Rock 'n' Roll (1959 film)

Rock'n'Roll is a 1959 Australian documentary from director Lee Robinson. It is a filmed version of a rock concert at Sydney Stadium presented by Lee Gordon, Lee Gordon's 1959 Rock'n'Roll Spectacular, with some additional scenes such as Fabian arriving at Sydney airport. (Fabian had been mobbed at Melbourne airport by 2,000 teenagers and had to be spirited away on a 10 foot high platform of a forklift truck.[1]) It is believed only 3 copies for cinema release were ever made.

Rock'n'Roll
Directed byLee Robinson
Produced byLee Robinson
Production
company
Southern International
Release date
1959
Running time
9 mins (surviving)
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The film begins with a cover of the instrumental 'Teen Beat' by Sandy Nelson

The first showing of Rock'n'Roll was in Newcastle, NSW in December 1959. It is believed soon after the premiere the film was found to be in breach of copyright, due to the performance of Fabian (an American pop idol at the time) being included in the footage. The film was hastily edited to remove Fabian's performance and airport arrival footage. It is unclear whether audiences in Sydney and Melbourne ever got to see the original version in the screenings that followed the Newcastle premiere. However, since the copy recently discovered in Melbourne (see below) turned out to be the edited version, it seems likely Melbourne film audiences never got to see the un-edited version.

Another important stage in the evolution of the film is that the footage of Johnny O'Keefe performing on the night was later replaced with a re-staged performance at the Sydney Stadium with no crowd, re-filmed just before the Fabian edit took place. It seems logical that Johnny O'Keefe, and the promoter Lee Gordon, sought to provide future audiences of the film with a focus on O'Keefe with this re-take, since the headline act of Fabian would no longer be in it. The O'Keefe performance of 'Shout' in this re-take was thought to be one of the few surviving pieces of footage until recently. This Shout footage has been used in the opening credits of ABC Australia's music show 'Rage' since 1987.

After very limited showings in Melbourne and Sydney, the film disappeared from the public eye. Apart from a stint in New Zealand, it was not shown in any other countries.

Questions remain about what happened to the Sydney copy. Though in a cruel twist of fate, some years later, while in the midst of the director Lee Robinson moving house in the early 1970s, a copy he owned was accidentally thrown out by his removalist. It seems likely that this was the Sydney copy.

Ever since the last copy vanished, many had spent their lives trying to track a copy down. Some warm leads about a copy finding its way to New Zealand eventually went cold. Only a small 9 minute salvaged portion of the footage that has no sound, along with the 'Shout' performance of O'Keefe, both currently held by the NFSA of Australia, was thought to have survived. It was until recently considered a "substantially lost" film.[2]

In March 2020, a full copy of the film miraculously surfaced In Melbourne, Australia, over 60 years since its completion. This sole surviving copy is believed to be in mostly good condition. Unconfirmed reports from the current owner of the Melbourne copy, and researchers, claim that 1, or quite possibly 2 tracks, of O'Keefe songs performed in the re-take are included on top of 'Shout'. Until the film is scanned it remains a mystery as to what the song/s are.

Rock 'n' Roll is a unique and priceless piece of Australiana and Rock 'n' Roll history. Having been filmed by arguably Australia's most important pioneering director, Lee Robinson, it is also, just as importantly, a priceless record of Australia's cinematic past. The film's worth is also enhanced by the fact that the sound and camera technology used for its filming was ahead of its time. 7 cameras were used to film the wild scenes that evening at the Sydney Stadium, capturing the essence of the Australian rock'n'roll scene in the 1950s like no other.

Production

Fabian toured Australia for Lee Gordon in October 1959 in The Big Show.[4][5]

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References
  1. FABIAN FLEES FROM AUSSIES ON TRUCK LIFT Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) [Chicago, Ill] 19 Oct 1959: b12.
  2. Australia's 'Lost' Films at National Film and Sound Archive
  3. "They've got their diploma". The Australian Women's Weekly. 27 (18). Australia, Australia. 7 October 1959. p. 7 (Teenagers Weekly). Retrieved 24 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "FABULOUS FABIAN LIKES SCHOOL". The Australian Women's Weekly. 27 (22). 4 November 1959. p. 15 (Teenagers Weekly). Retrieved 24 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "FABIAN Forte And the lesson he was taught". The Australian Women's Weekly. 27 (21). 28 October 1959. p. 4. Retrieved 24 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.


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