Jamboree

This film is not a fantastic film considering it as a whole. HOWEVER, the brief performance of Buddy Knox singing his "Hula Love" with his Rhythm Orchids including Jimmy Bowen playing the rhythm guitar and Don Lanier, who was one of the finest and greatest rock and roll solo guitarists of the 50's, make this film a must. Yes, this brief performance of Buddy really makes this otherwise mediocre film a great value for the serious lover of the beginnings of Rock and Roll era. It is sad that Buddy Knox has been somehow underrated as a rock and roll star. Buddy was one of the finest and most charming rock and roll singers, and his voice and style were unsurpassed. Buddy Knox was as great as Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. It is very sad that he passed away in 1999.

If you enjoy classic performances, this a good one to add to your collection. In standard def, but the quality is good

The movie's plot centers around Pete and Honey - two teens who fall in love while trying to climb to the top of the music charts with the help of their ruthless managers. Along this backstage musical-style journey, many real life artists perform. One not-to-be-missed performance is a young Frankie Avalon in his FIRST movie apperance (well before his first hit, "Dede Dinah"). Also to note is that even though she doesn't appear in the movie, Connie Francis' voices all of Honey's songs.If you enjoyed movies like, "Don't Knock the Rock", "Rock Around the Clock", "The Girl Can't Help It", or "Rock, Rock, Rock" this movie's for you.

The 1950s was a time when it was possible for individual or group acts with just the barest hints of talent to not only land a contract with a record label but also, depending on how well their record sold, a "sing-on" spot in a movie. Granted, the movies were more often than not low-budget, second-rate productions that were usually the second of a two-bill theater presentation and featured well-known radio personalities along with lesser-known actors, but for the music performers, many of whom were just kids straight out of the "country" and inner city neighborhoods, who cared? Such was the case with the film,  Jamboree , one of several rock & roll films that exploited the burgeoning teenage market, particularly white teenagers, whose raucous enthusiasm for the mostly black-themed dance music made them such a tempting (and profitable) draw for the label owners. Modern-day fans of this genre, like me, have found that the existence of this film, and other like it, in the Amazon music library is like discovering gold. Withal, it was the music that counted, and it makes the act of viewing these films--and getting past the non-existent or nonsensical plot lines--well-worth the effort. I wanted to acquire this video mainly because it featured the only film appearance of 13-year-old Louis Lymon and the Teenchords, a group that primarily gained its 15-minutes of fame (more like a year) from the its association with the Teenagers, whose lead singer, Frankie, was Louis's older brother. Little did anyone know at the time that 1957, when the film was produced, would mark the beginning of a long slide of the music we now know as "doo wop"; it's what makes the acquisition of this film so valuable for die-hard enthusiasts of this short-lived genre.

Original footage of some hot rockers in their day.

I will preface this by saying that I love the rock 'n' roll music of the 1950's. With the lineup of performers you would think this would be great just to see them. What you got were shortened versions of songs, poor camera work (scenes turning from light to dark) and horrible muted sound. Forget the storyline - some of the worst acting and sets you'll ever see. The other movies of this time were much better. Of course they were all a bit corny, however you wanted to see the performers regardless of the plot. I would have given this one star even if I saw it when it came out.

The music performances were cut too short. Disappointing.

Very entertaining movie that brought back a lot of great memories of the mid fifties rock and roll history.It is really something to see all these rock and roll legends in their prime (no canes and walkers required).

GREAT

These films typically have abysmal plots and even worse acting. Their raison d'etre is to show the popular singers and bands of the day strutting their stuff. These were the forerunners of the pop video and were eagerly awaited by us teenagers who had no idea what the people who produced this wonderful music looked like. The beauty of the DVD is that one can see the musical acts without having to sit through the rest. As such, this review would suffice for any of these fifties/early sixties offerings.(The noteable exception to this is "The Girl Can Help It" a good comedy in its own right with a knockout performance from Edmund O'Brien. Unfortunately in this film only partial performances were shown in some cases. Most the the Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent material appears to have gone on the cutting room floor and is probably lost forever.)