Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

mcel-88340 To think that this was going on when I was listening to Radio Luxembourg and enjoying American pop. I studiously avoided 'trad jazz', tin pan alley's attempt to hold on to the teen audience. Thank goodness they failed and the Beatles and Stones got things moving here. This is truly dreadful...

jb_denton Let's appreciate what we've got here. Trad was a popular form of music of the "tap your foot,have a good time" ilk. Helen Shapiro was moreorless the only UK pop songstress of 1962 having had 2 number 1 hits.... our (uk) competition to Connie Francis and Brenda Lee....back then,there were very few female hitmakers (unlike now).The Temperance Seven also had 2 number ones,in the trad style (yes,there were 9 of them,explained by being "one over the eight"- a lighthearted alcohol reference). But for me the treasures were Gene McDaniels' excellent performance of Another Tear Fell (a soulful gem),and the Paris Sisters exquisite song. Gene Vincent may have been past his peak but he was a genuine rock'n'roll hero in the UK (I think the Beatles admired him). Let's savour what we've got. Dick Lester's quirky direction showed what was to come in "A Hard Day's Night". I listened to a fragment of John and Paul being interviewed during filming of AHDN...the interviewer asked if the film would be called "Beatlemania"...John replied no,that would be too corny,it should be something like "It's Trad,Dad"...Paul chipped in "how about "It's Rock,Cock"! All in all,the film is a delightful snapshot of pre-Beatle pop in the UK. I wish there were more such films.If you like this one,also try "Be My Guest"(1965) which includes a nice performance by Jerry Lee Lewis. Finally,Helen Shapiro carved out a decent career as a jazz singer - with a trad band. Although not a masterpiece,this film is well worth a watch and I rate it 8/10

kidboots Before Richard Lester became flavour of the month by directing the very innovative "A Hard Day's Night", he was experimenting with some innovative ideas on "It's Trad, Dad". It was a low key youth movie, designed to showcase up and coming talent and featured an invisible narrator who talked to the two teens who were busy organising a show. The plot had to do with a pair of teens who want to introduce some trad jazz into their town but have opposition from a bunch of "oldies". The featured star was Helen Shapiro who may not have cracked the big time in America but certainly did in Australia. "Walking Back to Happiness" was played so often on the radio I can still sing it now, 50 years later. She was a 14 year old discovery from Clapton whose distinctive low, throaty voice was her trademark.It's amazing, this movie bought the early 60s flooding back when trad jazz was really in vogue - Acker Bilk was number one (it seemed like forever) with "Stranger On the Shore", he was a highlight of this movie with a spirited rendition of "In a Persian Market". Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen often guested on TV shows at that time, "Sounds Incorporated" were a big band and had a huge hit in Australia with "William Tell Overture" and the hilarious Temperance 7, who specialised in 1920s jazz - remember them???A disgruntled Mayor wants to stamp out trad jazz so "the girl and the boy" (Helen Shapiro and Craig Douglas) decide to bring a jazz show to their town. Interspersed between the jazz acts are the rock and rollers - Gene Vincent ("Space Ship to Mars"), The Brook Brothers ("Double Trouble"), Del Shannon, Gene MacDaniells - what a fantastic voice he had and Chubby Checker who did the "Lose Your Inhibition" twist.The kids finally get their jazz show organised but the Mayor goes all out to sabotage it so while waiting for the acts to arrive the local talent get a chance to shine. Craig Douglas who had a hit in 1959 with "Only Sixteen" and of course Helen Shapiro who sings "Let's Talk", "Just Wondering" and "Ring a Ding Rhythmn".Unfortunately the movie flopped in America with the new title "Ring A Ding Rhythmn" - as if that made more sense than "It's Trad, Dad"!! Among the other cast members was Derek Nimmo as the comical waiter and Ronnie Stevens who actually hosted a variety show series in Australia. I just loved the end credits when it said Helen Shapiro's wardrobe was made with Butterick Patterns - you gotta love it!!!

edward wilgar After reading all the positive comments on Ring-a-Ding Rhythm it seems a shame to criticize but here goes.I thought the movie was awful, leads Douglas and Shapiro couldn't act (they made a total of one more film between them!), the "pop' performers were bland with the songs totally forgettable and it's obvious why the British trad jazz craze was soon blown away by the Beatles et al.Speaking of the Beatles, I couldn't for the life of me see, though of course others did, how Richard Lester was given two Beatles films to direct on the strength of this. All the humour here was, to me, embarrassingly, excruciatingly unfunny.One other thing that bothered me was the glorification of smoking. Two singers, John Leyton and Gene McDaniels actually drew on cigarettes while they were singing, "Mister" Acker Bilk had a lit cigarette between his fingers as he played his clarinet and legendary Australian DJ Alan "Fluff" Freeman is seldom seen without a smoke.Sorry, fans, I hated it.