Over the opening credits, three teenagers swagger into New York City's Spanish Harlem, with trouble on their minds. In broad daylight, they viciously stab to death a blind 15-year-old harmonica player. The perpetrators are revealed to be members of the "Thunderbirds", an Italian street gang. This victim was a member of the "Horsemen", a rival Puerto Rican gang. Due to the victim's blindness and young age, district attorney Edward Andrews (as Daniel "Dan" Cole) decides to seek the death penalty. He has an eye on the Governor's office. Tough guy prosecutor Burt Lancaster (as Hank Bell) is assigned the case...
We learn Lancaster moved out of the poor neighborhood and married wealthy Vassar socialite Dina Merrill (as Karin), after dating pitifully sympathetic Shelley Winters (as Mary). Left behind, Ms. Winters raised impressionable blond Stanley Kristien (as Danny Di Pace), one of the knife-wielders. Rounding out the trio are seemingly psychotic John Davis Chandler (as Arthur Reardon) and illiterate head-banger Neil Nephew (as Anthony "Batman" Aposto). While investigating the murder, Mr. Lancaster begins to question the death penalty he is directed to pursue...
Based on "A Matter of Conviction" by "Blackboard Jungle" novelist Evan Hunter, this film asks us to look at a handicapped Hispanic teenager's killers as individuals with problems of their own. That's quite daring. This is, of course, the first step in actually changing things and helping prevent violence. Director John Frankenheimer handles the task well. After your initial revulsion, you're with him. Going for a weird balance of realism and showiness, Mr. Frankenheimer introduces the killers with choreography. For the actual crime, he becomes aloof, shooting it through reflection while a young woman screams. Finally, we become intimate with the characters...
While we're asked to understand the killers and contemplate their action, Frankenheimer does not dismiss their flaws. We see these more fully in two subsequent attacks. In a public swimming pool, young Rafael Lopez (as Jose) is terrorized while dozens of tightly-attired onlookers cavort. Frankenheimer may have gone overboard with the towel-swatting background twosome, but the foot in young Lopez' face is effective. The young actors play this scene admirably. There is also a nail-biting close-up attack on Ms. Merrill in an elevator. Her character is given an edginess Merrill rarely saw in her movie scripts, but the role isn't fully developed. Even less is gleamed from Ms. Winters, who mainly sits and emotes. The most obvious dramatic moment ("He's your son!") never happens and it all ends too easily.
******* The Young Savages (5/24/61) John Frankenheimer ~ Burt Lancaster, Stanley Kristien, John Davis Chandler, Neil Nephew
We learn Lancaster moved out of the poor neighborhood and married wealthy Vassar socialite Dina Merrill (as Karin), after dating pitifully sympathetic Shelley Winters (as Mary). Left behind, Ms. Winters raised impressionable blond Stanley Kristien (as Danny Di Pace), one of the knife-wielders. Rounding out the trio are seemingly psychotic John Davis Chandler (as Arthur Reardon) and illiterate head-banger Neil Nephew (as Anthony "Batman" Aposto). While investigating the murder, Mr. Lancaster begins to question the death penalty he is directed to pursue...
Based on "A Matter of Conviction" by "Blackboard Jungle" novelist Evan Hunter, this film asks us to look at a handicapped Hispanic teenager's killers as individuals with problems of their own. That's quite daring. This is, of course, the first step in actually changing things and helping prevent violence. Director John Frankenheimer handles the task well. After your initial revulsion, you're with him. Going for a weird balance of realism and showiness, Mr. Frankenheimer introduces the killers with choreography. For the actual crime, he becomes aloof, shooting it through reflection while a young woman screams. Finally, we become intimate with the characters...
While we're asked to understand the killers and contemplate their action, Frankenheimer does not dismiss their flaws. We see these more fully in two subsequent attacks. In a public swimming pool, young Rafael Lopez (as Jose) is terrorized while dozens of tightly-attired onlookers cavort. Frankenheimer may have gone overboard with the towel-swatting background twosome, but the foot in young Lopez' face is effective. The young actors play this scene admirably. There is also a nail-biting close-up attack on Ms. Merrill in an elevator. Her character is given an edginess Merrill rarely saw in her movie scripts, but the role isn't fully developed. Even less is gleamed from Ms. Winters, who mainly sits and emotes. The most obvious dramatic moment ("He's your son!") never happens and it all ends too easily.
******* The Young Savages (5/24/61) John Frankenheimer ~ Burt Lancaster, Stanley Kristien, John Davis Chandler, Neil Nephew