The Warriors (1979)

Director:

Walter Hill

Writers:

Sol Yurick (novel)
David Shaber (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 February 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

They outnumber the cops three to one.

Plot:

A gang called The Warriors are framed for killing a gang leader trying to unite all the gangs in the area. With other gangs gunning for them they must get back to the home turf of Coney Island... Alive.

Plot Keywords:

Warrior | Night | Framed | Street Gang | Police

Cast

Michael Beck	...	Swan
James Remar	...	Ajax
Dorsey Wright	...	Cleon
Brian Tyler	...	Snow
David Harris	...	Cochise
Tom McKitterick	...	Cowboy
Marcelino Sánchez	...	Rembrandt (as Marcelino Sanchez)
Terry Michos	...	Vermin
Deborah Van Valkenburgh	...	Mercy
Roger Hill	...	Cyrus
David Patrick Kelly	...	Luther
Lynne Thigpen	...	D.J.
Ginny Ortiz	...	Candy Store Girl
Mercedes Ruehl	...	Policewoman
John Snyder	...	Gas Station Man
Edward Sewer	...	Masai
Gwynn Press	...	Prom Couple
Jodi Price	...	Prom Couple
Jeffrey Scott	...	Prom Couple
Carl Brown	...	Prom Couple
Ron Ferrell	...	Gramercy Riff
Fernando Castillo	...	Gramercy Riff
Hubert Edwards	...	Gramercy Riff
Larry Sears	...	Gramercy Riff
Mike James	...	Gramercy Riff
Gregory Cleghorne	...	Gramercy Riff
George Lee Miles	...	Gramercy Riff
Gerald G. Francis	...	Gramercy Riff
Benny Harding	...	Gramercy Riff
Eddie Prather	...	Gramercy Riff
Kevin Stockton	...	Gramercy Riff
Joel Weiss	...	Rogue
Harold Miller	...	Rogue
Dan Bonnell	...	Rogue
Dan Battles	...	Rogue
Tom Jarus	...	Rogue
Michael Garfield	...	Rogue
Chris Harley	...	Rogue
Mark Baltazar	...	Rogue
J.W. Smith	...	Turnbull A.C.
Cal Saint John	...	Turnbull A.C.
Joe Zimmardi	...	Turnbull A.C.
Carrotte	...	Turnbull A.C.
William F. Williams	...	Turnbull A.C. (as William Williams)
Marvin Foster	...	Turnbull A.C.
Johnny Barnes	...	Turnbull A.C.
Ken Thret	...	Turnbull A.C.
Michael Jeffrey	...	Turnbull A.C.
Paul Greco	...	Orphan
Apache Ramos	...	Orphan
Tony Michael Pann	...	Orphan
Neal Gold	...	Orphan
James Margolin	...	Orphan
Chuck Mason	...	Orphan
Andy Engel	...	Orphan (as Andre Engel)
Ian Cohen	...	Orphan
Charles Serrano	...	Orphan
Charles Doolan	...	Orphan
Jery Hewitt	...	Baseball Fury (as Jerry Hewitt)
Rob Ryder	...	Baseball Fury
Steven Chambers	...	Baseball Fury (as Steve Chambers)
Richard Chiotti	...	Baseball Fury
Tony Latham	...	Baseball Fury
Gene Bicknell	...	Baseball Fury (as Eugene Bicknell)
T.J. McNamara	...	Baseball Fury
Steve James	...	Baseball Fury (as Steven James)
Lane Ruoff	...	Baseball Fury
Harry Madsen	...	Baseball Fury
Bill Anagnos	...	Baseball Fury (as Billy Anagnos)
John Gibson	...	Baseball Fury
Lisa Maurer	...	Lizzie
Kate Klugman	...	Lizzie
Wanda Velez	...	Lizzie
Dee Dee Benrey	...	Lizzie
Jordan Cae Harrell	...	Lizzie
Donna Ritchie	...	Lizzie
Doran Clark	...	Lizzie
Patty Brown	...	Lizzie
Iris Albanti	...	Lizzie (as Iris Alahanti)
Victoria Vanderkloot	...	Lizzie
Laura Delano	...	Lizzie (as Laura De Lano)
Heidi Lynch	...	Lizzie
Craig R. Baxley	...	Punk (as Craig Baxley)
A.J. Bakunas	...	Punk
Greg Baxley	...	Punk
Konrad Sheehan	...	Punk
Eddie Earl Hatch	...	Punk
Tommy J. Huff	...	Punk (as Tom Huff)
Leon Delaney	...	Punk
Irwin Keyes	...	Police
Larry Silvestri	...	Police
Sonny Landham	...	Police
Frank Ferrara	...	Police
Pat Flannery	...	Police
Leo Ciani	...	Police
Charles McCarthy	...	Police (as Charlie McCarthy)
Tony Clark	...	Police
Victor Magnotta	...	Police (as Vic Magnotta)
Dennis Gregory
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Pamela Poitier	...	Lincoln - Cleon's Girl (scenes deleted)
Richard Alleman	...	Nazi (uncredited)
Joseph Bergmann	...	Baseball Fury (uncredited)
Brian Colbath	...	Nazi (uncredited)
Harold Jurkiewicz	...	Orphan (uncredited)
Antone Pagan	...	Gang Leader on Subway Stairs (uncredited)
Charles Silvern	...	(uncredited)
Robert Townsend	...	Baseball Fury (uncredited)
Thomas G. Waites	...	Fox (uncredited)
Albert Zavurov	...	Guy in the Park (uncredited)
Charles Zucker	...	Straw Hat (uncredited)

Directed by
Walter Hill

Writing credits
Sol Yurick		(novel)
David Shaber		(screenplay) and
Walter Hill		(screenplay)

Produced by
Laurent Bouzereau	....	producer (Ultimate Director's Cut)
Freeman A. Davies	....	producer (Ultimate Director's Cut)
Lawrence Gordon	....	producer
Walter Hill	....	producer (Ultimate Director's Cut)
Frank Marshall	....	executive producer
Joel Silver	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Barry De Vorzon

Cinematography by
Andrew Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Freeman A. Davies		(as Freeman Davies Jr.)
David Holden
Susan E. Morse
Billy Weber

Casting by
Howard Feuer
Jeremy Ritzer

Art Direction by
Don Swanagan
Robert Wightman		(as Bob Wightman)

Set Decoration by
Frederic C. Weiler		(as Fred Weiler)

Costume Design by
Bobbie Mannix
Mary Ellen Winston		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Frank Bianco	....	hair stylist
Mike Maggi	....	makeup artist (as Michael Maggi)

Production Management
John Stark	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Barth	....	second assistant director (as Bob Barth)
Peter Gries	....	second assistant director
David Sosna	....	assistant director (as David O. Sosna)
Bruce Greenfield	....	dga trainee (uncredited)

Art Department
William Kane	....	property master
William Lucek	....	chargeman scenic artist
Brian Murphy	....	illustrator (Ultimate Director's Cut)

Sound Department
William Andrews	....	sound effects editor
Sean Hanley	....	dialogue editor
Jack C. Jacobsen	....	sound mixer (as Jack Jacobsen)
Al Mian	....	sound mixer (as Alan Mian)
Alan Robert Murray	....	sound effects editor (as Allan Murray)
Lee Osborne	....	sound effects editor
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Watters II	....	sound effects editor
Arthur Bloom	....	boom operator (uncredited)
James Perdue	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Edward Drohan	....	special effects

Stunts
Craig R. Baxley	....	stunt coordinator (as Craig Baxley)
David Copeland	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Burke	....	electrician
Russell Engels	....	gaffer (as Russel Engels)
Peter Garbarini	....	camera operator
John Thomas Kennedy	....	key grip
Michael Stone	....	camera operator (as Mike Stone)
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ron Zarilla	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sylvia Fay	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Loger	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Phyllis Smith Altenhaus	....	assistant editor (as Phyllis Smith-Altenhaus)
Lisa Zeno Churgin	....	assistant editor (as Lisa Churgin)
Rick Fields	....	assistant editor
George Trirogoff	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Caper Jr.	....	music editor
Joe Ferla	....	additional music co-supervisor
Paul Griffin	....	music arranger: additional music
Rob Mounsey	....	music arranger: additional music
Kenny Vance	....	music supervisor: additional music

Other crew
Sam Bernstein	....	production accountant
Neil Canton	....	assistant: Mr. Hill
Laurie Deitz	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon
Gail Geibel	....	production office coordinator
A. Kitman Ho	....	location manager (as A.K. Ho)
David Streit	....	location manager
Giboney Whyte	....	script supervisor
Stephen A. Glanzrock	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Penn Jillette	....	knife thrower: main titles (uncredited)
Dan Perri	....	title designer: main titles (uncredited)
Rob Ryder	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1980) (France) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1983) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Esselte Video (1985) (Finland) (VHS)
• Finnkino (2001) (Finland) (DVD)
• Nelonen (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• Paramount Home Entertainment Finland (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD) (HD-DVD)

Other Companies

• Dan Perri  title design
• Modern Film Effects  opticals
• Sylvia Fay/Lee Genick & Associates Casting  extras casting

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language. (director's cut)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (video rating) (1987) | UK:X (original rating) | France:-16 (re-rating) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16 | Sweden:15 (1979) (re-rating) | Sweden:(Banned) (1979) (original rating) | USA:R (MPAA #25367) | Australia:R | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Finland:(Banned) (1979) | Finland:K-18 (DVD rating) (2001) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (video rating) (1985) (cut) | France:-18 (cut) | France:X | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 | Singapore:M18 | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

72nd St. IRT Station, 72nd and Broadway, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The park at the beginning of the movie was supposed to be in the North Bronx. The scene was actually shot in Riverside Park, on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Baseball Furies are fighting with Ajax and Cowboy, the Fury in yellow attack Cowboy, and hits him twice. In the first shot, you see the bat connect with Cowboy, and it knocks his hat off. It quickly cuts away to a second scene, where Cowboy's hat is mysteriously back on his head. This time when he's hit, and falls, the hat stays on his head.

Quotes:

Cowboy: You never know what you're gonna run into out there. If we're wearing our colors, we can't hide.
Vermin: Who wants to hide?

Movie Connections:

References Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Soundtrack:

Love Is A Fire

A 100,000 STRONG film!

I remember catching a glimpse of The Warriors at the video section back in the 80's when I had a local WHSmith near where I lived.

I'll never forget the impression I got when I first viewed the image of a swarm of gangs having a near monopoly over the entire square.

When I finally got round to watching this film, I was left totally speechless after the end credits. Everything seemed totally original and above all else unique considering it was so well ahead of it's time, what-with the gangs from all five points of New York (hence Gangs of New York), and the various names each possessed (i.e. Garamercy Riffs, Boppers, Lizzies, Punks, Turnball A.C.'s, Rogues and The Orphans).

What's better is the fact that the film has held up so well after 25 years and still remains a major old school classic amongst many film enthusiasts.

My only complaint about the Warriors though, are the main leads and why so few of them managed to maintain any recognition after the film's success?

Michael Beck who portrays the tough but calm leader Swan, deserved much better as I'm sure he he would've knocked up some pretty cool roles today as well as actors like Brian Tyler and Tom McKitterick (Snow and Cowboy) who were sadly not seen from after either. What angers me the most is how Hollywood are in negotiations to knock up a remake of The Warriors, I honestly can't see that happening considering the fact that it just won't have the same effect as with movies being made twenty years back when they were made more genuine and well praised with not so much gimmicks being flashed around as today.

I just hope that The Warriors gets a midnight viewing sometime in the near future or perhaps maybe Quentin Tarantino stepping in to do some justice to it like with so many other classic flicks of today.