Hey, Let's Twist (1961)

Director:

Greg Garrison

Writer:

Hal Hackady (writer)

Release Date:

31 December 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Tagline:

The one great movie about the sensation!

Plot Keywords:

Punctuation In Title | Apostrophe In Title | Comma In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Joey Dee	...	Joey Dee
Teddy Randazzo	...	Rickey Dee
Kay Armen	...	Angie
Zohra Lampert	...	Sharon
Dino Di Luca	...	Papa
Richard Dickens	...	Rore
Jo-Ann Campbell	...	Piper
Allan Arbus	...	The doctor
Hope Hampton	...	Herself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dave Brigati	...	Himself (as The Starliters)
Adriano Celentano	...	Cantante
Sally Kirkland	...	Dancer
Dawn Nickerson	...	Girlfriend of one of the starlighters
Joseph Rigano	...	Vinnie
The Starliters	...	Themselves

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Harry Romm Productions

Trivia:

Allan Arbus' film debut.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The Early Years (1955-1970) (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Let's Twist

Good Italian Boys

There was a time in 1961 or so when Elvis was gone off to Germany to be in the Army, that suddenly, and for a brief time, you found Italian boys from New York and Philadelphia coming out of the woodwork with hit after hit. All of them cleancut, good Italian boys you would not mind taking home to mother. (Elvis, on the other hand, was much more blatantly sexual then these boys would ever be..). So we had Frankie Avalon, Dion and the Belmonts, and the boys that just had letters for last names instead of Italian names that sounded "too ethnic". This movie is a snapshot sort of look at that time. Joey Dee (and the Starliters...) and Teddy Randazzo play brothers who want to be leaders of Twist bands and not be a lawyer or an teacher as their Father wishes. Father owns a failing Italian restaurant and struggles to put the two boys through college.. they explain that they want to leave college and pursue music careers and Pop is taken sick in bed from the shock. While he is sick, the boys turn dads "Neapolitan Gardens" restaurant into the "Peppermint Lounge", not out of meaness but because he restaurant is failing and they just know that the place can make money as a dance club. From here that plot goes on.

Overall a better than average genre picture. There is enough plot to hold your attention and the music is just great! If you are a fan of the era, or just want to see what was going on in America when Elvis was in the Army, this is one place to look.