- For the episode, see MST3K 415 - The Beatniks.
| “ | I killed that fat barkeep! | ” |
| - Mooney |
The Beatniks is a 1960 musical/crime drama written and directed by Paul Frees.
Plot[]
The Beatniks
Petty criminal Eddie Crane leads a pack of young hoodlums who rob mom-and-pop stores for drinking money, then decamp to a small diner to squabble over their ill-gotten spoils. Eddie is cynical and he seems to harbor a grudge against the world.
When talent agent Harry Bayliss hears Eddie sing, he wants to sign him to a recording contract. Eddie is initially disinterested, but when the prospect of large sums of money is mentioned, Eddie's girlfriend Iris urges him to accept the proposition.
Eddie and his friends arrive at Bayliss' office. Eddie auditions for one of Bayliss' business contacts and is soon on his way to fame and fortune. Bayliss' secretary Helen Tracy takes Eddie shopping for new clothes and they form a bond over lunch. Eddie performs on television and garners an enthusiastic response from viewers.
Eddie quickly becomes a success and develops a closer romantic relationship with Helen. He begins to sense the potential for a better life and starts to take a poorer view of his buddies.
The Beatniks
Bayliss arranges for Eddie and his friends to take up residence in a local hotel while Eddie prepares for the next step in his career. The group celebrates by drinking, dancing, playing loud music and damaging the furniture. When the hotel manager complains, Eddie's cruel friend Mooney amuses himself by tormenting the manager.
As Eddie's star rises, Mooney becomes more violent and determined to keep Eddie in his place - with the gang. When Mooney shoots a bartender during a robbery, Eddie despairs. He telephones Helen and tells her he's not going to continue in show business. When she tries to talk him out of quitting and declares her love for him, he rebukes her. Eddie accuses Helen of being motivated by greed, but he quickly regrets it and realizes that he needs to apologize.
At Helen's insistence, Bayliss goes to the hotel room to find out what the problem is with Eddie's friends. The increasingly unstable Mooney assaults Bayliss with a straight razor and seriously injures him. Bayliss is taken to the hospital and the police begin a manhunt for Eddie, suspecting that he is the culprit.
Eddie goes looking for Mooney, and a confrontation ensues. When the police arrive, Eddie cooperates and confesses his involvement. His show business career may be delayed (or ended entirely), but he clears his conscience and reconciles with Helen.
Cast[]
- Tony Travis as Eddie Crane
- Joyce Terry as Helen Tracy
- Peter Breck as Mooney
- Karen Kadler as Iris
- Sam Edwards as Red
- Charles Delaney as Harry Bayliss
- Bob Wells as Chuck
- Martha Wentworth as Nadine
Notes[]
- This is the first and only directorial effort from voice actor Paul Frees, who can be heard introducing Eddie when he makes his first TV appearance and also as the voice of the police detective in the hospital. Frees also wrote the script and some of the original songs.
- Charles Delaney (who played Harry Bayliss) passed away before the film was released.
MST3K Connections[]
- Director, writer, voice actor, executive producer, and lyricist Paul Frees (multiple characters) also performed the voices of Sir Ulrich in The Magic Sword, Frank Hubbard in Tormented, the helicopter pilot in Beginning of the End, and Kalin in The Sword and the Dragon.
- Peter Breck also portrayed Steve Curan in The Crawling Hand.
- Frank Worth (bartender) was also composer for Bride of the Monster.
- Editor Harold White was also editor for Daddy-O.
- Musical director Stanley Wilson was also composer for Radar Men from the Moon and music supervisor for San Francisco International.