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      Crime in the Streets

      1956 1h 31m Crime Drama List
      100% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 40% 50+ Ratings Audience Score A social worker (James Whitmore) tries to reach a street-gang leader (John Cassavetes) who plans to kill a man over a slap. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

      View All (19) audience reviews
      S R Not a bad try of a West Side Story without the music. I just wasn't a fan of the cast and the melodrama. Saw on TCM. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/13/24 Full Review Jeff S John Cassavetes is especially good in this drama about violent youth who have been broken by life events and are misunderstood by the adults in their lives. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/26/24 Full Review Linda J I am surprised by the low audience rating on this movie. They just showed in on TCM, and I stumbled upon it. I was captivated by it -- largely because of the powerful acting and the dialogue. Seems like it was a precursor to West Side Story -- lots of similarities. This is definitely worth the time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/14/24 Full Review Audience Member Less a film than a filmed theatrical play (it is based on television play), this Don Seigal movie disappointed me. Sam Leavitt's cinematography, though, is reason enough to screen and re-screen, plus performances by Peter J. Votrian and Virginia Gregg are commendable. But, I saw nothing remarkable in John Cassavetes acting and found the movie stale in its storytelling. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Before Don Siegel did crime classics like Dirty Harry, he was Donald Siegel and he did some crime thrillers. This one was pretty solid, with uneven monologues from juvenile delinquents and the people trying to set them on the straight path. The movie is mostly build up, but it does have an emotionally satisfying ending. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member ★★★ (out of four) Though mild on today's standards, "Crime in the Streets" still manages to pack a pretty decent wallop in its depiction of teenage rebellion. It is a good barometer for the way in which films dealt with the current state of teenage deprivation. The story and script aren't particularly strong, but the performances are. They lift the plot to a level higher than it would have been in less convincing hands. In his first role, John Cassavetes plays Frankie Dane, the leader of a New York City street gang. He is bitter and mean to everyone including his hard working mother and sweet little brother. James Whitmore plays a socil worker who tries to deal with the gang members. Frankie is embarassed one day by an adult neighbor. He convinces two of his gang members, one of them Angelo aka "Baby" played by Sal Mineo, to help him ambush the man on the way home from bowling and kill him. Cassavetes is wonderful in the part, showing an early indication of his future filmmaking importance. Mineo is also good in a role that was quite typical for him at that time in his career. Whitmore is very likeable. I wish he more to do, however. This film could have been a complete mess, but it was saved for me by the sincerity that went into and it strong acting. [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Zeppo1/IMG_6228_zps874f23cc.jpg[/IMG] Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Crime in the Streets

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (5) Critics Reviews
      Richard Brody New Yorker The film is built around long takes of tightly composed performances, culminating in a bravura four-minute shot with entrances and exits brilliantly orchestrated by the commanding presence of Cassavetes. May 3, 2013 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Siegel manages to keep the action wound pretty tight, though he doesn't seem to sympathize much with Rose's bleeding-heart liberalism. Apr 30, 2005 Full Review Janet Graves Photoplay The well-worn subject of juvenile delinquency here is freshened up by an honest approach and strong acting. Rated: 3/4 Aug 16, 2022 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Depends heavily on Cassavetes' intensity and Siegel's brutality to make it work. Jul 16, 2010 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A lively and intense melodrama about a youth gang hanging out in the mean city streets. Rated: B Apr 25, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A social worker (James Whitmore) tries to reach a street-gang leader (John Cassavetes) who plans to kill a man over a slap.
      Director
      Don Siegel
      Production Co
      Allied Artists Pictures Corporation
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 31m