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It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Other reviewers have discussed the music in detail. I would only like to say that there is great swing dancing in this movie. Especially the couple in the center of the screen. Some of their moves were astounding. From today's viewpoint it is ironic that some of the best examples of swing dancing on film is in these late 1950's rock in roll movies. At that time, however, many people thought rock was a new version of swing. About four years later rock went off in another direction, eliminating the saxophone and partner dancing. This, of course, eventually led to a rebellion against rock from 1995 to the present by many people who like to dance with a partner.

Julius LaRosa portrays Tommy Adane, an acclaimed singer of ballads whose popularity has passed with the recent rock and roll craze. His manager (Conrad Janis) desperately tries to get his career recharged by having the apprehensive Tommy give in and record some rock music. The first question I have is: if this is a movie that's promoting the new rock and roll music, why do we have to suffer through a few of LaRosa's schmaltzy ballads? Anyway -- there's still the famous "Short Shorts" song, one tune from Paul Anka, some cool stuff by Roy Hamilton, and the choice moment of the film where Danny and the Juniors perform their classic hit, "At the Hop". I also liked some nice shots of New York's Central Park in the '50s. **1/2 out of ****

This should be titled "Try to Rock" or "Where is the Rock?". Julius LaRosa is a ballad singer whose record sales are slumping due to his stubborn dislike of the new sound. His manager(Conrad Janis) and song writing girlfriend(Phyllis Newman) do their best to convince him to try singing rock 'n' roll.The other performers are not great examples of the art form, because they too are not really rocking. Artists Paul Anka and Della Reese are pretty tame. DJ Wink Martindale comes across lame trying to swing out. Roy Hamilton's upbeat blues was marvelous. Danny & the Juniors and the Royal Teens are on target as a sign of the times.Note: Sure, Elvis is in the Army, but rock 'n' roll did not dry up and disappear. This could have been a whole lot better.

Obviously this isn't a rock and roll movie except for rare exceptions. More like a Frank Sinatra wanna be and couldn't be. Check out Phyllis Newman anyway. Most of the real rock is buried under a morass of retro "ballad" stuff. And don't miss Wink Martindal as a young Dick Clark lookalike;)