Doc Pomus’ dramatic life is one of American music’s great untold stories. Paralyzed with polio as a child, Brooklyn-born Jerome Felder reinvented himself as a blues singer, renaming himself Doc Pomus, then emerged as one of the most brilliant songwriters of the early rock and roll era, writing “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and dozens of other hits. Spearheaded and co-produced by his daughter, Sharyn Felder, and packed with incomparable music and rare archival imagery, this documentary features interviews with collaborators and friends including Dr. John, Ben E. King, Joan Osborne, Shawn Colvin, Dion, Leiber and Stoller, and B.B. King, as well as passages from Doc’s private journals read by his close friend Lou Reed.
Reviews
Save the Last Dance for Me... has always been my most favorite song. So watching the documentary which gave me an insight into why and how and for whom the song was written was a wonderful journey. Doc Pomus also wrote many songs Elvis fans would be familiar with. The Flaming Star movie, starring Elvis song was also written by Pomus. As was Little Sister and Suspicion But mostly it was the tenderness of this documentary and its portrayal of Doc Pomus that had me in tears. What a wonderful tribute to a great soul and song writer. Anyone looking to learn more about the history of rock n roll, or the blues this is must see documentary.
This extraordinary film documents the life of one of the greatest songwriters of our age -- who was known and esteemed in the music community, but because he never became a star recording artist was less well known to the world at large. Coming down with polio at age 6, Doc Pomus overcame disability and pain to lead a rich life with many highs and lows, and a huge circle of friends. Through it all, he wrote song after great song, many of which form a soundtrack to our age.The filmmakers have made a coherent and affecting whole out of a vast amount of material, both archival footage and contemporary interviews, all of which give a vivid picture of a vivid personality. It's such a rich film that it repays multiple viewings, and the quantity and amazing quality of the music speaks for itself.I love this movie.
This is a beautifully told story about Doc Pomus who was stricken with polio and led a very interesting life meeting fascinating people along the way and wrote popular songs we known and love including Save the Last dance for me. I just loved this movie because it was poignant and touching. It showed the struggles of an underdog who had successes but also failures. It was humorous yet sad....and uplifting at the same time. The songs in this movie were fantastic and woven into the storyline seamlessly. I enjoyed every minute of the movie and felt for Doc Pomus. You left the movie satisfied and in awe of Jerome's fascinating life. He had such an impact on so many songs we cherish and love today. Will Hechter deserves so much credit for putting together this wonderful movie. I recommend this movie to everyone!
I found this film an incredibly rich experience. As a documentary--a document--it's an extremely thorough and detailed examination of Doc Pomus's life and work. Pomus is a fascinating person, a major musical talent of his time, and it's also obvious he changed the lives of many who came in contact with him. A wide range of Pomus's cohorts and family members are interviewed, and the archival footage and recordings are incredible. It's densely packed with strong images, and every one has a reason for being there, furthering the narrative, adding to the mosaic in a meaningful way. But beyond the documenting of Pomus's life, this film stands on its own as a work of art. It flows like music, it has an emotional narrative in addition to the linear one, which isn't forced but is there naturally. As critic Ken Eisner says, "The overall feeling the film leaves you with is joyous, not elegiac." There's no substitute for having the tenacity to collect all the material, taking the time and care to put it all together meaningfully, and then having the talent to make the whole more than the sum of its parts. I can only think of one documentary that compares with this and that's Terry Zwigoff's acclaimed CRUMB. I hope this film gets wide distribution and the recognition it deserves.