Page 37 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 132

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #132 January 2024 37

In Reel Time

Rock `n Roll Fantasy

stopped the recording of their now
By Nikolai Adams oh-so-famous “Birthday” song to
return to McCartney’s home to watch
s light and frivolous as a wispy the film’s British tv premiere together.
Asummer cloud meandering Furthering the film’s lore, it was a
across a baby blue sky, 1956’s The Girl monumental influence on Jimmy Page
Can’t Help It, written and directed by and Jeff Beck (who
Frank Tashlin, though perhaps at first would both have huge success
glance not as influential (or known) with The Yardbirds before spinning
as its very similar cousin from the off into Led Zeppelin and a hit solo
previous year, The Seven Year Itch, is career respectively), the latter calling
an entertaining musical comedy that it, “The Best Rock & Roll Movie Ever
had a huge impact on pop culture. . . Filmed!”.
FPO
though intriguingly not on the movie
Of course, as these things do, Miller
industry (but more on that later).
and Jerri start to fall for each other. . .
Flipping the script slightly from the the sixth sense of the mobster warning
Billy Wilder classic, Tom Ewell plays him that he’d better investigate. Will FPO
a similarly twitchy man, an alcoholic the pair be able to keep their feelings
press agent, Tom Miller, who ironically secret from the deadly man? Can
thinks himself an adonis despite his Photo Submitted Miller somehow make Jerri a star. . .
rather frail, nervous demeanor around despite the fact she seemingly doesn’t
writer, he came up with a number of stage as they make the rounds. An
women. Instead of being slightly have any talent? Could we call Miller
bored in a staid marriage, he has tunes while he spent time behind bars unbelievable snapshot of the early a one armed bandit if he steals Jerri
instead lost his chance at telling his earlier in his life. rock `n roll scene, you’ll see icons from the slot king?
like Little Richard, Nino Temple,
former singing sensation client Julie A wily, cunning networker, Miller
Eddie Fontaine, Gene Vincent, Lighthearted fun fused with early
London (as herself) that he was falling promptly brings Jerri along with
Eddie Cochran, Fats Domino, and rock greatness and the visual beauty
for her - she has now moved on to him to all of the hip and happening
bigger and better things. nightclubs. . . having her strut her stuff The Platters (and this is just a solid of stunning colours, impressive
to the washroom whenever the clubs’ sampling). Impressive on its own, costume design, and intoxicating sets,
With a name that matters in the the film reached a sixteen year old The Girl Can’t Help It lets the camera
owners or managers are in the perfect
agent industry, it does not take long in Liverpool, England, a passionate linger, its cuts on average happening a
for slot mobster ‘Fats’ Murdock place, she immediately catches the eye music lover named John Lennon. lot slower than is generally expected
of all the men. . . desperate to sign the
(Edmond O’Brien) to track him The first time he was actually able to in a film (in this one about every ten
down. Wanting his buxom girlfriend, new sensation Miller is pedaling (the see the rock gods he so worshiped, seconds or so). With deft comedic
Jerri Jordan (Jayne Mansfield – her only problem that no one knows, she it spurred him on to continue his touch (in fact, Mansfield won a
has no talent). Instead, Jerri, so sweet
breakthrough role. . . and very much passion. Not too long later (the same Golden Globe for Most Promising
fitting the part of the Marilyn Monroe and innocent despite her beau and summer, in fact), Lennon met Paul Newcomer – Female), an enjoyably
misleading looks, is more interested
character in Itch), to make it big in the McCartney, a fifteen year old who simple storyline, and a few nice twists
singing industry, he forcefully hooks in spending time with her agent than impressed the older teen by showing to close everything out, a whopping
the success-bringing man. . . for he becoming a star – as she is vocal in off his carbon copy rendition of seventeen musical numbers pop out
wanting to get married and start a
is known for never making advances “Twenty Flight Rock” seen performed throughout the piece – a magnificent
on even the most stunning of clients. family (a perfect example of the baby by Eddie Cochran in the picture. The relic capturing the burgeoning early
boom era).
Intriguingly, you could argue that pair later snuck into the film together days of rock `n roll. So, make this
‘Fats’ wants his girlfriend to be To return to the influential aspect – underage, they wore fake mustaches one a hit again by ‘rocking around the
famous because subconsciously he of this film, the nightclub subplot to watch it again. In fact, the movie rockpile’ with this fun story – it’s still
wants to be as well. . . a closeted song finds different bands performing on meant so much to the pair that they a star all these years later.