Rock Around the Clock

Frustrated by dwindling crowds for big band dance music, Steve Hollis travels to a rural town for a teen dance and hears a new, energetic sound. He is introduced to rock and roll embodied by Bill Haley & His Comets and their dancers. This moment convinces him that rock and roll could be the next big thing.

Convinced of the potential, Hollis decides to manage the group. In the process, he starts a romance with Lisa Johns, the dancer in the band’s orbit. His confidence in the new sound grows with the growing interest from audiences.

Hollis reaches out to Corinne Talbot, a powerful agent who controls bookings for most of the venues he needs. Talbot shows interest in the project largely for personal reasons, including a desire to marry Hollis and have him work directly for her agency. Her motives threaten to complicate the band’s early momentum.

Talbot books the band into a traditional, conservative venue, expecting the new sound to be rejected. To her surprise, the teens and adults at the show are excited by the brash music and the energy of the performances. The reception validates Hollis’s belief in the rock and roll potential.

Talbot retaliates by blacklisting Hollis and his acts from the venues she controls. Hollis calls in a favor from disc jockey Alan Freed, securing a booking at Freed’s venue that bypasses Talbot’s control. This move brings his group into a national spotlight despite her interference.

The Freed venue booking gives the band exposure to wider audiences and industry players. The performances generate buzz and demonstrate that their sound can captivate both teens and adults. Hollis capitalizes on this momentum to push toward bigger stages.

Talbot negotiates a three-year contract intended to secure the group’s future. Her condition requires Lisa Johns to refrain from marrying during the term, hoping to drive a wedge between Hollis and Johns. The tension between personal and professional ambitions becomes the film’s central conflict.

Johns agrees to the marriage prohibition, and Hollis signs the three-year contract. Talbot immediately launches the band on a national tour to capitalize on the deal.

The band embarks on a coast-to-coast tour, playing venues across the country to build a national following. The touring schedule tests friendships and long hours, but solidifies Hollis’s belief in rock and roll’s potential. Audiences respond with growing enthusiasm, expanding opportunities for the group.

The tour culminates in a coast-to-coast television broadcast featuring the Comets and other groups. This broadcast serves as a watershed moment, bringing rock and roll into American living rooms. Hollis’s decision to pursue this path pays off as the music catches fire with a broad audience.

During the contract's drafting, Hollis reveals that he and Lisa Johns married quickly. Talbot takes the revelation in stride, recognizing that the publicity may be more valuable than her original plan.

The TV broadcast ends with Lisa dancing with her partner while her brother Jimmy dances along, and The Comets perform 'Rock Around the Clock.' Talbot concedes defeat with good humor as the couple’s secret marriage becomes public. The movie closes on a celebratory note for the band and their fans.