DRAMA . 1978 . 1h 31m . 5.6/10

American Hot Wax_

"1959. New York City. The battleground was Rock and Roll. It was the beginning of an era. You shoulda been there."

This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950s. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals.

Starring Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Jay Leno

Box Office $11.0M

5.6/10

Rating

$11.0M

Box Office

1h 31m

Runtime

1978

Year

Updated Feb 16, 2026

1959. New York City. The battleground was Rock and Roll. It was the beginning of an era. You shoulda been there.

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DROPTHE_ GOSSIP

Cast

Tim McIntire stars as Alan Freed in American Hot Wax.

Tim McIntire →

Year context

American Hot Wax was released 48 years ago in 1978.

Overview

This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950s. Freed was a...

American Hot Wax is a Drama, History, Music film with a runtime of 1h 31m.