It's Trad, Dad! Reviews

Richard Lester's first feature proved to be an effective springboard for his highly stylized direction, employing techniques (unusual camera angles, quick cuts) that he polished further in the Beatles' A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. The plot here is not unlike a number of 50s films in which a town's upstanding citizens react vehemently to the corrupting spread of demon rock 'n' roll, forcing the kids to stand up for their rights. In this case, the mayor of an English town, Felton, goes so far as to take away one coffeeshop's license for having a jukebox. A pair of crafty local teens, Shapiro and Douglas, counterattack by trying to put together a festival that will demonstrate the merits of traditional jazz (then an important part of British counterculture) and rock 'n' roll, traveling to a London TV studio to try to persuade some big-name performers to appear. This plot gives Lester an opportunity to creatively showcase a number of pop, rock, and trad jazz stars, including Del Shannon, Chubby Checker, Gary "U.S." Bonds, Gene Vincent, Chris Barber's Jazz Band and the Temperance Seven.