C'mon, Let's Live a Little at Brian's Drive-In Theater

cast

Bobby Vee, Jackie DeShannon, Patsy Kelly, Eddie Hodges, Ken Osmond, Russ Conway, John Ireland Jr., Jill Banner, Suzie Kaye, Bo Belinsky, Kim Carnes, Mark Evans, and Ethel Smith.

Jackie DeShannon, Bobby Vee, Kim Carnes, Mark Evans, and Jill Banner

Images from the 1967 Paramount release "C'mon, Let's Live a Little." LEFT: Original one-sheet poster. CENTER: Bobby Vee as Jesse Crawford. RIGHT: Lobby card featuring Jackie DeShannon, Bobby Vee, Kim Carnes, Mark Evans, and Jill Banner

Vee is Jesse Crawford, an Arkansas hayseed who travels to Waymount College to enroll. He meets Judy Grant (DeShannon) when she wrecks her car; he pulls her from the wreckage and it's love at first sight. Judy happens to be the daughter of Waymount's dean, portrayed by veteran actor Russ Conway.

Russ Conway, Jackie DeShannon, and Bobby Vee

LEFT: With Russ Conway, Jackie DeShannon, and Bobby Vee. CENTER: With Jill Banner and Eddie Hodges. RIGHT: Promotional photo featuring Jill Banner, Kim Carnes, and Joy Tobin. Horror film fans will recognize Jill Banner as the homicidal maniac Virginia in the cult classic film Spider Baby (1964; with Lon Chaney Jr., Carol Ohmart, Sid Haig, and Jill Banner)

plot synopsis

The remainder of the film concerns Judy and Jessie's difficulties in striking up a relationship due to their disparate backgrounds. Judy already has a boyfriend, Rego (John Ireland, Jr.), but is only using her position as the daughter of Waymount's dean to further his campus political ambitions. Rego has eyes for Bee Bee (Suzie Kaye), a go-go dancer at the local teen hangout. But Bee Bee is also attracted to Jesse.

Bobby Vee, John Ireland Jr., Jackie DeShannon, and Kim Carnes

LEFT: Jesse rescues Judy from her wreck. CENTER A: Bee Bee sings the title song from the film. CENTER B: The gang watches Bee Bee in action. CENTER C: Bee Bee gives go-go lessons at Judy's house. RIGHT: Judy tries to choose between Jesse and Rego

The producers attempt to make the film more current than other teen films of the period by introducing a subplot concerning student protest for "free speech on campus," yet the plot is a bit outdated considering the mid-1960's political atmosphere in America. Ultimately, the film is a love story; Judy and Jesse get together at the end of the movie, and Rego and Bee Bee get what's coming to them.

music

LEFT: Jesse and Judy burst into song on campus. CENTER A: Jackie DeShannon sings Baker Man with the assistance of Joy Tobin, Kim Carnes, and Jill Banner. CENTER B: Vee and DeShannon sing Back-Talk at the free speech rally. RIGHT: A depressed Jesse comforts himself by singing a song

The plot is often interrupted by musical interludes written by Don Crawford, who has a small role in the film as Jessie's backwoods cousin. Bobby Vee, Jackie DeShannon, Eddie Hodges, and Suzie Kaye do their best to make the songs sound good. Child actor/singer Eddie Hodges, now all grown up, sings Let's Go-Go and does an excellent job. Suzie Kaye sings the title theme C'mon, Let's Live a Little. Jackie DeShannon sings Baker Man and For Granted; the latter is her best song in the film and is now available on a Jackie DeShannon Greatest Hits CD. (See the "Jackie DeShannon" section below.) Vee performs Instant Girl, and he and DeShannon sing a duet near the end of the film. Bob Celli writes: Bobby Vee and Jackie DeShannon recorded their parts on the duet they did separately. On the acetate I have, Bobby is singing with a different female so apparently they had a studio singer do Jackie's part; Vee added his, and then DeShannon added her part last.

LEFT: Jackie DeShannon looks very alluring in this 1966 photo (thanks to Mark T.). For more terrific photos of DeShannon and information on her current CD release, visit the Official Jackie DeShannon Web Site. RIGHT: Baseball player Bo Belinsky has a small role as the go-go club owner

more about bobby vee, jackie deshannon, and kim carnes

Bobby Vee (1943–2016)

Talented singer/songwriter Bobby Vee can handle a variety of musical styles. He had no fewer than 14 hits on Billboard's Top 40 chart between 1959 and 1967, such as Devil or Angel, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, and Take Good Care of My Baby. His last top ten hit was Come Back When You Grow Up, which went to number nine on the charts in June 1967. In total, Vee charted 38 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1959 and 1970, chalking up six gold records. Sadly, Vee passed away on October 24, 2016, at the age of 73.

Filmography
The Crickets: My Love Is Bigger Than a Cadillac (1989), a Swedish-produced TV film; with Paul McCartney and Jerry Allison
C'mon, Let's Live a Little (1967) with Jackie DeShannon, Patsy Kelly, Kim Carnes, Eddie Hodges, Jill Banner, and John Ireland Jr.
Just for Fun (1963) with Freddy Cannon and three of Buddy Holly's Crickets
Swingin' Along (1961) with Tommy Noonan, Barbara Eden, Ray Charles, and Ted Knight

Jackie DeShannon (b. August 21, 1941)

Born in Hazel, Kentucky, Jackie DeShannon is perhaps best known by fans for her top-ten hits What the World Needs Now is Love (1965) and Put a Little Love in Your Heart (1969). However, many in the music business know her better as an incredibly prolific songwriter. Starting at a young age in the music business, by the time DeShannon turned 20 she was a contract songwriter for Metric Music. In addition to her songwriting duties, DeShannon was also doing a lot of recording and touring: for one six-week period, she opened for the Beatles on their 1964 North America tour. As if she weren't busy enough, DeShannon also tackled a number of acting roles in films and on TV.

A big Jackie DeShannon fan, Mark T., sent the following information in 1998: I stumbled upon a recent Jackie DeShannon interview, and she said Liberty records pushed her and Vee (who had recorded at least five of her songs previously) into a 'package deal' alongside labelmates The Pair Extraordinaire. She says the movie was not a good career move. The producers ran out of money in late 1965 or early 1966 and stopped filming the flick to resume later in the year, which explains why Jackie has long blonde hair in some parts of the movie and shorter, wavier hair in others.

Jackie DeShannon Links
The Official Jackie DeShannon Web Site features information about and photos of the singer and songwriter.

Filmography
FILM
The Catcher (1972) with Jan-Michael Vincent and Anne Baxter
C'mon, Let's Live a Little (1967) with Bobby Vee, Patsy Kelly, Kim Carnes, Eddie Hodges, Jill Banner, and John Ireland Jr.
Intimacy (aka The Deceivers) (1966) with Barry Sullivan
Surf Party (1964) with Bobby Vinton
TELEVISION
The Andy Williams Show, originally aired November 1969
The Wild, Wild West, episode The Night of the Janus, originally aired February 15, 1969
My Three Sons, episode The New Neighbors, originally aired 1966. One of the scenes from this show was shot on the campus set used in C'mon, Let's Live a Little
Shidig!, originally aired 1965

Kim Carnes (b. July 20, 1945)

Interestingly, Kim Carnes does not perform as a singer in C'mon, Let's Live a Little but rather as an actress. However, Carnes has been active in the music industry since the early 1960s and was once a member of The New Christy Minstrels. Although most people remember Carnes from her No. 1 hit Bette Davis Eyes and smash album Mistaken Identity, she has made numerous recordings and has released solo albums since the early 1970s. Incidentally, Bette Davis Eyes was co-written by Jackie DeShannon, who had recorded the song in 1975 and released it on her Columbia album New Arrangement.
Other than a 1965 appearance on the ABC-TV series The Patty Duke Show and C'mon, Let's Live a Little, Carnes has no further acting credits.

c'mon, let's live a little trivia

At the time this film was in production (late 1965 and early 1966), Bobby Vee's acting coach was Leonard Nimoy.
Liberty Records released a soundtrack album for this film, which you can find through several venues if you look hard enough. Incidentally, both Vee and DeShannon were then under long-term contracts to Liberty/Imperial.
Musician Ethel Smith appears here as Jesse's Aunt Ethel. Smith was an accomplished organist, and was once married to actor Ralph Bellamy. She's best known for her hit Tico Tico.
Bo Belinsky, baseball pitcher and one-time fiance of Mamie Van Doren, appears in the film as the owner of Bo-Bo's A Go-Go.
This was director David Butler's final film; Butler had been a director since the late 1920s and directed this film at age 71.

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This page premiered April 7, 1998.
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