FRI, JAN 10 / 7 pm
SAT, JAN 11 / 9 pm
THU - FRI, JAN 16 - 17 / 9 pm
Directed by William Hechter & Peter Miller
2012, Canada, 98 min
Co-directed by former Winnipegger William Hechter, A.K.A.Doc Pomus is about the legendary songwriter Jerome Felder. Paralyzed with polio as a child, Jerome reinvented himself first as a blues singer, renaming himself Doc Pomus, then emerged as a one of the most brilliant songwriters of the early rock and roll era, writing “Save the Last Dance for Me”, “This Magic Moment”, “A Teenager in Love”, “Viva Las Vegas”, and dozens of other hits. For most of his life Doc was confined to crutches and a wheelchair, but he lived more during his 65 years than others could experience in several lifetimes. The film brings to life Doc’s joyous, romantic,heartbreaking and extraordinarily eventful journey. In his later years, Doc was a mentor to generations of younger songwriters and a fierce advocate for downtrodden musicians. He wrote a thousand songs – including some of the most recorded songs in the history of popular music – but his most lasting gift may have been his uniquely generous spirit. Passages from Doc’s private journals are read by his close friend, Lou Reed.
