You can always tell a movie is great is someone like Jerry Lee Lewis comes riding into a high school campus banging on the piano singing a damn good rocking tune.
Russ Tamblyn is a student new to a high school who quickly moves in and takes over the local drug scene. He steps on everyone's toes and is finally taken to see the big shot named "Mr. A". During his rise to the top he meets Joan Staples, a very attractive student who is hooked on reefers. His teacher, the lovely Jan Sterling tries to help but it seems all Tamblyn wants to do is jive talk and get her in the sack.
The real highlight of this movie is Mamie Van Doren as Tamblyn's aunt, who is always trying to seduce him. When we are first introduced to her character of Gwen it's hard to understand how Tamblyn can possibly resist her. I know I couldn't. Jack Arnold directed this Albert Zugsmith production and the rest of the cast is a b-movie lovers dream and includes, John Drew Barrymore as the drug pusher Tamblyn tries to put out of business, Diane Jurgens is Joan, Ray Anthony, Mel Wells, Jackie Coogan is "Mr. A", Charles Chaplin, Jr., Michael Landon, Jody Fair, and Lyle Talbot.
It turns out that Tamblyn's character of Tony isn't really what he seems to be. There is no two ways about it, this is a great movie for fans of exploitation and of course, Mamie Van Doren. For some reason this hasn't come out on DVD so it may be hard to find. It does run on TCM once in a while,a nd if it does WATCH IT!!
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