The Young Savages

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Steve D More interested at shaking a fist at society than telling a compelling story. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/17/23 Full Review Ken R The Young Savages – Drama On The Streets In 1961, Young director John Frankenheimer (The Train) was making a big impression in movie making, and this one would seal his strong association with potent social dramas and outdoor action pictures. Frankenheimer was also known for taking over difficult, troubled productions and completing them successfully (Birdman of Alcatraz, etc) The producer, Harold Hecht, was not afraid to take on potentially uncommercial projects and turn them into good box-office material. Coming out in the same year as West Side Story '61 this has perhaps been unfairly saddled with comparisons as being ‘W.S.S'. without music. Telly Savalas makes his screen debut as a tough police detective alongside Burt Lancaster's powerful performance as assistant District Attorney. It's a grim story of crime on the streets based on Evan Hunter's novel ‘A Matter of Conviction' - telling the story of racial conflict between rival ethnic gangs - with some elements based on a true case figure. Master cinematographer Lionel Lindon captures all the exciting location action that leads to a detailed courtroom ending. It's well written and features several good performances by both established professional and newcomers as cast members, while David Amram provides an exciting score. This should hold interest for those who enjoy gritty social drama. The Archive DVD9 release features a quality transfer. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/13/21 Full Review Audience Member no, it's not "west side story without the music or romance" as one contemporary review put it. It's a gripping, excellent look at teen violence, great acting by Burt Lancaster and the whole cast. Fabulous score by the Underappreciated David Amram - Some passages remind one of his classic score for "the Manchurian candidate". Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Sober social problem drama that tackles juvenile delinquency by pointing the finger directly at broken homes and the slum environment. Burt Lancaster is the District Attorney, formerly from the slums himself, who wants to put three young hoods who killed a blind Puerto Rican boy into the electric chair. His boss, aiming for the governor's office, approves; his wife, a rich white liberal, disapproves. Lancaster takes his time investigating both viewpoints, including the families of the victim and the accused murderers (with Shelley Winters as his former girlfriend, the mother of one of the accused) as well as other members of both the Italian and Puerto Rican gangs involved in the incident. And then he basically throws the case in a quest for the truth, demonstrating to the jury how the killers came to be killers and why they should be treated with mercy - of course, the victim's family is stunned and disappointed (especially because the truth involves a dose of victim-blaming). If the film didn't discuss the institutional racism present in America, one might worry that its conclusion itself smacks of bias. But no one would disagree that Lancaster has done the right thing by showing mercy - it's just that it's all a bit preachy as directed by earnest young John Frankenheimer fresh from live TV and not yet up to the standards of his classic films (The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May). Rather dated too. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member the first pairing but not the last of burt lancaster and director john frankenheimer Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Frankenhiemers' early film, The Young Savages, is a film I found underrated. The film opens with a gang, that look like they're straight out of West Side Story, attacking a young blind boy. A conservative prosecutor is assigned to the case, who has a closer connection than what meets the eye. What I found fascinating about this film, which was released in 1961, is how out dated it was. How is this a good thing? The film brought me back into the world of the 1960s, the traditionalism, the things that would be brushed off now were scandals in this town. I'm not a golden age person, but I did feel that I went into a time machine. The film doesn't only focus on the case, but the racial tensions surrounding it. Burt Lancaster stars in this film, and had a solid performances. The savages depicted weren't great actors, but they passed. The film did have scenes that I felt were dispensable , like the train and elevator scenes, which don't contribute to the story. I was hooked on the story line though, and despite the cheesiness, I was paying full attention to the faith of the boys. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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