The Young Savages | Rotten Tomatoes

The Young Savages

Released May 24, 1961

1 hr. 50 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

50%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

After a Puerto Rican teen is murdered by three white adolescents, the case comes to Assistant District Attorney Hank Bell (Burt Lancaster). Realizing that he used to date the mother (Shelley Winters) of one of the suspects, he wonders if the boy is his son. Despite Bell's personal involvement, the district attorney (Edward Andrews) keeps him on the case. However, as Bell discovers street gang involvement in the case, he and his wife (Dina Merrill) begin to face physical threats.

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Steve D

More interested at shaking a fist at society than telling a compelling story.

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 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 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 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

kevin w

A murder in Harlem sets off the action here in this introspective about life in the urban setting, circa 1960. Often badly compared to West Side Story (w/o the music and dancing) I believe that this one is actually superior. In point of fact I resisted this for about 45 minutes, taking it to be yet another propaganda piece from those times about how society is "handling" the youths problem. There are certainly elements of that type of propaganda included, but good writing, directing, acting, the whole kit and kaboodle, overcome genre stereotypes to produce lively commentary worthy of your time.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

the first pairing but not the last of burt lancaster and director john frankenheimer

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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John Frankenheimer

Director

Burt Lancaster

Hank Bell

Dina Merrill

Karin Bell

Shelley Winters

Mary di Pace

Edward Andrews

R. Daniel 'Dan' Cole

Vivian Nathan

Mrs. Escalante

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Peter John Dyer

Sight & Sound

This chaotic mass of truisms has reduced its director to what one can only assume is severe anxiety state.

Feb 11, 2020

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...squanders a predictably solid Lancaster performance to a progressively distressing degree.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jun 25, 2021

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

More than just "West Side Story" without the singing...a flinty, gritty courtroom drama dressed up as a street gang murder thriller.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 8, 2021

Full Review

Brian Orndorf

Blu-ray.com

Strikingly crafted, "The Young Savages" manages to overcome its fatiguing length to isolate raw emotions, led by strong work from star Burt Lancaster.

Rated: B

Sep 21, 2020

Full Review

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

quaint to the point of incoherence and inconsequence

Rated: 2/4

Mar 24, 2009

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jun 14, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

After a Puerto Rican teen is murdered by three white adolescents, the case comes to Assistant District Attorney Hank Bell (Burt Lancaster). Realizing that he used to date the mother (Shelley Winters) of one of the suspects, he wonders if the boy is his son. Despite Bell's personal involvement, the district attorney (Edward Andrews) keeps him on the case. However, as Bell discovers street gang involvement in the case, he and his wife (Dina Merrill) begin to face physical threats.

Director: John Frankenheimer
Executive Producer: Pat Duggan
Screenwriter: Evan Hunter, J.P. Miller, Edward Anhalt
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Contemporary Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 24, 1961, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008

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