Go, Johnny, Go!

Go, Johnny Go!
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by	Paul Landres
Written by	Gary Alexander
Produced by	Hal Roach, Jr.
Starring	Alan Freed Jimmy Clanton Sandy Stewart Chuck Berry
Cinematography	Jack Etra
Edited by	Walter A. Hannemann
Music by	Leon Klatzkin
Production company	Hal Roach Studios
Distributed by	Valiant Films
Release date	June 1959 (1959-06)
Running time	75 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Go, Johnny Go! is a 1959 rock and roll film starring Alan Freed as a talent scout searching for a future rock and roll star. Co-starring in the film are Jimmy Clanton, Sandy Stewart, and Chuck Berry. The film has also been released as Johnny Melody, The Swinging Story and The Swinging Story of Johnny Melody.

Plot summary

This is a fiction account of a young singer Johnny Melody who gets discovered by Alan Freed. It starts with Chuck Berry and Alan discussing the young Melody with Barry intimating that he nearly ended in the slammer. Alan relays the story of how Johnny went from being an orphan with no last name to becoming a major singer.

Cast

• Alan Freed as Alan Freed
• Jimmy Clanton as Johnny Melody
• Sandy Stewart as Julie Arnold
• Chuck Berry as Chuck Berry
• Herb Vigran as Bill Barnett
• Frank Wilcox as Mr. Arnold
• Barbara Wooddell as Mrs. Arnold
• Milton Frome as Mr. Martin

• Joe Cranston as Band leader
• Martha Wentworth as Mrs. McGillacudy, Johnny's landlady
• Robert Foulk as Policeman at jewelry store
• Phil Arnold as Stagehand
• William Fawcett as Janitor at radio station
• Dick Elliott as Man waiting for the telephone
• Inga Boling as Secretary
• Joe Flynn as Usher who fires Johnny

Cast notes

• Jimmy Clanton was involved in the music scene of New Orleans. The first single he released, "Just A Dream", was recorded with the assistance of studio musicians such as Mac Rebennack ("Dr. John, the Night Tripper") and Allen Toussaint. Rebennack would have a Top 10 hit on the Billboard charts with "Right Place, Wrong Time" in 1973. The recording session for "Just A Dream" was amongst the first Toussaint would participate in; he has been very active in the music industry in the decades since then.
• Go, Johnny Go! was the only film appearance of Ritchie Valens, who died shortly after filming it in a plane crash, along with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. The film was released after Valens' death.
• Go, Johnny Go! was Eddie Cochran's third and final appearance in a major picture. A second song, "I Remember", was filmed but cut from the final print.

Songs

1. "Go, Johnny Go!" (Johnny B Goode)- Chuck Berry
2. "I'll Take A Long Time" - Jimmy Clanton
3. "Jump Children" - The Flamingos
4. "Angel Face" - Jimmy Clanton
5. "Don't Be Afraid To Love" - Harvey
6. "Mama Can I Go Out" - Jo Ann Campbell
7. "Teenage Heaven" - Eddie Cochran
8. "Playmates" - Sandy Stewart
9. "My Love Is Strong" - Jimmy Clanton
10. "Memphis Tennessee" - Chuck Berry
11. "Jay Walker" - The Cadillacs
12. "You Better Know It" - Jackie Wilson
13. "Please Mr. Johnson" - Cadillacs
14. "Heavenly Father" - Sandy Stewart
15. "Little Queenie" - Chuck Berry
16. "Ooh My Head" - Ritchie Valens
17. "Ship On A Stormy Sea" - Jimmy Clanton

Production

Go, Johnny Go! was filmed in five days at the Culver City, California studios of Hal Roach Productions.

References

Notes

External links

• Go, Johnny, Go! at IMDb
• Go, Johnny, Go! at the TCM Movie Database
• Go, Johnny, Go! at AllMovie
• Go, Johnny, Go! at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films