Wild Guitar
Directed by Ray Dennis Steckler
Written by Arch Hall Sr. and Bob Wehling
1962/USA
Fairway International Pictures
First viewing/Amazon Prime
[box] Steak: This is Daisy, she’s gonna teach you how to swing.[/box]
Starting off 1962 with an inane, but fun, little film from the bottom of the barrel.
Bud Eagle (Arch Hall Jr.) arrives in Hollywood from Swordfish, South Dakota with little more than his guitar and his dreams. Practically the first person he meets is the cute Vicky, who has a gig as a dancer on TV. He goes with her and when one of the acts falls ill takes the stage himself.
He is spotted by unscrupulous record company owner Mike McCauley (Arch Hall Sr.), who immediately set about exploiting him. He assigns his right-hand-man “Steak” (played by the director) to watch over Bud at all times. Somehow the guitarist ends up making him big bucks while simultaneously owing him more than he can ever repay. How will Bud fight back?
This looks like what it was – a movie produced by a doting father to promote his wannabe son, who also happens to have had the wildest blonde pompadour in pictures. It has enough bizarre moments to hit the bad movie gold meter though. Sort of a time capsule of the early sixties teen culture seen through the eyes of an inept outsider.
Clip – love the guy in the suit and tie and what is with those feathers?
