Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994 film)
1994 television movie directed by Allan Arkush
Shake, Rattle and Rock! is a 1994 television film directed by Allan Arkush and starring Renée Zellweger, Howie Mandel, and members of the Grammy-nominated R&B band For Real.The film was produced by Lou Arkoff (son of B movie producer Samuel Z. Arkoff) as part of the Rebel Highway series of television films made in a short-lived revival of American International Pictures that aired on the Showtime television network. The television film was a partial remake of the 1956 film of same name.
Plot
In 1950s America, teenage rebellion comes easy when something like rock 'n' roll is viewed as sinful. Looking to have a good time while they're young, Susan (Renée Zellweger), Cookie (Patricia Childress) and Tony (Max Perlich) -- three teenagers from a small town—start a nightclub where host Danny Klay (Howie Mandel) introduces the newest rock 'n' roll talent, and everyone can dance the night away. Of course, not everyone in town is happy with the new establishment.
Cast
Soundtrack
"The Girl Can't Help It" – Little Richard
"Ain't That a Shame – Fats Domino
"C'mon Everybody – Eddie Cochran
"Blue Moon" – For Real
"Do You Wanna Dance?" – For Real
"She Put the Bomp" – For Real
"Look In My Eyes" – For Real
"All Around the World" – For Real and Julianna Raye
"Every Night" – The Robins
"Since I First Met You" – The Robins
"Lonely Teenager" – Julianna Raye
"You Oughta Know Me Better" – Julianna Raye
Critical reception
A review by Aaron Beierle for DVD Talk reads, ""Shake, Rattle and Rock" had the potential to be a fun, entertaining look at the influence of rock in Small Town, USA, but it doesn't seem to aspire (or have the budget) to be much more than a bland outing."
A review by Tracy Moore for Common Sense Media reads, "The real drawback is that it's a colorless rendition of what likely was a much more exciting era in reality -- like Grease without any of the wit, songs, or charm."
Todd Everett of Variety wrote: "Latest installment in Showtime's nostalgic Rebel Highway series of exploitation pic homages, Shake, Rattle and Rock draws its inspiration from the 1957 film released under the same title, plus John Waters' 1989 Hairspray and director Allan Arkush's own 1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School. While not as effective as either of the latter two, it's easygoing fun, with good music and several well-cast cameos."
References
Sources
Lentz III, Harris M. (2020). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2019 (eBook). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Shake, Rattle and Rock! (1994 film)” as 1994 television movie directed by Allan Arkush. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as 1994 television movie directed by Allan Arkush. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 24, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1532151. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1994, 1956, 1957 and 1989.
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