‘Hard to Hold’ stars Rick Springfield

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

The 1984 film Hard to Hold features Rick Springfield in his first feature film. Prior to this he had several roles in different television series’ including the hit daytime drama General Hospital where he played Dr. Noah Drake from 1981-2014. In this movie Springfield plays James Roberts, a rock musician/writer/singer who is at a junction in his career. The movie was written specifically for Springfield and highlights his songs and singing, along with his acting skills.

James Roberts is at the end of one of his tours in San Francisco and he bumps into Diana Lawson (Janet Eilber), literally. Lawson is a child psychologist and has no idea who this man is. And, to add insult to injury, she prefers the classics to rock music.

But that doesn’t deter Roberts. He pursues this woman and soon the two are falling in love. He wears his heart on his sleeve but she is too afraid of a commitment. In the meantime, James meets her father (Albert Salmi) and they become great friends. Diana sees a side of James his fans do not. He lets his hair down with her, and although he still has his career, he feels his life is lacking something.

During all this James’ band mate and songwriting partner Nicky (Patti Hansen) tries to rekindle their romance but James’ mind is on another woman. And, their collaboration is suffering. He is in love and wants upbeat and hopeful songs but she only comes up with dark ones.

While dating, James and Diana come up against the feverous rock fans that scream and grab at him when they see him. James Roberts is a rock superstar and his fans are out of control.

This new Blu-ray includes an interesting interview with director Larry Peerce who discusses the genesis of the story and how it was made. He says it was a fun experience filming a lot of the film on location in San Francisco but the dock scenes were filmed in San Pedro, outside of Los Angeles. Unfortunately for the filmmakers and actors, the building used for the movie was next to a cat food company and everyone had to put up with the horrible smell.

Hard to Hold is rated PG.  (content and bare butts) It is a must-see for Springfield fans.  The soundtrack is amazing however it is out of print but the songs are available on MP3.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Los Angeles Press Club and the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.