"Rock Around the Clock" had been recorded in 1954. But after the release of "Blackboard Jungle," it went to No. 3 on the R&B charts, and No. 1 on the pop charts. It was everywhere.

Today, "Rock Around the Clock" is nostalgia. But 70 years ago, "Blackboard Jungle" made it seem scary.

Blackboard Jungle was also the first major studio film to use rock & roll on the soundtrack; the film's success kick-started sales of Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets, which helped ...