DADDY-O - Dick Contino - "Meet The Beat" (1958)

Since we're starting to run out of real monster movie titles down here in The Dungeon, 2013 is going to be a year that features more rock and roll films from the 50's and 60's, like "Shake, Rattle & Rock!," "Carnival Rock," "Hootenanny Hoot," "Hold On," and tonight's special feature, oh, yeah, it's "Daddy-O!" So put your dancing shoes on, it's time to rock!

"Daddy-O" is an unfairly maligned film about hot cars, hot chicks, hot music, murder, mayhem, drug running, and drag racing! It's been ridiculed by the MST crew and only has a 1.6 rating on IMDB, but I'd watch it again instead of 99% of the drivel that is produced today, and the music is better than 100% of any rap music I've ever heard, so what's that tell you? I say it's a conspiracy put together by historians to sell you the garbage produced today, but for me, I'm going to get back inside my time machine, and set the date for 1958 when life was simpler and better! (Side Note: Check out that tagline "Meet The Beat" - Now if that's wasn't groundbreaking, I don't know what is! It would be 6 years later that the Fab Four would add a mere three letters, and have one of the most popular albums of all time with "Meet The Beatles!)

The music is smokin' and the joint is jumpin' down at the Rainbow Gardens!

This is the shining star of "Daddy-O!" From the "raisin capital of the world," Fresno, California, here's world famous accordionist Dick Contino as truck drivin' man Phil Sandifer! As far as I know, Dick is still rockin' it to this day!

The red-hot blonde Jana Ryan all up in Daddy-O's business is Sandra (Lost, Lonely And Vicious) Giles from where else would you be from if you looked like that, but Hooker, Oklahoma!

Daddy-O is asked to come up on stage and join the band to sing a rousin' little number called "Rock Candy Baby!" To this day, it remains a mystery why Dick wore his pants up around his mid section, a look nobody else has ever decided to capitalize on!

Two of the sleazier minions of the bar are the incredible Bruno VeSota as Sidney Chillas, and his nearly blind bodyguard, Jack McClure as Bruce Green!

Daddy-O gets suckered into a race with Jana that sets the scene for all kinds of bad things to happen to him!

If you've got access to a cool location like the "Tail Of The Pup" hot dog stand, use it!!

How about some credit for the under appreciated people responsible for dressing out this scene? A watering can, a couple of poles, a mop, a can of paint, and a lawn chair! Wow!!

Bruce could probably see a lot better if he would just open his eyes!

I know of at least one other film besides this one where Bruno VeSota gets a rub down, maybe it was something in his contract!  Bruno VeSota possibly has the coolest list of credits of any actor on record, having appeared in "The Wild One," "Dementia," "Carnival Rock," "The Undead," "Rock All Night," "Hot Car Girl," "A Bucket Of Blood," "The Wasp Woman," "Attack Of The Giant Leeches," "The Devil's Hand," "Invasion Of The Star Creatures," etc. The list goes on and on, and Bruno only lived to be 54! Simply amazing!!

Sidney Chillas is opening up his own club, and makes Daddy-O an offer he can't resist, if he will perform there for him on a regular basis!!

Daddy-O performs another hot number called "Wait Til I Get You Home!"

The room is filled to it's maximum capacity, and the crowd goes wild!!! There wouldn't be this much musical excitement in a movie again until one year later when Don Sullivan performs "I Ain't Made That Way"  in "The Giant Gila Monster!"

No money was spared in order to bring you action scenes like this!!

Daddy-O has a run-in with a couple of Sidney's henchmen when things start turning sour! The one little guy looks like he's about 14 years old!

Sandra sure looks extra hot when her hair's all mussed up and she's got that hair over one eye, Veronica Lake look!

Everybody but Jana had lost faith in Daddy-O including the cops, but he proves to them all what a solid cat he really is!!

In the beginning, it didn't seem like they were much suited for each other at all, but in the end, what a happy couple Phil and Jana turn out to be!!

If you want to see  Dick Contino doing  his amazing accordion thing, be sure to check out some of the various clips you can watch on Youtube like this performance at The Cotati Accordian Festival in 2008! Go, Dick, Go!!!