Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the American punk rock band The Ramones. The film also starred P.J. Soles as the ultimate Ramones fan who dreams of meeting and giving them a song she wrote. She and her best friend attempt to go so see the band in concert but are opposed by Principal Togar (played by Mary Woronov) and must find a way to attend.
The film was originally called Girls Gym, then it was changed to Disco High by Corman, who wanted to capitalize on the disco craze, but was persuaded otherwise by Arkush. Originally, the filmmakers wanted Devo and then Van Halen before approaching the Ramones. They finally settled on Rock ‘n’ Roll High School after Arkush convinced Corman that the Ramones were the perfect band for the film. Guitarist Johnny Ramone was a huge fan of Corman’s films and when he heard that the producer was behind the film, he agreed to do it.
Shot in only 15 days, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School embodies the essence of the punk rock music that made the Ramones famous. Corman cannily marketed it as a Midnight Movie in the hopes that the same people who flocked religiously to The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) would come to see the Ramones. It was a modest commercial success upon its initial release. Repeated midnight screenings, coupled with steady appearances on TV, have helped the film endure over the years so that is has become a beloved cult classic.
