Rock 'n' Roll High School
Encyclopedia
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman
, directed by Allan Arkush
, and featuring the Ramones
.
The film starred P. J. Soles
, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard
. Darby Crash
and Lorna Doom of The Germs
also played extras in this film.
), is the biggest Ramones fan at Vince Lombardi High School. She waits in line for three days to get tickets to see the band, hoping to meet Joey Ramone
so she can give him a song she wrote for the band, "Rock 'n' Roll High School".
When Principal Togar (Mary Woronov
) takes her ticket away, Riff and her best friend Kate Rambeau (Dey Young
) have to find another way to meet their heroes—by winning a radio contest. When Miss Togar and a group of parents attempt to burn a pile of rock records, the students take over the high school, joined by the Ramones, who are made honorary students. When the police are summoned and demand that the students evacuate the building, they do so, which leads to a quite literal explosive finale.
Arkush, who would go on to direct the film, tells all about the film's evolution on the Buena Vista DVD's commentary track, along with Whitley and producer Michael Finnell. The trio tries to maintain an anecdotal train of thought, but they tend to get distracted when certain elements pop up on the screen. This makes for an interruption in their stories, but it also tends to bring light to otherwise obscure trivia. For example, one of the film's more memorable sequences, the "paper plane" scene, was partially directed by the Zucker Brothers, who would go on to direct, Airplane!
(1980). It also reveals that Dante, who helped write the story, got the chance to direct a few of the film's sequences while Arkush was out of commission with exhaustion.
The genesis for the plot was a favorite story told to the film's original writer by his father, Raymond E. McBride of the Milwaukee Journal, who staged a walkout from his Superior (Wis.) Central High school in the 1920s. Rock 'n' Roll High School did so well that Arkush and Whitley followed it up with a sequel, Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
(1991).
The film was shot on the campus of the defunct Mount Carmel High School
in South Central Los Angeles
, that had been closed in 1976. The actual demolition of the school was used in the end of the film. See it at 1:48 of the trailer.
On July 31, 2008, it was announced that actor/writer Alex Winter
had been hired to script a remake of the film for Howard Stern
's production company.
's Roger Corman Cult Classics series, reissued on DVD in May 2010.
Shout! Factory released the film with exclusive content on Blu-ray on May 11, 2010.
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, directed by Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush is an American cult film and television director and frequent collaborator of Joe Dante....
, and featuring the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
.
The film starred P. J. Soles
P. J. Soles
P. J. Soles is an American film and television actress, known for her roles as Lynda van der Klok in Halloween, Norma Watson in Carrie and Bill Murray's military girlfriend Stella in Stripes....
, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard
Clint Howard
Clinton "Clint" Howard is an American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard...
. Darby Crash
Darby Crash
Darby Crash was an American punk musician who, along with long time friend Pat Smear , co-founded The Germs...
and Lorna Doom of The Germs
The Germs
The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
also played extras in this film.
Plot
Set in 1980, Vince Lombardi High School keeps losing principals to nervous breakdowns because of the students' love of rock 'n' roll and their disregard for education. Their leader, Riff Randall (P. J. SolesP. J. Soles
P. J. Soles is an American film and television actress, known for her roles as Lynda van der Klok in Halloween, Norma Watson in Carrie and Bill Murray's military girlfriend Stella in Stripes....
), is the biggest Ramones fan at Vince Lombardi High School. She waits in line for three days to get tickets to see the band, hoping to meet Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone
Joey Ramone was an American vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist in the punk rock band the Ramones. Joey Ramone's image, voice and tenure as frontman of the Ramones made him a countercultural icon.-Early life:Joey Ramone was born Jeffry Hyman to parents Noel and Charlotte Hyman...
so she can give him a song she wrote for the band, "Rock 'n' Roll High School".
When Principal Togar (Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov
Mary Woronov is an American actress and writer. She is primarily known for her roles in independent and cult films. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider.-Early life:Woronov was born in the...
) takes her ticket away, Riff and her best friend Kate Rambeau (Dey Young
Dey Young
Dey Young is an American actress and sculptor.Young was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the daughter of Pauline, a sociologist, and Donald E. Young. Her older sister is actress Leigh Taylor-Young; her brother Lance is a writer/director. She attended Kingswood School...
) have to find another way to meet their heroes—by winning a radio contest. When Miss Togar and a group of parents attempt to burn a pile of rock records, the students take over the high school, joined by the Ramones, who are made honorary students. When the police are summoned and demand that the students evacuate the building, they do so, which leads to a quite literal explosive finale.
Cast
- P. J. SolesP. J. SolesP. J. Soles is an American film and television actress, known for her roles as Lynda van der Klok in Halloween, Norma Watson in Carrie and Bill Murray's military girlfriend Stella in Stripes....
: Riff Randell - The Ramones: Themselves
- Vince Van Patten: Tom Roberts
- Clint HowardClint HowardClinton "Clint" Howard is an American film and television actor. He is a character actor with numerous brief appearances on television and films. He has played many bit parts in movies directed by his brother, actor-turned-director Ron Howard. He is also the uncle of actress Bryce Dallas Howard...
: Eaglebauer - Dey YoungDey YoungDey Young is an American actress and sculptor.Young was born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, the daughter of Pauline, a sociologist, and Donald E. Young. Her older sister is actress Leigh Taylor-Young; her brother Lance is a writer/director. She attended Kingswood School...
: Kate Rambeau - Mary WoronovMary WoronovMary Woronov is an American actress and writer. She is primarily known for her roles in independent and cult films. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider.-Early life:Woronov was born in the...
: Miss Evelyn Togar - Paul BartelPaul BartelPaul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
: Mr. McGree - Dick MillerDick MillerRichard "Dick" Miller is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 films, particularly those produced by Roger Corman, and later in films of directors who started their careers with Corman, including James Cameron and Joe Dante, with the distinction of appearing in every film made...
: Police Chief - Don SteeleDon SteeleDon Steele, born Donald Steele Revert , was one of the most popular disc jockeys in the United States, from the middle of the 1960s until his retirement in May 1997...
: Screamin' Steve Stevens - Alix Elias: Coach Steroid
- Kc Ramone: Extra
Soundtrack
- Bent FabricBent FabricBent Fabricius-Bjerre , better known internationally as Bent Fabric, is a Danish pianist and composer.-Biography:...
- "Alley CatAlley Cat (album)Alley Cat is the debut album by Danish pianist Bent Fabric. The album features the Grammy Award single "Alley Cat".-Track listing:#Alley Cat #Across The Alley From The Alamo #You Made Me Love You #Trudie #Markin' Time...
" - Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
- "School DaysSchool Days (song)"School Days" is a song written and recorded by rock and roll icon Chuck Berry, released by the Chess record label as a single in March 1957, and released on the LP After School Session two months later . It is one of his best known songs and is often considered a rock and roll anthem...
" - Brownsville StationBrownsville Station (band)Brownsville Station was a rock band from Michigan that was popular in the 1970s. Original members included Cub Koda , Mike Lutz , T.J. Cronley , and Tony Driggins...
- "Smokin' In the Boys RoomSmokin' In the Boys Room"Smokin' in the Boys Room" is a song originally recorded by Brownsville Station in 1973 on their album Yeah!, reaching #3 on the U.S. charts, and later covered in 1985 by Mötley Crüe, with the Crüe's version accompanied by a conceptual music video featuring Michael Berryman as the school...
" - Alice CooperAlice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- "School's OutSchool's Out (song)Female pop duo Daphne & Celeste, released a cover of the song in 2000. The chorus is based on Alice Cooper's hit of the same name, and some other elements of that song have been retained, although much of the song is "original", in a pop-rap style...
" - DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
- "Come Back JoneeQuestion: Are We Not Men? Answer: We Are Devo!Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut album by the American new wave music band Devo. Produced by Brian Eno, it was recorded primarily in Cologne, Germany and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978....
" - Eddie and the Hot Rods - "Teenage DepressionTeenage DepressionTeenage Depression Is the first studio album released by Pub Rock band Eddie and the Hot Rods. It is mixed by Jonz:A and R Howard Thomson and produced by Ed Hollis and Vic Maile. The album contains three cover songs, The Who's "The Kids Are Alright," Joe Tex's "Show Me" and Sam Cooke's "Shake"...
" - Fleetwood MacFleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
- "Albatross" - Fleetwood Mac - "Jigsaw Puzzle Blues"
- Nick LoweNick LoweNicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
- "So It Goes" - Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
- "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?" - MC5MC5The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
- "High School" - The Paley Brothers - "C'mon Let's Go"
- The Paley Brothers - "You're the Best"
- Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
- "A Dream Goes on Forever" - The Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet UndergroundThe Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
- "Rock & RollRock & Roll (Lou Reed song)"Rock & Roll" is a song by The Velvet Underground, originally appearing on their 1970 album Loaded. The song was written by the Velvet's then-leader Lou Reed, who continued to incorporate the song into his own live performances years later as a solo artist.The song recounts the advent of rock &...
" - Brian EnoBrian EnoBrian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
- "Spirits Drifting" - Brian Eno - "Alternative 3Alternative 3Alternative 3 is a television programme, broadcast once only in the United Kingdom in 1977, and later broadcast in Australia and New Zealand, as a fictional hoax, an heir to Orson Welles' radio production of The War of the Worlds...
" - Brian Eno - "M386"
- Brian Eno - "Energy Fools the Magician"
- RamonesRamonesThe Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
- "Blitzkrieg BopBlitzkrieg Bop"Blitzkrieg Bop" is a song by the American punk rock band Ramones. It was released as the band's debut single in April of 1976 in the United States...
" - Ramones - "I Just Want to Have Something to Do"
- Ramones - "I Wanna Be SedatedI Wanna Be Sedated"I Wanna Be Sedated" is a song by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It is one of the band's best known songs. It was originally released on their fourth album, Road to Ruin, in September 1978 and was the b-side of the UK single "She's the One" released on January 10, 1979. The song was later...
" - Ramones - "I Wanna Be Your BoyfriendI Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" is a song by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released in the US in 1976. It is the fourth track on their debut album, Ramones....
" - Ramones - "I Want You Around"
- Ramones - "Pinhead"
- Ramones - "Questioningly"
- Ramones - "Rock 'n' Roll High SchoolRock 'n' Roll High School (song)"Rock 'n' Roll High School" is a song by the punk rock group the Ramones from the soundtrack album Rock 'n' Roll High School. The single did not chart in the U.S. but peaked at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart....
" - Ramones - "She's the One"
- Ramones - "Sheena Is a Punk RockerSheena is a Punk Rocker"Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is a song by the punk rock group The Ramones. It first appeared on their third LP, Rocket to Russia, in 1977, and was also included on later pressings of the group's second album, Leave Home...
" - Ramones - "Teenage Lobotomy"
- Ramones - "California SunCalifornia Sun"California Sun", is a song credited to Henry Glover and Morris Levy. Originally recorded by 35-year-old New Orleans-born singer-songwriter Joe Jones, and released by EMI in the winter of 1961, it peaked at #89 on the charts.-Cover versions:...
" - Ramones - "Do You Wanna Dance?Do You Wanna Dance?"Do You Wanna Dance?" is a song written by Bobby Freeman , and recorded by him in 1958. It is also popular in a version performed by the Beach Boys, which was released in 1965, and in a version recorded by Bette Midler in 1972...
"
Production and success
Executive Producer Corman wanted a latter-day version of his wild-teen films of the 1950s and 1960s, and he felt that the best way to adapt to the 1970s would be to center the plot on the popular music of the day. The production Disco High began, based upon a story by Allan Arkush and Joe Dante. In September 1977 Richard Whitley and Russ Dvonch, both fresh out of film school, went to Corman's offices, hoping to find work. As luck would have it, Arkush and Dante happened to be in the lobby and were nice enough to look at their student films. They liked their films enough to give them the script, then called "Girl's Gym" by Joseph McBride. Whitley and Dvonch were told to take any section and rewrite it as a test. Whitley and Dvonch passed the test and were hired to write the screenplay which became Rock 'n' Roll High School.Arkush, who would go on to direct the film, tells all about the film's evolution on the Buena Vista DVD's commentary track, along with Whitley and producer Michael Finnell. The trio tries to maintain an anecdotal train of thought, but they tend to get distracted when certain elements pop up on the screen. This makes for an interruption in their stories, but it also tends to bring light to otherwise obscure trivia. For example, one of the film's more memorable sequences, the "paper plane" scene, was partially directed by the Zucker Brothers, who would go on to direct, Airplane!
Airplane!
Airplane! is a 1980 American satirical comedy film directed and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker and released by Paramount Pictures...
(1980). It also reveals that Dante, who helped write the story, got the chance to direct a few of the film's sequences while Arkush was out of commission with exhaustion.
The genesis for the plot was a favorite story told to the film's original writer by his father, Raymond E. McBride of the Milwaukee Journal, who staged a walkout from his Superior (Wis.) Central High school in the 1920s. Rock 'n' Roll High School did so well that Arkush and Whitley followed it up with a sequel, Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever is a 1991 musical comedy film and sequel to the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School. The film stars Corey Feldman, Mary Woronov, and Sarah Buxton.-Plot:...
(1991).
The film was shot on the campus of the defunct Mount Carmel High School
Mount Carmel High School (Los Angeles)
Mount Carmel High School was a Roman Catholic all boys high school located in Los Angeles, California. It was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was founded by the Carmelite Order in 1935. The school closed in 1976, and was demolished in 1983...
in South Central Los Angeles
South Los Angeles
South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
, that had been closed in 1976. The actual demolition of the school was used in the end of the film. See it at 1:48 of the trailer.
On July 31, 2008, it was announced that actor/writer Alex Winter
Alex Winter
Alexander Ross "Alex" Winter is an English-born American actor, film director, and film writer, best known for his role as Bill S. Preston Esq. in the 1989 film Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and its 1991 sequel Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey...
had been hired to script a remake of the film for Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's production company.
Release
The film is a part of Shout! FactoryShout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
's Roger Corman Cult Classics series, reissued on DVD in May 2010.
Shout! Factory released the film with exclusive content on Blu-ray on May 11, 2010.