odd mixture of rock, dixieland and jazz breaks 4th wall--comes off screen music video mayor banning music really like dixieland"It's Trad, Dad!" (later renamed "Ring-a-Ding Rhythm!") is not much of a movie in many ways. There's barely any plot and it consists mostly of a bunch of music video-like performances all strung together. Yet, it might be worth your seeing it if you like this sort of music or if you are curious what Richard Lester's first film as a director looks like.As for the music, it's a VERY strange combination. Some of it is clearly pop and rock but quite a bit also is Dixieland Jazz! Was there some sort of Dixieland fad in the UK in the early 60s?! I dunno...but these are actually more fun to listen to than the pop numbers...as they are VERY easy to listen to and tap along with as you listen! The Lester touch is obvious when they're not doing musical numbers. Weird stuff like breaking through the fourth wall by having actors walking OFF the film early on and some of the other silly sight gags seem like his later films and I could see why the Beatles would use him because of his odd, hip style.So what's the story? Well, there's about 10% story and about 90% just song after song after song. The Mayor of some town is mad because young people love their music...and it drives him crazy. So he tries, in vain, to stop the invasion of noxious music into his town!Overall, a VERY odd film and one that is VERY difficult to rate. The bottom line is that this movie is NOT for everyone....you have to love the music and you have to be very patient to see an almost plot-less picture! Mostly for Lester fans and for folks who like the music. I enjoyed it and recommend it...but could easily understand someone NOT liking or recommending it.

If anyone is curious to look at 1961/62 U.K. just before The Beatles would make their way to American shores, then this is an excellent look at that moment of the British musical landscape. More then anything this film is about Art Direction. This is the kind of film that would show off Lester's amazing visual sense & get him hired to direct one of the great musicals of the 60's, "A Hard Days Night". The other quality I love about this film is the strange mixture of Folk, Dixie Jazz, R&B & Rock & Roll. I love how just 2 years before the Rock & Roll revolution would take hold that there seems to be such a wild mix of styles all floating around & waiting to take shape. Please see this film simply to get a peek at Lester's wonderful sense of visual delights. It very much has the feel of a magazine article come to life. Bravo!

I see I'm not the only one who watched this on Turner Classic Movies the other night.On the surface, it follows the same pattern as other cheapie rock-n-roll movies of the time: an assortment of pop performances tied together with a thin bit of plot. But "It's Trad, Dad" is much, much more watchable than your average rock-n-roll exploitation film,thanks to its impudent sense of humor (some of which anticipates Monty Python's Flying Circus). The stick-in-the-mud grown-ups are so perfectly over the top, the kids so sweet and earnest, and the narrator SO obliging-- even providing instant club clothes for the hero and heroine. I also enjoy the glimpse of pre-Beatles UK pop, and the look at the craze for old- fashioned Dixieland jazz is a real revelation. What could be so upsetting about "There's a Tavern in the Town" or "When the Saints Go Marching In"?

I just watched this movie for the first time. I wonder why movies like this are so rarely seen. We've got all these cable channels now -- you'd think every movie ever made would end up getting played somewhere. This is a very interesting movie. I love the "teener" songs the most. It's amazing to think that Trad (Dixieland) had a burst of popularity just before the Beatles hit it big in the USA. Had it not been for the Beatles, would the 60's have been mostly about jazz? Anyway, after watching this movie, I thought it would be simple to search the Internet and find a complete listing of all the songs somewhere. Guess what -- it can't be done! I tried all kinds of Google entries and nothing returns a complete listing of the entire soundtrack. There is a CD available, but it only contains the Dixieland stuff. Does anyone know where I can find a complete list?