Rock’n’roll had well and truly gripped the world by the time it hit the box offi ce in June
- Billed as “The Biggest Rock’n’Roll Picture Ever!”, Go, Johnny, Go! was
masterminded by DJ Alan “Moondog” Freed and producer-director Hal Roach Jr. As with
many of these Big Beat spectaculars, it was weak on plot, heavy on music. Freed himself
stars as a talent scout, with teen pin-up Jimmy Clanton as the lead and pop chanteuse
Sandy Stewart as his love interest. Taking top billing in the music stakes were Jackie
Wilson, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, The Flamingos, The Cadillacs, The Moonglows’
Harvey Fuqua and, of course, Chuck Berry, who performs Johnny B Goode. “While
anyone over the age of 21 would probably do well to avoid subjecting their eardrums to
this off beat assembly of real gone entertainment,” wrote one reviewer, “the fact
remains that at least fi ve of the 10 performers... are holders of gold records.”
GO, JOHNNY, GO!
HITS THE CINEMAS
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98 VINTAGE^9 ROCKCoda