Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story

2h 1999

Brief Synopsis

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Television movie about 1950s rock deejay Alan Freed and the scandals that ended his career. In 1951, Cleveland DJ Alan Freed eavesdrops on a group of black and white teenagers bopping to the sounds of rhythm and blues. Freed takes a chance and plays the controversial music at midnight. Suddenly, the

Cast & Crew

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Andy Wolk

Director

Judd Nelson

Alan Freed

Mädchen Amick

Jackie Mccoy

David Gianopoulos

Morris Levy

Daniel Kash

Hooke

Leon Robinson

Film Details

Also Known As
Big Beat Heat, The
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Release Date
1999
Production Company
NBC Entertainment
Distribution Company
Artisan Home Entertainment
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration
2h

Synopsis

Television movie about 1950s rock deejay Alan Freed and the scandals that ended his career. In 1951, Cleveland DJ Alan Freed eavesdrops on a group of black and white teenagers bopping to the sounds of rhythm and blues. Freed takes a chance and plays the controversial music at midnight. Suddenly, the world and music changes forever. "Rock'n'Roll" becomes part of America's lexicon, but for conservative right-wing citizens, the music represents sex, anarchy and crime. Freed's show, "Big Beat," is the first nationally televised rock'n'roll dance program. However, when singer Frankie Lymon dances with a white girl, the network flips and tells Freed that he can no longer have black artists on the show. Freed refuses and "Big Beat" is cancelled but his wealth and fame grow. Eventually, Freed's world begins to crumble -- his marriage dissolves, his health declines, he lives beyond his means and borrows money from the wrong person. His lifestyle becomes a target of investigation by J. Edgar Hoover's FBI.

Director

Andy Wolk

Director

Cast

Judd Nelson

Alan Freed

Mädchen Amick

Jackie Mccoy

David Gianopoulos

Morris Levy

Daniel Kash

Hooke

Leon Robinson

Paula Abdul

Denise Walton

Fabian

Country Club Parent

Bobby Rydell

Country Club Parent

Mark Wilson

Leo Mintz

Leroy D Brazile

Frankie Lymon

Joe Warren Davis

Buddy Holly

Walter Franks

Little Richard

James Christopher Victor

Jerry Lee Lewis

Michael Hall

Bill Haley

Michael Dunston

Bo Diddley

Reg Dreger

Captain O'Malley

Ross Petty

J Elroy Mccaw

Fulvio Cecere

Pete Bell

Richard Fitzpatrick

Vp Programming

Dennis Mirkovic

Levy Associate

Aron Tager

J Edgar Hoover

Laura Catalano

Record Executive'S Wife

Bruce Hunter

Head Parent Shaw

Gavin Hope

Teenager

Troy Liddell

Teenager

Chris Rouse

Teenager

Jae Christie

Teenager

Howard Chen

Member Of Dominoes

Paislee Crawford

Member Of Dominoes

Gary Mcauley

Member Of Dominoes

David Stevenson

Menber Of Penguins

Anthony Hylton

Member Of Penguins

George Mcauley

Member Of Penguins

Jim Codrington

Member Of Penguins

Vivienne Williams

Member Of Chantels

Hedy Mckenzie

Member Of Chantels

Novie Edwards

Member Of Chantels

Ordena Stephens

Member Of Chantels

Crew

Rick Arredondo

Producer

Trysha Bakker

Costume Designer

Charles Braive

Unit Production Manager

Kelly Brennan

Hair Stylist

Charmaine Carvalho

Assistant Director

Barry Cherin

Publicity

Mark Conte

Editor

Peter Cosco

Production Designer

Matt Dorff

Executive Producer

Matt Dorff

Screenwriter

Rex Fields

Set Decorator

Humberto Garcia

Art Director

Susan Glicksman

Casting Director (Los Angeles)

Jim Harrison

Sound Editor

John A Jackson

Book As Source Material ("Big Beat Heat: Alan Freed And The Early Years Of Rock & Roll")

Lawrence Levy

Co-Executive Producer

Jerry Lee Lewis

Song Performer

Little Richard

Music

Fern Orenstein

Casting Director

Chris Pizzarelli

Makeup

Robert M. Sertner

Executive Producer

Lawrence Shragge

Music

Erik Storey

Co-Executive Producer

Randy Sutter

Producer

Derick Underschultz

Director Of Photography

Frank Von Zerneck

Executive Producer

Clare Walker

Casting Director (Toronto)

Jackie Wilson

Song Performer

Andy Wolk

Executive Producer

Film Details

Also Known As
Big Beat Heat, The
Genre
Adaptation
Biography
Release Date
1999
Production Company
NBC Entertainment
Distribution Company
Artisan Home Entertainment
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Technical Specs

Duration
2h

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Aired in United States October 31, 1999

Released in United States on Video March 14, 2000

Previous title: "The Big Beat Heat."

Began shooting August 16, 1999.

Completed shooting September 10, 1999.

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