesy B-movie exploitation of the popular "fad" rock-n-roll. It features a ludicrous story of an orphan named Johnny who becomes a great rock-n-roll singer, despite the obstacles placed in his way by the adult establishment (he gets kicked off the church choir for singing rock-n-roll, he gets fired from his job as an usher at a theater for dancing when they had a singer on the stage in between matinees, I mean really, dancing?). He meets up with a fellow female orphan from his youth who also so happens to be a singer. What they sing barely qualifies as rock-n-roll, it's more the popular Doris Day-type stuff that nobody's parents would disapprove of (Johnny doesn't play a guitar, he plays a jazzy trumpet, and you can't get much less rock-n-roll than that). Seriously, it's like Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone had a lamer kid brother. Anyway, this silly plot isn't why we're here: it's to see the classic rock-n-roll acts from the late fifties, and this doesn't disappoint. Eddie Cochran, Ritchie Valens, Jackie Wilson, and of course the great Chuck Berry (who has a pretty significant acting role in the movie) all lip sync some of their bigger songs. Alan Freed the promoter, has somehow become Alan Freed The Actor, the lone saviour of Rock-N-Roll kids around the world. I feel a little bit sorry for Chuck Berry (who plays himself), he really has to play up how great this Johnny kid is, even though I'm sure it was torture to do so. If Thom Yorke from Radiohead ever made a movie for The Man and had to play up how great Justin Beaver was, I'm sure it would be quite similar to this. Actually, in this day and age, that doesn't seem that unreasonable. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A fun rock 'n' roll movie about the search for a new star, starring key figures who shaped the music, legendary radio DJ Alan Freed, rock legends Chuck Berry, The Flamingos, Richie Valens, Eddie Cochrane, Jackie Wilson, the Cadillacs.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/03/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Im gonna try to look at this film differently as I rate it as it isnt really a typical film. The story is cheesy and retarded but it has some funny moments. The music was good but it gave me a head ache after a while. For one of the first rock and roll movies I'll give it 3 stars.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Between this and "Rock, Rock, Rock!" you are covered for the best in Rock 'n Roll B Movie bash! These are fun cheesy little films with some of the best music and performances you will ever see of these timeless groups. BRAVO!
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/21/23
Full Review
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