The Young Savages (1961)

Three teenage gang members (John Davis Chandler, Neil Nephew, Stanley Kristien) from an Italian neighborhood march into a Puerto Rican neighborhood where they proceed to stab to death a blind Puerto Rican boy playing his harmonica. The D.A.'s office assigns the case to a rising attorney (Burt Lancaster) who grew up in the Italian neighborhood but he is hampered by the D.A. (Edward Andrews) who sees the case as his ticket to the governor's mansion, his socialite wife's (Dina Merrill) liberal social agenda and his past relationship with the mother (Shelley Winters) of one of the killers. This John Frankenheimer directed vehicle is a product of its times. It's too contrived in its attempt to please both the liberal ("these poor boys are the product of their environment") and conservative ("kill the punks") elements. While I suppose it's admirable to see both sides of the argument, the film ends up being a civics lesson of the Stanley Kramer variety rather than an authentic look at racism and juvenile delinquency and whether Frankenheimer and company intended it or not, the Puerto Ricans get the short end of the stick. Best to stick with WEST SIDE STORY. A good score by David Amram (SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS). With Telly Savalas, Larry Gates, Roberta Shore, Vivian Nathan and Pilar Seurat.