Rock All Night (1957)

Rock All Night is a 1957 American International Pictures (AIP) film produced and directed by Roger Corman based on a 1955 television episode of The Jane Wyman Theatre called Little Guy.Two escaping killers hide out in a bar and hold the bartender and clients hostage. Amongst the patrons are a nervous singer (Abby Dalton), a boxer, his wife, and manager, an extortionist, a loud thug and his girlfriend, and a small man who can pick people's real as opposed to posed personalities and has no fear (Dick Miller).

Songwriter and manager Buck Ram offered a slew of his musical talent such as The Platters, The Blockbusters, and Nora Hayes to AIP for a film in return for having the sole rights to a soundtrack album for the film. Corman filmed Ram's acts lip synching their tunes on a separate set that comprise the beginning of the film. Rock All Night was made in five days and originally appeared as a double feature with Dragstrip Girl. Comedian Lord Buckley had planned to be in the film, but when he was unavailable, one of Corman's stock company and a writer for Buckley, Mel Welles imitated Buckley in the role of "Sir Bop". Dick Miller a former Navy boxing champion played the role Dane Clark did in the television show with Russell Johnson playing the role that Lee Marvin did.

I loved the early AIP films, these films were marketed towards the teen market of the late 1950's featuring youth oriented themes. Roger Corman worked with really small budgets on these pictures but they look great and I think he did very well with what he had.



ROCK ALL NIGHT
ROGER CORMAN  (1957)
AIP
62 MIN
USA