High School Confidential (film)
| High School Confidential | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jack Arnold |
| Produced by | Albert Zugsmith |
| Written by |
Robert Blees Lewis Meltzer |
| Starring |
Mamie Van Doren Russ Tamblyn Jan Sterling John Drew Jackie Coogan Jerry Lee Lewis |
| Music by | Albert Glasser |
| Cinematography | Harold J. Marzorati |
| Edited by | Ben Lewis |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $532,000[1] |
| Box office | $1,915,000[1] |
High School Confidential is a 1958 crime drama film directed by Jack Arnold, starring Mamie Van Doren, Russ Tamblyn, Jan Sterling, John Drew, Jackie Coogan, and Michael Landon.
The film also features a cameo by Jerry Lee Lewis who opens the movie singing a song of the same name, which Lewis co-wrote with Ron Hargrave.[2][3] Lewis released the title track as a Sun Records 45 single which became a Top 40 hit, reaching #21 in the Billboard charts.[4] The film is listed in Golden Raspberry Award founder John Wilson's book The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of The 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made.[5]
Cast
- Russ Tamblyn as Tony Baker/Mike Wilson
- Jan Sterling as Arlene Williams
- John Drew as J. I. Coleridge
- Diane Jergens as Joan Staples
- Mamie Van Doren as Gwen Dulaine
- Jerry Lee Lewis as Himself
- Ray Anthony as Bix
- Jackie Coogan as Mr. 'Mr. A' August
- Charles Chaplin, Jr. as Quinn
- Michael Landon as Steve Bentley
- Lyle Talbot as William Remington Kane
- Robin Raymond as Kitty
Box Office
According to MGM records the film earned $1,290,000 in the US and Canada and $625,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $578,000. However, the follow up films Zugsmith made for the studio, including The Beat Generation and Platinum High School, lost money.[1]
In popular culture
This film is sampled on White Zombie's album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1 on four separate occasions. The "Do you want to start a rumble?" conversation, the "Drop it, buster!" line, the "tomorrow's a drag" poem, and the Columbus speech ("the only thing square about this world...").
In the 1980 song "High School Confidential" by the Canadian new wave band Rough Trade (album: Avoid Freud), singer Carole Pope refers to the star of this film, Mamie Van Doren.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
- ↑ Crouse, Richard (2003-09-01). The 100 Best Movies You've Never Seen. ECW Press. p. 115. ISBN 1-550-22590-1.
- ↑ Denisoff, R. Serge; Romanowski, William D. (1990). Risky Business: Rock in Film. Transaction Publishers. p. 96. ISBN 0-887-38843-4.
- ↑ Havers, Richard; Evans, Richard (2010-04-01). The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll. Book Sales Inc. p. 76. ISBN 0-785-82625-4.
- ↑ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.
External links
- High School Confidential at the Internet Movie Database
- High School Confidential at AllMovie
- High School Confidential at the TCM Movie Database
- Alan Arkush on High School Confidential at Trailers from Hell