A Scene That Starts Normally
There are comedy scenes that make you smile, and then there are scenes that become impossible to forget.
Rodney Dangerfield’s “Twist & Shout” performance in Back to School belongs firmly in the second category.
Released in 1986, Back to School gave Dangerfield the perfect character in Thornton Melon, a wealthy businessman who decides to enroll in college alongside his son.
Thornton is loud, confident, unpredictable, and completely comfortable doing things his own way.
That personality becomes even more entertaining when he ends up onstage at a local bar.
The setup sounds simple.
Thornton gets in front of a rock band and performs “Twist and Shout.”
But anyone familiar with Rodney Dangerfield knows that a simple setup rarely stays simple for long.
Rodney Takes Over the Stage
The moment Thornton starts performing, the scene immediately develops that unmistakable Rodney Dangerfield energy.
He does not look like a polished professional singer trying to impress everyone.
Instead, he looks like a guy who has decided that the entire room belongs to him.
That is exactly what makes the scene work.
Rodney throws himself into the...
