Layabout disc jockey Sam Costa lies in bed and operates the first computerised, push-button hit parade in history. In addition to music the computer also provides grapes, pep pills and a girl!
The plot is dispensable and mercifully occupies little screen time. It’s really just a backdrop for the movie’s real aim: the presentation of hit songs performed by the artists themselves – in wonderfully vivid Eastman Colour.
The links of Costa smoking a cigar, wisecracking and at one point attempting to eat an animated haggis, are diverting, but are really just links between the songs.
Costa introduces Freddie & The Dreamers singing You Were Made For Me and Just For You, The Bachelors (The Fox and Low In The Valley), The Merseybeats (Milkman), The Applejacks (Tell Me When), A Band Of Angels (Hide ‘n’ Seek), Al Saxon (Mine All Mine), Faye Craig (Bongo Baby and Voodoo), The Orchids (Mr Scrooge), Doug Sheldon (Night Time), Caroline Lee, Roy Sone and Judy Jason (Teenage Valentino), Peter & Gordon (Leave Me Alone and Soft As The Dawn), Millie Small (Sugar Dandy), Jackie and the Raindrops (The Loco-Motion), Mark Wynter (I Wish You Everything), Johnny B. Great (If I had a Hammer), Louise Cordet (It’s So Hard to be Good) and The Warriors (Don’t Make Me Blue).
For the American market, several musical performances were cut from the film and combined with new footage of US artists – including The Chiffons, The Vagrants and The Rockin’ Ramrods – and DJ’s from Top 40 Philly stations. It was then released Stateside as Disk-O-Tek Holiday.
The plot of the American version added a young singer (Casey Paxton) going from studio to studio with his girlfriend in an attempt to convince radio and TV executives to play his song.
Sam Costa
Himself
Peter and Gordon
Themselves
Freddie & The Dreamers
Themselves
The Applejacks
Themselves
Millie Small
Herself
The Merseybeats
Themselves
The Bachelors
Themselves
A Band of Angels
Themselves
Mark Wynter
Himself
Jackie and The Raindrops
Themselves
Doug Sheldon
Himself
Louise Cordet
Herself
The Orchids
Themselves
Al Saxon
Himself
The Warriors
Themselves
Disk-O-Tek Holiday
Casey Paxton
Himself
Casey’s Girlfriend
Katherine Quint
DJ’s
Bob Foster
Arnie Ginsburg
The Chiffons
Themselves
Freddy Cannon
Himself
The Rockin’ Ramrods
Themselves
The Vagrants
Themselves
Director
Douglas Hickox
Vince Scarza (US scenes)
