| Twist Around the Clock | |
|---|---|
![]() Theatrical Poster  | |
| Directed by | Oscar Rudolph | 
| Written by | Robert E. Kent | 
| Produced by | Sam Katzman | 
| Starring | Chubby Checker | 
| Cinematography | Gordon Avil | 
| Edited by | Jerome Thoms | 
| Music by | Freddy Karger | 
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures | 
Release date  | December 30, 1961 | 
Running time  | 86 minutes | 
| Country | United States | 
| Language | English | 
| Box office | $1.4 million (US/Canada)[1] | 
Twist Around the Clock is an American musical film released in 1961. It was a remake of Sam Katzman and Robert E. Kent's Rock Around the Clock. Like Rock Around the Clock, which was followed by a sequel titled Don't Knock the Rock, the film was followed by a sequel titled Don't Knock the Twist.
Plot
A struggling manager visiting a hayseed town discovers a new dance craze, the Twist, and hopes to turn it into an overnight nationwide sensation.
Cast
- Chubby Checker as Chubby Checker
 - Dion DiMucci as Dion (as Dion)
 - Vicki Spencer as Vicki Spencer
 - The Marcels as The Marcels
 - Cornelius Harp as The Marcels Lead Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Fred Johnson as The Marcels Bass Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Gene Bricker as The Marcels Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Ronald Mundy as The Marcels Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Richard Knauss as The Marcels Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Allen Johnson as The Marcels Singer (as The Marcels)
 - Clay Cole as Clay Cole
 - John Cronin as Mitch Mason
 - Mary Mitchel as Tina Louden (as Mary Mitchell)
 - Maura McGiveney as Debbie Marshall
 - Tol Avery as Joe Marshall
 - Alvy Moore as Dizzy Bellew
 - Lenny Kent as Georgie Clark
 - Tom Middleton as Jimmy Cook
 - Jeff Malloy as Larry Louden (as Jeff Parker)
 - John Bryant as Harry Davis
 
Production
Twist Around the Clock only cost $250,000 to make, but in less than six months it grossed six million - so of course I'm gonna make more 'Twist' movies !
— Sam Katzman
Critical reception
Describing the film as having "something resembling a plot," critic Eleanor Mannikka wrote in AllMovie that "In the end, this teen-oriented tale is best remembered for two of Dion's hit songs, "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer".[2] Writing for Turner Classic Movies, critic Rob Nixon described the film as "a remake of the first true rock 'n' roll musical, Rock Around the Clock (1956), with a nearly identical plot."[3] A review of the film in TV Guide described it as "a bit of good fun" that "bears a certain naive charm of a long-gone era," and that it "is really just an excuse for plenty of rock tunes."[4]
References
- ↑ "Big Rental Pictures of 1962". Variety. 9 Jan 1963. p. 13. Please note these are rentals and not gross figures
 - ↑ Mannikka, Eleanor. "Twist Around the Clock (1961)". AllMovie. Netaktion LLC. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
 - ↑ Nixon, Rob. "Twist Around the Clock (1961)". Turner Classic Movies. Turner Classic Movies, Inc. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
 - ↑ "Twist Around the Clock - Movie Review". TV Guide. TV Guide. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
 
External links
