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Rock Around the Clock

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Rock Around the Clock

Released Mar 21, 1956,

1h 17m,

Musical

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5 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

An unknown rock 'n' roll band (Bill Haley & the Comets) becomes famous.

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Ricardo De Querol

El Pais (Spain)

Racial conflict is not explicitly addressed, but the selection of artists dismantles barriers that jazz had already cracked. [Full review in Spanish]

Nov 17, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Of course, the story isn’t the story here -- the film’s real value is in the amazing assemblage of various musical outfits performing their hits.

Rated: 3/4 •

Nov 8, 2023

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

If anything, Rock Around the Clock will introduce a new generation to the origins of rock and roll music.

Rated: 3/5 •

Oct 24, 2023

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: B- •

Jan 13, 2013

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

If you can tune out the corny story, the music is a good trip down memory lane.

Rated: C+ •

Jul 12, 2011

Full Review

dave s

Rock Around the Clock is about as simplistic as a movie can be. The story is as thin as a wafer, the script is full of clunky dialogue, and the performances and production values are passable but uninspired. Shot during the dawn of rock and roll, the only real reason to watch are the performances from Bill Haley & the Comets and The Platters, as well as an appearance from rock impresario Alan Freed. Anything that happens between the performances feels like nothing more than filler, an excuse to extend a short concert film into a full-length feature. Suggestion: fast forward through everything but the music performances to make it worth the watch.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Jared Z

A corny and dated but entertaining flick revolving around the music of Bill Haley & his Comets. Features two performances by The Platters and a tour-de-force live rendition of the Comets instrumental "Rudy's Rock," which shows the Comets' frenetic showmanship in action.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/21

Full Review

Audience Member

The acting is wooden and the film feels like an infomercial in style the first quarter of a hour. It is however a nice time capsule for the bands depicted and their music whilst attempting to tell a story of the rise of the music genre. It does this well enough but it's a very simple plot to represent it.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a very simple story, yet a fun movie to watch, especially for the performances. after all that all it was, a way to exploit rock and roll and make money off of the teenagers of its time

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Fred F. Sears

Director

Bill Haley & the Comets

Self

Alan Freed

Self

Johnny Johnston

Steve Hollis

Robert E. Kent

Writer

Sam Katzman

Producer

Synopsis

An unknown rock 'n' roll band (Bill Haley & the Comets) becomes famous.

Director: Fred F. Sears
Producer: Sam Katzman
Screenwriter: Robert E. Kent
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Clover Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre: Musical
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 21, 1956, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2020
Runtime: 1h 17m
Sound Mix: Mono

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