He was the man who gave us the phrase rock ‘n’ roll. Through his radio show in Cleveland and later New York, Alan Freed introduced the white youth of America to the music of African Americans. He then hosted concerts featuring the biggest names of the day, and when Hollywood took notice, he was on duty to guide them through such fare as Rock Around the Clock, Rock Rock Rock! and Don't Knock the Rock. Yet his reputation and influence diminished rapidly when the payola scandal broke, and he died shortly afterwards at the age of 43. If Freed’s place in music history is largely forgotten today, this biopic will do precious little to redress that.

Noticing the popularity of rhythm and blues records amongst Cleveland’s teenagers, Freed dedicates an hour of his radio show to the genre. The format’s a hit, resulting in the disc jockey being mobbed by fans of the artists whose records he plays. Seeking to promote rock ‘n’ roll further, Freed takes the risky move of promoting concerts featuring the likes of Jackie Wilson and Jerry Lee Lewis. Their success not only leads to offers from Hollywood and New York, but also the unwanted attention of the FBI.

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This biopic has a lot going for it, not the least of which are two likeable leads and a great soundtrack, but it’s hampered by the cookie-cutter approach taken by writer Andy Wolk and director Matt Dorff. With more stock footage than an Ed Wood film and a pedestrian narration that telegraphs each plot point, Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story can’t even elicit some excitement from its musical numbers. Featuring the original recordings of Little Richard, Bill Haley and Jerry Lee Lewis, the recreations of these acts are let down by poor staging and even worse lip-syncing, though Leon fares better than most as Jackie Wilson. Guest appearances by Bobby Rydell and Fabian as concerned parents fall flat, while Paula Abdul makes a brief appearance delivering lines as if she’s in a Chekov play.

In 1957, Alan Freed starred in the similarly titled Mister Rock and Roll. Containing a little bit of Freed’s backstory, the film primarily had the disc jockey at his radio station introducing music clips of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others. American Hot Wax was a slight improvement and this biopic adds a bit more meat to the bones. Nevertheless, the advice remains the same. Forget the film, buy the soundtrack.