The Beatniks (film)

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The Beatniks
Poster of The Beatniks (film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Paul Frees
Written by Paul Frees
Arthur Julian
Produced by Edward Heite
Ron Miller
StarringTony Travis
Karen Kadler
Peter Breck
Joyce Terry
Bob Wells
Sam Edwards
Cinematography Murray De Atley
Edited by Harold White
Release date
  • 1959 (1959)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
The Beatniks (1959) by Paul Frees

The Beatniks is an American crime film in the teensploitation genre [1] directed by Paul Frees that was filmed in 1958 and released in 1959. It was also featured on the movie-mocking program Mystery Science Theater 3000 .

Contents

Plot

Eddy Crane is the leader of a gang that robs small businesses for petty cash. At one point his gang accosts the broken-down car of Harry Bayliss, who is a music business executive. Afterward, Bayliss wishes to call a tow truck, so he goes into the diner where Eddy's gang is celebrating. Bayliss overhears Eddy singing to the jukebox and offers him a chance to audition for his variety program. Eddy accepts, passes his audition, and is given a spot on television. Eddy sings a two-minute song that is apparently stupendously successful, with Bayliss calling Eddy an "overnight sensation" and prophesying an astounding rise to fame, complete with a hit record, "a guest spot on every top show," and eventually culminating with "The Eddy Crane Show". Atop Eddy's newfound success, he also begins making advances toward Bayliss' secretary, Helen Tracy, in preference over his long-suffering girlfriend Iris.

The specter of Eddy's stardom raises dissension among his gang, who wish either to accompany him on his ascent, or to hold him back in their ranks. Iris is also jealous of Helen, with whom Eddy has been carrying on an affair. Helen eventually professes her love for Eddy. When one of Eddy's gang members, Moon, kills a fat barkeep, this threatens to drag Eddy down by association. Moon runs from the police, but is tracked down by Eddy, who delivers him for arrest. With this he definitively separates himself from the rest of his gang and from Iris, but also destroys his prospects for a singing career with his own arrest.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in 1958 with the working title of Sideburns and Sympathy. [2] That same year it was announced the film was to be produced by Elmer Carl Rhodan Jr. (1922-1959). [3] In addition to producing teen exploitation films [4] such as Corn's-A-Poppin' (1955), The Delinquents (1957), Daddy-O (1958), and The Cool and the Crazy (1958), [5] [6] Rhodan was the son of the owner of the Midwestern Commonwealth Theatre chain. [7]

Soundtrack

Songs for The Beatniks were written by songwriter Eddie Brandt and director Paul Frees.

Notes

  1. Thomas, Bryan. ""The Beatniks": Hollywood hoodlums on a rock 'n' roll rampage that has absolutely nothing to do with beatniks". nightflight.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. "09.20.2006 – Schlock today, dissertation tomorrow".
  3. p.4 Galaxy Science Fiction Volume 16 World Editions, 1958
  4. P. 27 The Daily Courier Connellsville, Pennsylvania February 27, 1958
  5. "Peanuts for Popcorn: A Tentative History of Corn's-a-Poppin' | Chicago Film Society".
  6. "Elmer C. Rhoden Jr". IMDb .
  7. pp. 79-80 Zuckoff, Mitchell Robert Altman Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 20 Oct 2009