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Writers: Alan Swyer (story), John Goldrosen (book)
Cast: Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Maybe one of the most impressive things about this movie, is that it got made at all. There had been two other attempts at making a Buddy Holly movie, but in both cases the window of Buddy Holly - Maria Holly who controlled the rights, turned down the big studio offers. Luckily for us, she finally went with a smaller production company as she felt they would be more attuned to honoring the essences of Buddy Holly.
Even more impressive than that, is the three actors actually perform their own music, playing the instruments themselves and singing....and doing that live during the scene shoot in front of an audience. Nothing is prerecorded, nothing is lip sync. That's Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, performing the songs live and that's a rarity in movie making.
I liked Gary Busey in this and I'm not usually his biggest fan but even though he doesn't physically resemble Buddy, he does capture his exuberance. The story is told in a straight-forward manner and that works well. Of course we all know how the story ends.
I read that the 50s musician, Little Richard who was at the all black venue Apollo theater on the night that Buddy Holly and the Crickets performed there was pretty accurate.
One of the coolest cars ever to grace the screen is the silver 1959
Cadillac Le Mans roadster. One of only four that were hand built by GM in 1953, and the only one that was redesigned in 1959. It's got to be worth well over 7 figures.
Buddy Holly was a legend in his own time and this movie, The Buddy Holly Story, captures some of that magic.
The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
Director: Steve RashWriters: Alan Swyer (story), John Goldrosen (book)
Cast: Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
"The story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death."
Maybe one of the most impressive things about this movie, is that it got made at all. There had been two other attempts at making a Buddy Holly movie, but in both cases the window of Buddy Holly - Maria Holly who controlled the rights, turned down the big studio offers. Luckily for us, she finally went with a smaller production company as she felt they would be more attuned to honoring the essences of Buddy Holly.
Even more impressive than that, is the three actors actually perform their own music, playing the instruments themselves and singing....and doing that live during the scene shoot in front of an audience. Nothing is prerecorded, nothing is lip sync. That's Gary Busey, Don Stroud, Charles Martin Smith, performing the songs live and that's a rarity in movie making.
I liked Gary Busey in this and I'm not usually his biggest fan but even though he doesn't physically resemble Buddy, he does capture his exuberance. The story is told in a straight-forward manner and that works well. Of course we all know how the story ends.
I read that the 50s musician, Little Richard who was at the all black venue Apollo theater on the night that Buddy Holly and the Crickets performed there was pretty accurate.
One of the coolest cars ever to grace the screen is the silver 1959
Cadillac Le Mans roadster. One of only four that were hand built by GM in 1953, and the only one that was redesigned in 1959. It's got to be worth well over 7 figures.
Buddy Holly was a legend in his own time and this movie, The Buddy Holly Story, captures some of that magic.