The Beatniks (1959)

Fantastic!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

A youthful gang of punks includes one guy named Eddy (Tony Travis), who has singing talent and is discovered by a talent agent in a restaurant. Which makes his gang members jealous. As the gang tries to sway Eddy away from a singing career, he makes some mistakes in judgment. The result is an off-screen murder event wherein Eddy is a witness.This puts Eddy is something of a predicament. At one point, one of the gang members, played by Peter Breck, reminds Eddy: "You're in it (the murder) just as much as I am; we're all in it, together ... you're one of us ... you hip?" "The Beatniks" is mostly a character study of one juvenile delinquent's dilemma in being loyal to his gang vs. pursuing a promising singing career.The underlying premise is fine. But the script is below average with corny dialogue; too much talk; and the inclusion of Tony Travis' singing, which stops the plot flow. You get the feeling that the film is nothing but a singing vehicle for Travis.Some of the acting, especially from Peter Breck, is really hammy. Casting is poor in that most of the actors look like they're closer to the age of thirty. B&W lighting is acceptable, if conventional. Background music is nondescript jazz, which is the only element that remotely conveys a "beatnik" theme.The film's title is deceptive. Despite that, and other major problems, it's not a terrible movie, just not as good as comparable films from that era. Thankfully, the short runtime makes viewing less painful.

Well, actually that line is from another movie altogether ("The Oscar",featuring Tony Curtis), but MST3K used it to hilarious effect in one of their skits lampooning "The Beatniks" during their treatment of the movie. OK, so what do we have here? Um, let's see...no beatniks, that's for sure, just some well dressed Juvenile Deliquents hanging out and causing trouble. Our hero, he's a Troubled Soul With A Heart Of Gold, and he gets his Big Break when he's discovered singing along to a song on the Jukebox, but he's held back (and held down) by his old gang. His old gang buddy becomes jealous of his success and tries to cause trouble with the hero's agent/producer. Hilarity Ensues. (And by "hilarity", I mean some of the goofiest fist fights ever staged in the history of black-and-white cinema.) While this movie is strictly "By The Numbers", it isn't all that bad. Yes, the acting is barely there, but it's good enough for the material and the script (with the exception of Peter Breck, who chews the scenery with admirable energy and verve). Tony Travis, who plays the lead, is a handsome fellow who can at least play himself on camera, and while he has nothing new to offer in the Teen Dream department, he's at least as good as the lout who plays "Daddy-O" in the film of that name. But based on what we see in the movie, the only reason he becomes a public sensation is because the plot requires it - 3rd rate Fabians and 4th rate Sinatras were a dime a dozen back then, and this poor guy is so wooden and limited in dramatic range that you could replace him with a life sized Ken doll and no one would probably notice, as long as a stage hand moved the Ken Doll's arms once in a while. If you feel the need to spend time watching "Public Service Announcement/Moral Drama Films" about Our Troubled Youth, lots of other films do this kind of thing better. "Untamed Youth" and "Girls' Town" have better music and feature Mamie Van Doren, and "Daddy-O" has a mystery/caper aspect that drives a much more intriguing plot. But compared to a snooze-fest like "I Accuse My Parents", this is pure gold. Make your choices accordingly, and don't complain that I never warned you.

This has to be one of my favorite MST3K episodes of all time. And a reason why Paul Frees has stuck to animation and cartoon voice overs, since this was his first and last live action feature film he has ever done.Though the movie is suppose to be a serious musical/crime drama, I sure laughed my head off over it, especially with Joel and the bots there to save it. It deals with an Elvis clone named Eddy Crane whom hits the top when a music agent and a sexy blond woman discovers his so-called "talents". However, his so-called "beatnik" friends want him to come back to him and stop singing, especially a nutcase named Mooney, whoms immortal lines were "One word outta you and I am gonna moon ya!" "MOON, YOU!". That part right there cracks me up.And another thing, why did Paul Frees decided to call this movie "Beatniks"? It is a gang of juvenile deliquents (perhaps special ed rejects?) whom like to get into trouble. What was Paul Frees on when doing this?Oh well, at least Frees learned his lesson here, while there are some much worse so-called "talents" whom have not.

******SPOILERS****** Standard late 1950's and early 60's fare that was cranked out of the great Hollywood "Dream Factory's" youth division back then that had nothing to do with what the title suggests: Beatniks and the Beat Generation but what the heck it's a catchy name and back in those days who would know the difference anyway.Things happen so fast in this movie that it leaves you dizzy after the first ten minutes and almost paralyzed that by the end you have trouble getting out of your seat. A gang of rootless and bored youths who seem to have nothing to do with their lives but rob bars and grocery stores as well as steal cars run into, literally, a top LA record executive Harry Bayliss, Charles Delaney, when they smash into his parked car. With everyone going into the popular Nadine's Diner to get something the eat and the record exec. going to call to get help for his damaged car. Then just like in the movies, gee I almost forgot this is a movie, one of the gang members Eddy Crane, Tony Travis, breaks into a song and dance. Eddy's singing so impresses Mr.Bayliss that he offers to sign Eddy up on the spot not only to a record contract but to put him on a top Rock & Roll TV variety show that very evening! Talking about instant success! Although Eddy and his friends aren't that crazy about going on the TV show, crazy is the word for these goof balls, Eddy reluctantly does go on and the rest, like what they say in ShowBiz, is history. Not the history that you would get in a movie about one going from rags to fame and riches but the history you get from any post office or police station by reading the history of the person on a wanted poster. I For one actually got to like Eddy and was rooting for him to make something of his life and get away from that group of misfits that he was part of. Knowing something about movies like "The Beatniks" I just knew that this wasn't going to happen. I just sat back and waited for the inevitable unhappy ending, and unhappily I wasn't disappointed. The movie has some of the most unrestrained and obnoxious acting that I've ever seen I my life. Peter Breck, Bob "Moonie" Mooney, is so ridicules and over he top as a psycho/killer that he came across comical more then anything else. "I Killed That Fat Barkeep" was one of Breck best lines in the movie as he yelled it at the top of his voice as the cops came looking for him at the hotel that he and his gang were hold up in.Peter Breck actually made the art of "Ham Acting" Kosher with his unbelievable and outlandish performance as crazy "Moonie". The insane plot revolves around a bar killing and later a knife attack by the mentally unstable "Moonie" on Mr. Bayliss in the hotel room that Bayliss paid for Eddy and his gang of crazies to stay at. This all happened while Eddy was doing his gig on the TV show that Bayliss got for him with one of the gang members Red, Sam Edwards, under the covers in bed near dead after being shot! All this after Eddy was well on his way on the road to success with him and his friends not having to be criminals anymore, this was was just to much to take as well as believe. Eddy who seemed to be getting his life back together and was very likable even when he was bad in the end gets his caring and sweet girlfriend Helen Tracy, Joyce Terry, who's a secretary at Mr. Bayliss record office to call the police on him. Eddy felt that he would chicken out if he had to call the cops himself as he and Moonie have it out in back of the record studio; where he just cut his first record and is now in danger of getting cut to ribbons by the insane Moonie. The movie ended with Eddy as well as his former friend Moonie getting sent up the river for murder instead of Eddy getting sent to Hollywood to become the next great American singing idol. You have to say one thing about the movie "The Beatniks" they really knew how to use their imagination in Hollywood back in those days.