Il giardino della violenza

"The Young Savages" is a social-conscience drama showcasing its star, Burt Lancaster, to good effect. Burt plays Hank Bell, a district attorney who is handed the case of three Caucasian youth gang members who murdered a Puerto Rican youth in cold blood. But is that what really happened? As Bell does a lot of his own sleuthing, he discovers, predictably enough, that things may not be as they appeared. He embarks on a bull headed quest for the "truth" of the matter.

Bell conducts himself in an unprofessional matter often enough, at least during the climactic trial, that it may lose some viewers due to lack of complete believability. But it's still a reasonably engrossing story, well told by screenwriters Edward Anhalt and J.P. Miller (based on the novel "A Matter of Conviction" by Evan Hunter) and director John Frankenheimer. Frankenheimer doesn't concern himself with being overly cinematic, concentrating mostly on just spinning this racially charged yarn. We are subject to some speechifying and philosophizing on the nature of criminal youth, and the nature of the justice system. For one thing, Hanks' wife Karin (Dina Merrill) is a bleeding heart liberal.

The main thing that really holds all of this together is an exceptional cast. Lancaster handles himself with great dignity, playing a character who considers himself fortunate to have escaped slum surroundings (partly due to his father changing the family name, which was actually Bellini). The film co-stars Edward Andrews, Vivian Nathan, Shelley Winters, Larry Gates, Telly Savalas (in his first substantial role), Pilar Seurat, and Milton Selzer, with juicy parts for the younger generation: Stanley Kristien as the defiant Danny, John Davis Chandler as the volatile Arthur, Neil Nephew as the none too bright Anthony, and Luis Arroyo as the passionate Zorro.

While not all that satisfying when all is said and done, "The Young Savages" is compelling enough to keep a viewer watching for 103 minutes.

Seven out of 10.

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.

Post-World War II, there was a rise in juvenile delinquency, and this was mirrored in films such as "Blackboard Jungle," "Rebel without a Cause," "High School Confidential," and "Knock on Any Door." Antiheroes like James Dean and Marlon Brando became popular, and sexual threats like Elvis Presley invaded music. To adults, the kids were out of control.

"The Young Savages" from 1961 is another film looking at the rise in delinquency, this one starring Burt Lancaster, Shelley Winters, Dina Merrill, and Telly Savalas (in his film debut). Directed by John Frankenheimer, the film is an attempt to get at the psychological reasons behind the murder of a Puerto Rican boy in Harlem.

Lancaster plays DA Hank Bell aka Bellini before his father changed it. He grew up in the neighborhood depicted. Now there is an ethnic division, the Italians versus the Puerto Ricans, with gang activity on both sides - West Side Story sans music.

Hank Bell is to prosecute the juveniles accused of the stabbing, and one of them is the son of a woman (Winters) whom he once dated. She tells him her son could not have been involved in any murder and begs him to look into it. In real life I think he would have had to give the case to someone else, but here, he tries to find out what really happened. Along the way, he learns some things about himself.

Like "Knock on Any Door," "The Young Savages" endeavors to show what's behind the tragedy. Merrill is Karin, Hank's suburban life, with the liberal philosophy of one who doesn't actually deal with juveniles. She's a far cry from Hank's old girlfriend from the neighborhood - Hank has reinvented himself and has a debutante type for a wife. Partly from guilt, partly from "there but for the grace of God," Hank throws himself into the case, endeavoring to see both sides, to the complete annoyance of his superiors.

Good movie with an intense performance by Lancaster. The film is notable also for being Telly Savalas' first film, playing a police detective with shades of Kojak. The juveniles - Stanley Kristien, Neil Nephew, Luis Arroyo, Jose Perez, and Richard Velez, are all excellent.

Though somewhat derivative, this is a good film -- Burt Lancaster's production company was associated with quality films, and this is one of them.

This is the first of the several black and white films that Frankenheimer made in the sixties, most of them excellent. Although is not as good as The Manchurian Candidate or The Train it has also his usual rigor in the construction of a plot with political implications. Lancaster has a good performance, his appointments with the members of the gangs are enough believable and the trial scene reaches an adequate climax. The film starts with the murder of a blind puertorican boy by three italians guys, members of a gang. Lancaster, who was born in little Italy and has changed his surname Bellini to Bell has to prosecute them as D.A. despite of one of the italians boys is a former gilrlfriend's son.

This was also one of the first playings of Telly Savalas and is remarkable that his performance as a cynical policeman prefigures his later successful in "kojack", although it wasn´t the most appropiate for this film.

This is an original classic picture , being very worthy in its intention and including faith in American justice . It is set in N.Y. C. where gang leaders lead his groupies on a reign of terror through the streets and slums . These dangerous gangs are called the Horsemen and the Thunderbirds . After three adolescents hoods stab a blind Puerto Rican boy , upright assistant DA Hank Bell (Burt Lancaster) is tasked with prosecuting the criminal case . He's looking for evidences for first degree killing for all three of the teenagers , even 15 year-old Danny DiPace , son of his old sweetheart , Mary DiPace (Shelley Winters who played his former lover , she was actually former lover in real life) . Bell grew up in the neighborhood and investigates the convictions along with Lt. Gunderson (Telly Savalas) . He learns that Escalante may have pulled a knife and was really one of the chiefs of the Puerto Rican gang that fought usually with their Italian opponents . Bell's spouse is upset at the prospect that he's seeking the death penalty for teens and he thinks she's just a liberal living in her own little perfect world . Meanwhile , Hank attempts to find out motivation for killing on the three misfit boys . As he gathers more proofs against his superior , the General prosecutor Daniel Cole (Edward Andrews) . However , he starts to see that it is all far more complicated than it first suggested . Ring leader results to be a young psychopath Arthur Reardon (John Davis Chandler) , a baddie who doesn't seem human . The attorney starts investigating with no results and the bands pull off his owns objectives , leading to an ever higher tension at the justice court .

It is a violent and strong movie by its time about gangs of cruel teens who terrorize the neighborhood , executing a terrible murder and a prosecutor assistant who is determined to do his job and starts to discover that the facts in the case aren't exactly as they seem to be , despite resistance from his superiors . Tough as well as thoughtful entertainment , set in the thunderous sixties . Well-remembered violent drama from the early 60s in which teenager gangs terrorize the entire streets and surroundings executing crimes and violence at random . Interesting script , screen-written by Edward Anhalt , based on the novel "A Matter of Conviction¨ by Evan Hunter . This entertaining as well as thought-provoking film contains thrills , intense drama , upsetting scenes , and with quite convincing , studious atmosphere . In fact , due to the film violent content had great notoriety and important impression as well as some problems with censorship . Very good acting , as always , by Burt Lancaster as a district attorney who pursues justice , investigating the racially charged case of three teenagers accused of a killing . Lancaster had never before worked with a director as Frankenheimer who used such innovative camera angles . He grew to trust John Frankenheimer, and they made four more films together . In fact , Lancaster was forced by United Artists to make four films for low salaries in the 1960s , all of them directed by Frankenheimer : The Young savages (1961 ), The birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Train (1964) and Seven Days in May (1964) rather than his normal fee , because of cost overruns at his production company , Hecht-Hill-Lancaster, for which he was personally responsible . Acceptable acting by Dina Merrill ; however , Dina said that the treatment she received from director John Frankenheimer on this picture nearly drove her out of the business , as he literally told her at the end of a days' filming that she was the worst actress he'd ever worked with . It displays a very nice as well as memorable support cast , such as Edward Andrews , Shelley Winters , Larry Gates , Telly Savalas , Stanley Adams , Leonardo Cimino , Milton Selzer and unforgettable John Davis Chandler as nasty teen.

Evocative cinematography in Black and White by Lionel Lindon . The picture was well directed by John Frankenheimer and achieved great success . John used strange camera movements , aiming upward and camera on the floor . Lancaster had never before worked with a filmmaker who utilized such innovative camera angles . In fact , Lancaster was startled and dismayed to see these rare work means . At the beginning John worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s . He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate¨, ¨Seven days of May¨ and ¨The Train¨ and ; in addition , including some great car races as ¨Grand Prix¨ and ¨Ronin¨ . Rating : Better and average and well worth seeing . The flick will appeal to Burt Lancaster fans . Above average for its thrilling premise as well as hard-hitting entertainment and had the youthful ripping up the seats on its first release .