It's Trad, Dad! known in the U.S. as Ring-A-Ding Rhythm, is a musical comedy. The film was one of the first films put out by predominantly horror company Amicus Productions

Amicus Productions

Amicus Productions is a British film production company, based at Shepperton Studios, England. It was founded by American producer and screenwriter Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg.-Horror:...

, and one of director Richard Lester

Richard Lester

Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...

's first films.

Plot

Craig and Helen (Craig Douglas

Craig Douglas

Craig Douglas is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...

 and Helen Shapiro

Helen Shapiro

Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...

) are two teenagers who, along with their friends enjoy the latest trend of traditional jazz

Trad jazz

Trad jazz - short for "traditional jazz" - refers to the Dixieland and Ragtime jazz styles of the early 20th century in contrast to any more modern style....

. However, the mayor as well as a group of adults dislike the trend and move to have a coffee shop jukebox

Jukebox

A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...

 taken away.

Craig and Helen, with the help of omnipotent narrator journey to a radio station's studios in hopes of finding a disk jockey and organizing a show to gain popularity for the style.

They find one, in addition to many bands to play. But upon hearing the news of the upcoming performance, the mayor decides to stop the bands' van by any means necessary.

Craig and Helen find that their jockey and bands have not yet arrived, and as such, decide to find local talent within the crowd of guests at their show.

The interim acts manage to stall the crowd long enough for the true performers' bus to traverse a series of traps the city council had set up for them. Just in time, the performers reach their stage and put on their act for the citizens. The film ends with the town's kids and teens enjoying the music and the adults grudgingly accepting it.

Soundtrack

The film predominantly comprises musical numbers, including a full performance by Acker Bilk. However, unlike traditional "musicals" the songs have little to do with the movie but rather serve more to show off the artists' talents and give a taste for the style as the plot stops whenever a number starts. U.S. acts were added to the film including Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker

Chubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter. He is widely known for popularizing the twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...

, Del Shannon

Del Shannon

Del Shannon was an American rock and roll singer-songwriter who had a No. 1 hit, "Runaway", in 1961.- Biography :...

, Gary US Bonds, Gene Vincent

Gene Vincent

Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...

, and Gene McDaniels

Gene McDaniels

Gene McDaniels was an American singer and songwriter, who had his greatest recording success in the early 1960s.-Biography:...

.