The Young Savages (1961)

Directed by: John Frankenheimer | 103 minutes | drama, crime | Actors: Burt Lancaster, Dina Merrill, Edward Andrews, Vivian Nathan, Shelley Winters, Larry Gates, Telly Savalas, Pilar Seurat, Jody Fair, Roberta Shore, Milton Selzer, Robert Burton, David J. Stewart, Stanley Kristien, John Davis Chandler, Neil Nephew, Luis Arroz

Giving a new twist to familiar genres, that’s what director John Frankenheimer (1930-2002) specialized in. As one of the few TV pioneers, he strived for innovative and striking images. He made his big screen debut with ‘The Young Stranger’ (1957), which led to a series of classics, the most famous of which are ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ and ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (both 1962). Although he was no longer prominent in Hollywood after moving to Europe in the late 1960s, he continued to make thrilling blockbusters such as ‘French Connection II’ (1975) and continued to be a busy director through the 1980s and 1990s. . Even at a later age he was still innovative. For example, with ‘Ronin’ (1998) – one of his last films – he portrayed the exciting, magnificently filmed car chase in a way that the film world had never seen before. Frankenheimer worked extensively with Burt Lancaster, with whom he would make four films. The first of this illustrious foursome was ‘The Young Savages’ (1961). Lancaster was initially quite surprised when he walked onto the set of that film: never before had he worked with a director who used such innovative camera angles!

Thematically, ‘The Young Savages’ is somewhat reminiscent of Sidney Lumet’s ’12 Angry Men’ (1957). Both films revolve around a murder with a racial motive and in both films the protagonist wants to get the truth out: they don’t just settle for the obvious point of view. However, there are also major differences. For example, ‘The Young Savages’, unlike ’12 Angry Men’, does not take place in just one room. In this film, Lancaster, like his character Hank Bell, returns to his roots in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York. A neighborhood where the Italians rule, but where the Puerto Ricans are slowly but surely making themselves heard. The neighborhood is plagued by racial tensions between young people (‘West Side Story’ (1961), anyone?)’ and it is not long before three Italian youths are arrested for the murder of a young Puerto Rican. It’s a crime that makes the whole city tremble. Ambitious prosecutor Edward Andrews (R. Daniel Cole) sees his chance: if he gets this case right – in this case it’s not to be missed – it will bring him good publicity and he can use it well now that he is running for election to the governor’s post. His righteous assistant Hank Bell (Lancaster) is assigned to the case. However, he turns out to be more personally involved in the case than expected: the mother of one of the boys is his ex Mary DiPace (Shelley Winters) and he still has feelings for her. So Bell decides to investigate for himself.

The film was shot in 35 days on a limited budget. For Lancaster – who was also romantically linked to Winters in real life at the time – it was a snack, in preparation for ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’, for which he would collaborate again with Frankenheimer. Reportedly, the petulant movie star didn’t make it too easy for the inexperienced director on set. Nevertheless, the collaboration would be excellent: why else would they make three more films together? Based on Evan Hunter’s book ‘A Matter of Conviction’, The Young Savages has a promising set-up. But screenwriters Edward Anhalt and JP Miller get it wrong when they pull the character Mary DiPace out of the hat. Hank Bell’s motivations for getting to the bottom of the case, as he still has feelings for his ex, who happens to be the mother of one of the suspects – it’s all a bit far-fetched and detracts from any further relatively believable story. Much more interesting than DiPace is Karin (Dina Merrill), Bell’s wealthier suburban wife who claims to be a liberal but has clearly learned her knowledge solely from textbooks. In the first confrontation with the street gangs that plague New York, she suddenly beeps very differently.

‘The Young Savages’ leans heavily on the strong shoulders of Burt Lancaster, who is the absolute star in this whole – although the role of Hank Bell does not demand the utmost of his acting ability. In supporting roles, Shelley Winters, Dina Merrill, R. Daniel Cole and Telly Savalas (in his big screen debut) are decent, but far more remarkable than the acting and script is the directing and cinematography. Frankenheimer plays with unconventional camera angles and the courage he shows with it can be praised. Lionel Lindon’s gritty, exciting black-and-white photography is largely responsible for the grim atmosphere that the film breathes. Even though the story is not flawless, from a technical point of view ‘The Young Savages’ is certainly interesting. And fans of Burt Lancaster should definitely not miss this film, because their hero is extensively discussed here.