The Big Beat

"The Big Beat" has something of a tiresome familiarity about it. There were a lot of movies during the mid- to late 1950s that had basically the same approach: some kind of lame background plot (in this case, intrigue at a record company), a few obscure B-movie actors, and numerous musical acts, which of course comprise the main focus of the film.

"The Big Beat" deals, more or less, with the efforts of John Randall (William Reynolds) to promote the recordings of his father's record company by taking a new business approach. Rose Marie and Hans Conreid are thrown into the mix, and Andra Martin and Jeffrey Stone provide additional support. There's an interesting twist ending that most viewers will see coming miles away.

The main interest here is the music, with Fats Domino, Gogi Grant, The Del-Vikings, the Diamonds, the Mills Brothers, and other acts highlighted. Some artists are good, some so-so, but the groups are interesting if you like 1950s music.

A footnote: many people who were involved with "The Thing that Couldn't Die" (Reynolds, director Cowan, Stone, and Martin) are also involved with this movie. The two films are nothing alike but it's an interesting factoid.