The Young Savages (1961)

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Edward Anhalt (writer)
Evan Hunter (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

24 May 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

HERE IS THE RAW TRUTH...NAILED TO THE SCREEN!

Plot:

A district attorney investigates the racially charged case of three Italian teenagers accused of the murder of a blind Puerto Rican boy...

Plot Keywords:

Juvenile Delinquent | Gang | Beautiful Woman | Deep Focus | Based On Novel

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Hank Bell
Dina Merrill	...	Karin Bell
Edward Andrews	...	R. Daniel 'Dan' Cole
Vivian Nathan	...	Mrs. Escalante
Shelley Winters	...	Mary di Pace
Larry Gates	...	Randolph
Telly Savalas	...	Police Lt. Gunderson
Pilar Seurat	...	Louisa Escalante
Jody Fair	...	Angela Rugiello
Roberta Shore	...	Jenny Bell
Milton Selzer	...	Walsh
Robert Burton	...	Judge
David J. Stewart	...	Barton
Stanley Kristien	...	Danny Di Pace
John Davis Chandler	...	Arthur Reardon
Neil Nephew	...	Anthony 'Batman' Aposto
Luis Arroyo	...	Zorro
José Pérez	...	Roberto Escalante
Richard Velez	...	Gargantua
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Adams	...	Lt. Hardy (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Court Bailiff (uncredited)
Robert Biheller	...	Turtleneck (uncredited)
Jon Carlo	...	McNally (uncredited)
Leonardo Cimino	...	Mr. Rugiello (uncredited)
Robert Cleaves	...	Sullivan (uncredited)
Thom Conroy	...	Mr. Abbeney (uncredited)
Linda Dangcil	...	Maria Amora (uncredited)
John David	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Joel Fluellen	...	Clerk of the Court (uncredited)
Harry Holcombe	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt	...	Whitey (uncredited)
Crane Jackson	...	(uncredited)
Helen Kleeb	...	Mrs. Patton (uncredited)
Rafael López	...	José (uncredited)
Paul Marco	...	(uncredited)
Elaine Martone	...	(uncredited)
Lester Matthews	...	Dr. Androtti (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Henry Norell	...	Pierce (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Juror (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Bill Quinn	...	Capt. Larsen (uncredited)
Bill Raisch	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Chris Robinson	...	Pretty Boy Savoricci (uncredited)
Mario Roccuzzo	...	Diavolo (uncredited)
William Sargent	...	Soames (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Reporter at Police Precinct (uncredited)
Irving Steinberg	...	Police Officer Wohlman (uncredited)
John Walsh	...	Lonnie (uncredited)

Directed by
John Frankenheimer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Anhalt		writer
Evan Hunter		novel "A Matter of Conviction"
J.P. Miller		writer

Produced by
Pat Duggan	....	executive producer
Harold Hecht	....	producer

Original Music by
David Amram

Cinematography by
Lionel Lindon

Film Editing by
Eda Warren

Art Direction by
Burr Smidt

Set Decoration by
James Crowe

Costume Design by
Jack Angel
Roselle Novello

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Gilbert Kurland	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Carter De Haven Jr.	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Harry D. Mills	....	sound

Production Companies

• Contemporary Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1961) (France) (theatrical) (as Les Aristes Associés)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Fang Video (video)
• United Artists

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Norway:16 | West Germany:12 (f) (cut version) | West Germany:16 (f) | UK:12 (2009) | UK:12 | UK:X (1961) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Contemporary Productions

Trivia:

Burt Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for $150,000 a picture in the 1960s: The Young Savages (1961), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Train (1964) and The Hallelujah Trail (1965) rather than his normal fee of $750,000, because of cost overruns at his production company, Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Portraits chinois (1996)

Burt Goes Home

For The Young Savages Burt Lancaster went back to his roots. The actor was born and raised in the East Harlem section of Manhattan. At that time it had not become a Latino neighborhood, it was predominantly Italian where he grew up. To this day there are still a few Italian families in the area in and around Pleasant Avenue and neighboring streets. His had to be the only WASP family in the area at the time.

In 1961 just as you see in West Side Story the neighborhood was divided with racial and ethnic tensions. But these kids don't sing and dance between rumbles. They are a hard bitten bunch of punks on both sides.

In fact that's where our story begins as three Italian kids leave their turf and go and stab a blind Hispanic youth. It's a crime that shocks the city. Ambitious District Attorney Edward Andrews sees this as a case when successfully prosecuted could make him governor. He relies on one of his best men, ADA Burt Lancaster to bring home a victory and a trip to old Sparky as they called the electric chair in Sing Sing.

Of course there's a lot more to the case than meets the eye both in the crime and in Lancaster's conflicted loyalties. He's happily married to pretty Dina Merrill from the suburbs. She's what you call a limousine liberal, one who's ideas are shaped by books instead of living the poverty she's studied in school about.

I've met many like that and it really is true many conservatives are liberals who've been mugged. When one of the gangs gives her a bad experience, she sings a different tune.

But where The Young Savages falls apart for me is the fact that Lancaster was once involved with Shelley Winters, the mother of one of the three defendants. I'm sorry, but right then and there Lancaster in real life would have recused himself from this case. Of course Winters appeals to him for old time's sake and Lancaster starts doing his own investigation and prods the police to do more on their end.

In the film also Lancaster is from that neighborhood. His character's family name of Bell was once Bellini. Many families with ethnic names of all types anglicized them or had them anglicized by immigration officials.

The film which according to a recent biography of Burt Lancaster was shot in 35 days on location in New York City. It was a project Lancaster did while waiting to do Birdman of Alcatraz. The Young Savages is notable for being Telly Savalas's big screen debut and for Lancaster using TV director John Frankenheimer on his first big assignment. Purportedly Lancaster was pretty rough on Frankenheimer, but in the end he impressed the star so that he did four more films with him including Birdman of Alcatraz. And Telly Savalas was in that one too.

Though the film is based on one horribly bad premise, the acting and directing are not bad. I had the same criticism of 12 Angry Men in which another young talented director, Sidney Lumet got his first break. The Young Savages remains a graphic look at a seamier side of New York City during the Kennedy years.