Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Allan Arkush
(more)

Writers:

Richard Whitley (screenplay) &
Russ Dvonch (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 August 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

Hey ho, Let's go!

Plot:

A group of rock-music-loving students, with the help of the Ramones, take over their school to combat its newly installed oppressive administration.

Plot Keywords:

Ramones | High School | Rock 'n' Roll | B Movie | Hall Monitor

Cast

P.J. Soles	...	Riff Randell
Vincent Van Patten	...	Tom Roberts
Clint Howard	...	Eaglebauer
Dey Young	...	Kate Rambeau
Mary Woronov	...	Miss Evelyn Togar
Paul Bartel	...	Mr. McGree
Dick Miller	...	Police Chief
Don Steele	...	Screamin' Steve Stevens
Alix Elias	...	Coach Steroid
Loren Lester	...	Fritz Hansel
Daniel Davies	...	Fritz Gretel
Lynn Farrell	...	Angel Dust
Herbie Braha	...	Manager
Grady Sutton	...	School Board President
Chris Somma	...	Shawn
Marla Rosenfield	...	Cheryl
Barbara Ann Grimes	...	Cafeteria Lady (as Barbara Ann Walters)
Terry Soda	...	Norma
Joe Van Sickle	...	Cop
Joey Ramone	...	Himself
Johnny Ramone	...	Himself
Dee Dee Ramone	...	Himself
Marky Ramone	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David N. Barber	...	Native American scalper (uncredited)
Rob Bottin	...	Giant Mouse (uncredited)
Ann Chatterton	...	(uncredited)
Darby Crash	...	(uncredited)
Sylvia Dante	...	Nun (uncredited)
Debbie Evans	...	(uncredited)
Jack Gill	...	(uncredited)
Michael Goodwin	...	Chemistry Teacher (uncredited)
John Hateley	...	(uncredited)
Kay Kimler	...	(uncredited)
Joseph McBride	...	School board member (uncredited)
Jim Rygiel	...	Guy in line at mayan theater (uncredited)
Teri Schwartz	...	Nun (uncredited)
George Wagner	...	Man Proposing in Phone Booth (uncredited)

Directed by
Allan Arkush
Joe Dante		(uncredited)
Jerry Zucker		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Richard Whitley		(screenplay) &
Russ Dvonch		(screenplay) and
Joseph McBride		(screenplay)
Allan Arkush		(story) and
Joe Dante		(story)

Produced by
Roger Corman	....	executive producer
Michael Finnell	....	producer

Cinematography by
Dean Cundey

Film Editing by
Larry Bock
Gail Werbin

Art Direction by
Marie Kordus

Set Decoration by
Linda Pearl

Costume Design by
Jack Buehler

Makeup Department
Gigi Williams	....	hair stylist
Gigi Williams	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mark Radcliffe	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joe Dante	....	assistant director
Jon Davison	....	second unit director
Gerald T. Olson	....	first assistant director
Caren Singer	....	second assistant director
Jerry Zucker	....	second unit director

Art Department
Mark Toepfer	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Rhonda Baer	....	boom operator
J.A. Markovitch	....	sound mixer: concert sound
Michael C. Moore	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Frank DeMarco	....	special effects
Roger George	....	special effects

Stunts
Ann Chatterton	....	stunts
Debbie Evans	....	stunts
Jack Gill	....	stunts
John Hateley	....	stunts (as John Hately)
Kay Kimler	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Carin Abramson	....	still photographer
Chris Brightman	....	grip
Clyde E. Bryan	....	camera operator: second unit (as Clyde Bryan)
Scott Buttfield	....	electrician
Steve Caldwell	....	grip
Mark Shane Davis	....	gaffer (as Mark Davis)
Tim Doughton	....	grip
Paul Elliott	....	assistant camera
Steven Fierberg	....	electrician
Steve Mathis	....	best boy
Krishna Rao	....	assistant camera
Fred Roscolene	....	key grip
Thomas Vanghele	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda M. Bass	....	assistant wardrobe (as Linda Bass)

Editorial Department
Kent Beyda	....	assistant editor
Mark Helfrich	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jane Alsobrook	....	music consultant
Jonathan Brett	....	soundtrack coordinator
Joel Soifer	....	music re-mix engineer
Phil Spector	....	music re-mixer
Ed Stasium	....	musical director: Ramones
Seymour Stein	....	soundtrack coordinator

Transportation Department
Chris Brightman	....	driver

Other crew
Susan Arnold	....	extras coordinator
Rob Bottin	....	giant mouse creator
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Bruce Frankel	....	production assistant
Richard Graddis	....	production assistant
Ernie Guderjahn	....	extras coordinator
Siana Lee Hale	....	choreographer
Terry Hutner	....	production coordinator
Jennifer Radcliffe	....	production assistant
Jeanne Rosenberg	....	script supervisor
Michael Silvers	....	production assistant
James Cameron	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Gale Anne Hurd	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Vincent Prentice	....	co-creator: giant mouse (uncredited)

Thanks
Joe Dante	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New World Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (1990) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• BuyIndies.com Inc. (worldwide)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• New Concorde (2001) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• J's Fine Art Inc.  sound effects (as J'S Fine Art & Provision Co.)
• Jack Rabin & Associates  titles and opticals (as Jack Rabin & Associates)
• Ryder Sound Services  sound re-recording (as Ryder Sound Services)

Also Known As:

Disco High (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Iceland:L (re-rating) | Finland:S (1990) | UK:15 (cut) | USA:PG (certificate #25611) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

El Segundo High School - 640 Main Street, El Segundo, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

Roger Corman's original title for the film was "Disco High" until Allan Arkush heard The Ramones and decided to use them in his movie.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The seniors at Vince Lombardi High School wear class buttons which read "1980." The freshman who is the continual victim of upperclassman abuse wears a class button that reads "1984." Freshmen of that year would have been from the class of 1983, not 1984.

Quotes:

Miss Togar: [holding phone to radio broadcasting live Ramones concert] That, Mrs. Rambeau, is where your daughter is.
Mrs. Rambeau: [over phone] My daughter? Kate? I thought she was in the basement splitting photons.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Bikini Chain Gang (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

A great tribute to rock'n'roll movies

And this is a great rock'n'roll movie in itself. No matter how it evolved (at point being a movie about disco), it ended up as one of the ultimate movies in which kids want to rock out, but the principal stands in their way. Think back to those rock'n'roll movies of the 50's in which the day is saved when Alan Freed comes to town with Chuck Berry to prove that Rock & Roll Music is really cool and safe for the kids, and Tuesday Weld gets a new sweater for the dance. Forward to the 1979, repeat the same plot, but throw in DA RAMONES, whom no one then realized would become one of the most influential bands of the next quarter century (and then for the obligatory DJ guest shot, "The Real" Don Steele). Throw in, too, all the elements of a Roger Corman-produced comedy-exploitation film, except for the two-day shooting schedule, some of the familiar Corman repertory players like Clint Howard, Mary Wournow and Dick Miller (there since "Bucket of Blood"), and you've got one of the great stoopid movies of the day. One of the few films that uses deliberate cheesiness and gets away with it. I showed the new DVD to a friend who could only remember seeing parts of it through a stoner- induced haze at the drive-in, and he agreed that this is one of the great movies to be watching drunk, not the least for the lovely leading ladies and the great Ramones footage.