Brooklyn youth Frank Cusack, good son and brother by day, is a gang member by night. The Dukes, seemingly likable dead-end-kids, are dangerously involved with racketeer Gaggsy Steens. Despite the efforts of Franks's parents, he and pal Benny get involved in a serious crime. Can Stan Albert, head of the community center, prevent them from becoming full-time crooks?
Graine de faubourg, West Germany, Malerba, Dime con quién andas, Almas Abandonadas
USANR
USA
A social issues movie about the costs of juvenile delinquency. Ultimately blames living conditions and economic hardship for setting kids on a doomed path, but also put the responsbility for changing their fate on individuals, including by snitching if that’s what it takes. Noteable as Tony Curtis’ first speaking part (he’s Mitch, the one kid in the gang who’s sort of thoughtful — in a badass way, of course), and featuring Thelma Ritter as the main kid’s mom, and Stephen McNally as the hot neighborhood voice of reason who needs more screen time.
Youth crime, with a bunch of newcomers. One of who looked like a punk Tony Curtis. And it was Tony Curtis! His first screen credit. Not a big one, but he's part of the rebel gang this story focus on and easily the coolest look among them. Weird they didn't notice his star ability right away, for here it seemed they were going out of their way to hide him from the camera. As for the film itself. there's definitely a lot going on. Some of it perhaps held back by the lack of experience on screen, but at the same time there was an edge to it. And because the lack of star power, I think that's what they were going for.
A strong juvenile deliquency film. The crime plotting is a little by the numbers and it is a bit more comformist than I would hope, but it gets a lot out the setting and the youths lack of opportunities. There's far more raw quality than most similar movies. It does feel like a more relevant piece of American post war realism than it is very low profile would suggest.
A noir that is known for Tony Curtis's first credited screen debut, CITY ACROSS THE RIVER (1949) fires on all cylinders. You know right from the very beginning that the situation is sad for the characters involved that live in the rat trap tenements of Brooklyn. It seems like every time there is a glimmer of hope, happiness, etc... it is snatched away at a moment's notice. The main character, Frank Cusack, lives with his hard working family and just sees misery all around. He is a member of a gang called The Dukes, who think of nothing rolling over someone for 5 bucks. An accidental shooting/murder leaves Frank and his buddy Benny on the run from the cops and…
So apparently toward is pronounced tord. Who knew? Appallingly one dimensional kids going off the rails tale that deserves an award for managing to cram together so much bad acting in just ninety minutes. Every character is so flat they could easily slide under a door, it's actually cringe inducing watching the errant yooves acting tough, imagine Jerry Lewis at his mugging worst times ten, except this isn't a comedy, it's meant to be a tough cautionary tale. Yeah right.
On the plus side there's some great footage of Brooklyn and a certain huge movie star, billed here as Anthony Curtis, gets his first film credit.
"What's it got to do with you, see?"
Peter Fernandez? WHO? he is the main character Frank Cusack in this crime noir film about misguided street gang, oh...excuse me “social club” called the “Dukes.” There’s a silly prologue speech at the film’s opening about the awareness of the scourge of “juvenile delinquents” that may exist in a neighborhood like yours.
But I couldn’t help thinking this should have been Curtis’s debut starring role, billed here as Anthony Curtis...believe me, he just stood out of this picture with such screen presence...he had a couple of scenes with wordy dialogue made the other Dukes look very amateurish...there was Richard Jaeckel as Bull, but he also didn’t have much of a part except flex his muscles.
The film mainly focuses on the…
GUT-WRENCHING REALISTIC MEILU & ACTING...SPOT-ON JD FILM-NOIR
First-Rate Casting and Believable Story along with an On-Location NYC Noir Setting Elevate.
One of the First Juvenile Delinquency Cautionary Tales from the Best-Selling Book “The Amboy Dukes” by Irving Shulman.
A Precursor to the JD Films of the 1950’s that Saw Varying Renditions of Quality and Style.
The Fear of Violent Teen-Age Rebellion Swept the Country and was Mainly a Big-City Problem but was Propagandized as a National Scourge.
The Establishment Pointed Fingers, Unjustly, at Comic-Books and Rock N’ Roll.
That were Easy Targets and Considered by the Status-Quo as a National Threat and at times, Believe it or Not, was Labeled as a “Communist Plot” to Corrupt.
In Fact, one of the…
Okay cautionary tale with some noir elements most notable for having Thelma Ritter in the small role of the lead's mother just before she became one of the premier star supporting actresses of the business. There's also Tony Curtis in a more considerable role but neither is given the spotlight often and the other actors don't make a big impact. Adequate but no more.
