High School Confidential! (film)

High School Confidential!
Directed byJack Arnold
Written byRobert Blees
Lewis Meltzer
Produced byAlbert Zugsmith
StarringRuss Tamblyn
Jan Sterling
John Drew Barrymore
Mamie Van Doren
Jerry Lee Lewis
Ray Anthony
Jackie Coogan
Charles Chaplin Jr.
Diane Jergens
CinematographyHarold J. Marzorati
Edited byBen Lewis
Music byAlbert Glasser
Distributed byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date
  • June 13, 1958 (1958-06-13)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$532,000[1]
Box office$1,915,000[1]

High School Confidential! is a 1958 American crime drama film directed by Jack Arnold, starring Mamie Van Doren, Russ Tamblyn, Jan Sterling, John Drew Barrymore, Jackie Coogan, Diane Jergens and Michael Landon.

The film also features a cameo by Jerry Lee Lewis who opens the movie singing “Boppin’ at the High School Hop” 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][5]

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.[6]

  1. ^ a b The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
  2. ^ Crouse, Richard (2003-09-01). The 100 Best Movies You've Never Seen. ECW Press. p. 115. ISBN 1-550-22590-1.
  3. ^ Denisoff, R. Serge; Romanowski, William D. (1990). Risky Business: Rock in Film. Transaction Publishers. p. 96. ISBN 0-887-38843-4.
  4. ^ Havers, Richard; Evans, Richard (2010-04-01). The Golden Age of Rock 'N' Roll. Book Sales Inc. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-785-82625-5.
  5. ^ Reemes, 1988 p. 233: Notes section, footnote no. 5: “released by Sun Records as part of a tie-in with the film.”
  6. ^ Wilson, John (2005). The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 0-446-69334-0.