Rock, Pretty Baby

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Rock, Pretty Baby
Rock, Pretty Baby.jpg
Directed by Richard Bartlett
Written byHerbert Margolis
William Raynor
Produced byEdmond Chevie
Starring Sal Mineo
John Saxon
Luana Patten
Shelley Fabares
Fay Wray
Edward C. Platt
Cinematography George Robinson
Edited by Fredrick Y. Smith
Music by Henry Mancini
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • December 1956 (1956-12)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget"just under $1,000,000" [1]
Box office$1,430,000 (US) [2]

Rock, Pretty Baby is a 1956 American comedy musical film directed by Richard Bartlett and starring Sal Mineo, John Saxon and Luana Patten. [3]

Contents

Plot

Young musician Jimmy Daley (Saxon) needs to come up with $300 to purchase the electric guitar he wants. He pawns his law books, to the disappointment of his father (Platt), a doctor whose goal is for Jimmy to become a lawyer.

Jimmy's jealous nature results in a ruckus at a party and $150 in damage to a neighbor, which Dr. Daley insists his son pay. His girlfriend Joan Wright (Patten) learns that a battle of the bands has a cash prize. Jimmy and his group end up losing the contest, but he earns the respect of his dad.

Cast

Production

The film was announced in June 1956, under the title Crazy Love. [4]

Luana Patten had been a child actor then stopped working at age 14 to concentrate on school. After several years she told her agent she wanted to act again and she was cast in Rock Pretty Baby. [5] She signed at $650 a week. The contract had options for another seven years. Universal tried to exercise it and Patten sued to get out of it. [6]

Filming started July 1956. It was also known as The Living End before being titled Rock Pretty Baby. [7]

Before the film came out, Al Daff of Universal said the movie "is not an important picture but it will gross more than many multi million dollar pictures." [1]

Release

Sal Mineo and John Saxon were sent out on a promotional tour on the launch of the film. [8]

Universal signed George Winslow to a two picture a year deal over five years on the basis of his performance in the movie. [9]

Variety said it "should emerge a box office winner." [10]

Filmink called it "a jaunty, energetic teen film, with a surprisingly hot late-night beach kissing scene between Saxon and co-star Luana Patten. It became a sleeper hit for Universal." [11]

Sequel

In May 1957 Universal announced they would make a sequel Summer Love . [12]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Daff on Udatte=7 November 1956". Variety. p. 6.
  2. ↑ "Top Grosses of 1957". Variety. 8 January 1958. p. 30.
  3. ↑ ROCK, PRETTY BABY Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 24, Iss. 276, (Jan 1, 1957): 48.
  4. ↑ M-G-M FILLS ROLES IN TWO NEW FILMS New York Times 27 June 1956: 34.
  5. ↑ Hollywood Story Chicago Daily Tribune 26 June 1960: b18.
  6. ↑ "TestPlayer Option". Variety. 10 April 1957. p. 10.
  7. ↑ Drama: 'Song of South' Moppet Becomes Grown-Up Star; Nielsen Turns Writer Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 4 July 1956: B5.
  8. ↑ STARS TO HIT ROAD FOR U.-I. PUBLICITY New York Times 21 Dec 1956: 18.
  9. ↑ GRANT, MISS KERR TO STAR FOR FOX New York Times 27 Dec 1956: 22.
  10. ↑ Review of film at Variety
  11. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (July 29, 2020). "The Top Twelve Stages of Saxon". Filmink.
  12. ↑ Saxon Starred in New Teen-age Salute; Jan Harrison Term-Pacted Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 1 May 1957: B11
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