# Hey Eve, or anyone else that knows about movies & copyrighting **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 5, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034 "2000-09-05T02:36:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/1 "2000-09-05T02:36:02Z")
I watched a movie a few weeks ago on AMC, _Rock Around The Clock,_ with Bill Haley & the Comets. The plot was pretty lame, but it was an entertaining show. A few nights ago, AMC showed a movie called _Twist Around the Clock._ The plot was _identical_ to _RATC,_ and the dialogue sounded almost verbatim. I do believe that both films were produced by the same company, but I can’t remember which one off the top of my head. I know they were both written by the same guy (Robert Kent). I’m assuming this is legal, but just how common is it? Or was this one of those cases where “Hey, if it worked once, it’s gotta work again, right?” And am I alone in my love of these lame-o early rock & roll movies (except for the Elvis flicks. I can’t deal with the Elvis flicks)? ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/2 "2000-09-05T04:42:26Z")
What’s your question? If the same company owns the copyright on RATC, then they certainly have the right to remake it as TATC. I mean, haven’t you ever seen a remake before? All it takes to do it is having permission to do so. That, and the balls to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/3 "2000-09-05T04:59:05Z")
Well now I feel stupid. For some reason, the idea of a remake never entered my mind. I think it’s because the names of the characters, and some other minor things, had been changed. But yeah, “remake” pretty well suits it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go listen to some Chuck Berry and chant to myself “it’s okay to rip yourself off…it’s okay to rip yourself off…” ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/4 "2000-09-05T05:07:14Z")
Another thing to keep in mind, too, is that musical “covers” were done all the time in those days, too. The covers I’m referring to are literal remakes, as songs popular in black r&b culture were remade by whiteboys like Pat Boone. If redoing something once worked then, why wouldn’t they try to milk the filmgoing public into seeing the same story twice? ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/5 "2000-09-05T05:40:00Z")
Oh, I know about the music, Montfort. I’m married to a blues musician, who thinks regardless of what kind of front he puts up, Pat Boone is actually Satan. 😃 One thing I do wonder about the _RATC/TATC_ thing, though. _RATC_ caused teenagers to go absolutely ape\*\*\*\*, and riot and stuff (I had always heard that but never believed it, until I asked my mom & her boyfriend–who are old enough to remember when the movie was first released–if that was true. They confirmed it). We’re the filmmakers hoping for that kind of reaction again? I mean, the twist was a dance craze that _everyone_ got in on, not just the teenagers that were rioting over _RATC._ ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/6 "2000-09-05T14:36:02Z")
_That_ I can’t tell you, as I’m a youngin’ and never even heard of TATC until your post. Here’s where we hope Eve pops in and tells us why. But, I bet they figured “if we got them to riot once, why not twice?” I’ll bet the box office for TATC was pretty impressive, even if I’ve never heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/7 "2000-09-05T14:50:26Z")
“Twist around the clock”??? with appearances by Dion, Chubby Checker and some young female singer I’ve never heard of??? OHMYGOD. we watched that this weekend too. I turned to my So and asked “So, when did you start to hate me???” (he had the buttons) I try to get up before him now. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2000, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hey-eve-or-anyone-else-that-knows-about-movies-copyrighting/32034/8 "2000-09-05T22:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > “Twist around the clock”??? > with appearances by Dion, Chubby Checker and some young female singer I’ve never heard of??? Vicky Spencer. The name is burned in to my brain. 😃