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 & opticals
• Ryder Sound Services  sound re-recording

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:

Hand-written posters visible on the walls during the Ear Mail sequence include a recruiting poster for the People's Temple offering free Kool-Aid and a film club poster advertising a double-feature showing of Death Race 2000 (1975) (directed by Paul Bartel) and Hollywood Boulevard (1976) (directed by Allan Arkushand Joe Dante).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Tom calls Riff from his van, he mentions that he is listening to the "new Ramones album." The song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" can be heard in the background. The problem is "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" is from the Ramones' first album "Ramones" (1976). Had Tom actually been listening to their newest album, he would have been listening to "Road to Ruin" (1978)...which does not include the song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend".

Quotes:

Angel Dust: I'm FIRST in line! and if you don't like it, you can put it where the monkey puts the nuts!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore (1997)

Soundtrack:

I Want You Around

One of the best cult classics ever!

A must for any punk rocker, this is the movie that made The Ramones a household name back in the early 1980's (when it first appeared on premium cable stations). This was one of the first and best of the American Punk Rock movies, with a cult classic status up there with The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Originally the producers wanted Cheap Trick as the stars, but the release of the "Live At Budakon" album had just made them superstars and too hot an item to be in a low budget movie. Very good luck for the Ramones who were looking to break out of the underground punk rock world and into the mainstream market (which sadly never happened until after the bands demise). The band, Dee Dee especially, always disliked the movie through the 80's but the fans always loved and could recite most of the movie while waiting to get into Ramones shows. This movie, like most classics, is stupid fun with some classic Ramones footage in their heyday. Don't expect more, you won't find it. It's great fun, so enjoy it. Another Allan Arkush classic movie in a similar vein is Get Crazy, featuring Lee Ving from the legendary hardcore punk band Fear.