Can anyone recommend any Rock 'n' Roll movies that are appropriate for children?

I'm looking for musicals to watch with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. Her favorite is "A Hard Day's Night". She loves the Beatles. The problem is that it can't be anything scary or violent. For example, "Help!" is too violent with all those people getting hit over the head and what not. "Yellow Submarine" and most of the "Monkees" episodes tend to be a little too trippy and "scary" for her. "Magic Christian" is obviously out. I'm not sure about "Caveman" because I've never seen it. "Monterey Pop Festival" might be a good one, but I'm not sure. Tonight we're up late watching movies and we rented the Carl Perkins special w/ Ringo, George, etc. Any ideas for other movies that would be good for her???

 

How about "Ferry Cross the Mersey" starring Gerry & the Pacemakers or "Having a Wild Weekend" w/ The Dave Clark Five? Both flicks were attempts to capitalize on the success of the Beatles' AHDN. I'm sure there's nothing in these two movies that are half as traumatic (to a 2-1/2 year old) as the Who and Hendrix segments in "Monterey Pop"! If all else fails, there are those Elvis movies.....

Jim W.

 

How about "That Thing You Do"? Or the sweet "Beach" Movies!

 

Well, leaving violence out means leaving many of the BEACH PARTY films out, I'm afraid, since most of them ended in some kind of laughable brawl....AHDN is safe, but HAVING A WILD WEEKEND is way too downbeat and obscure for a little kid. I'd go with the '50s stuff, like ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK, GO, JOHNNY, GO! and '60s stuff like SKI PARTY and RIDE THE WILD SURF, even THE ENDLESS SUMMER, among other B-films. The question is whether you can find these on VHS or DVD, and I really don't know. Too bad the Hermits films probably aren't available--HOLD ON! and MRS. BROWN--and the Connie Francis vehicle WHERE THE BOYS MEET THE GIRLS, which has HH, Sam The Sham, and Satchmo(!); love that one just for those acts just thrown in the mix, since there's no plot worth mentioning. I'd like to find that Roy Orbison western, which has been buried for years, THE FASTEST GUITAR ALIVE, just for Roy's game attempt at acting.

Hope that helps, Prix, but you may have to do some legwork to track these down.

ED

 

I can't remember if there is any swearing in The Buddy Holly Story, but he does deck a guy, so there is violence.

 

Most kids love Grease, although you might have to explain what a "hickey from Kenickie" means!

 

Beach Blanket Bingo.

 

What about ALMOST FAMOUS? I really like that one, if it qualifies. Also, That Thing You Do is a winner, as previously discussed.

 

Boy, I wouldn't let a 2 1/2 year old watch Almost Famous, with all the sex and drugs...

Most of Elvis' sixties films (except maybe the last 3 or 4) are completely appropriate for children, although a 2-year-old might find her intelligence insulted by some of them. One you might check out is "Tickle Me". It has a typically silly Elvis film plot, but it was done on such a low budget that the producers were too cheap to pay for new songs to be written for the film. So instead of the typically awful soundtrack tunes, they used already-recorded tracks from Elvis' early 60s studio albums for the soundtrack, including two songs from "Elvis is Back". The result is a soundtrack which is much better than most 60s Elvis films.

 

Greased Lightening has some dicey language in it too.

 

Where can you find them?

 

Yeah, after I pressed "POST REPLY", I realized that it was "children", not Younger Folks!

 

Thanks, Ed!

 

Yes, that would be out of the question. She's real, real sensitive.

 

I honestly don't have a problem with Grease at all, but my girlfriend thinks the romance stuff is a little too adult themed. I disagree. I think it's totally harmless. It's the violence that freaks me out.

 

What about "The Point" !!!

Perfect for young and old, and great tunes too. Ringo narrates.
It's a winner!!!!!

 

Brilliant!!! I'm going to order it right now.

 

How about

American Graffitti? I'd think all the cars and bright colors would be pretty captivating at two and a half but I can't remember if there is much inappropriate material there.

Or, better yet, how about Josie and the Pussycats?


Ken

 

There is a lot of swearing, etc. in American Graffiti.

 

plus the "mooning" scene from the car window.

 

Right daved64