John Ashley who was a poor man’s Fabian back in the late Fifties was discovered by John Wayne who steered him into a show business career. One wonders why the Duke didn’t put him into some of his films, all of them around this time better than High School Caesar.
Fabian certainly was in better films than High School Caesar a cheaply made and photographed film about a spoiled rich kid who has a gang of leather jacketed flunkies who terrorize the kids in the local high school. One reviewer said that there was no real explanation for Ashley’s bad behavior, personally I think it was because he was plain no good. He’s even got the brain dead principal under his thumb and he wins election as student body president with a campaign of intimidation and extortion. His number one flunky Steve Stevens gets elected treasurer and then Ashley really goes to work. Stevens however has a social problem and wants Ashley to fix him up with campus queen Judy Nugent who much prefers drag racing Gary Vinson. Ashley’s failure to dictate Nugent’s social life plus a murder he commits eventually do him in.
Lots of rock and roll music, acting that is on the level of a high school drama presentation, cheap cinematography all these characterize High School Caesar.
