Crime in the Streets
Directed by Don Siegel
Written by Reginald Rose
1956/USA
Allied Artists Pictures/Lindbrook Productions
First viewing/My DVD collection
Mrs. Dane: I’m your mother… MOTHER! God help me when I say it! The word feels dirty in my mouth! ‘Don’t touch me, mother?’ Well, you listen to me! I touched you once! I gave birth to you. I touched you all over! You’re part of my body, and every time I think of it, I wanna wash! You’re garbage, Frankie Dane! I give you up! I give you up!
Here is an interesting, if cliched, juvenile delinquent film noir.
Eighteen-year old Frankie Dane (John Cassavettes) lives in a tiny, shabby apartment with his single mother and younger brother, who is maybe ten or twelve. Mom is a waitress who constantly complains about how tired she is and is obviously unable to control her son. Frankie is angst-ridden and sullen but is a natural leader. He spends every possible moment out on the streets organizing rumbles with rival gangs and harassing passersby. Local social worker Ben Wagner (James Whitmore) works hard trying to bring the boys around but so far has failed miserably.
After the most recent rumble an interfering neighbor turns in one of the boys for having a zip gun. Frankie vows revenge. When he confronts the neighbor, the neighbor shoves him. Frankie cannot stand to be touched and now starts plotting murder. Most of the boys refuse to get involved but he can count on psychopath Lou Macklin (Mark Rydell) and fifteen-year-old Angelo (Sal Mineo) who idolizes him.
Can Ben get through to Frankie before a tragedy occurs? And what about Frankie’s nosy little brother?
This is very stagy but the acting is powerful. The dialogue is the weak link. There is the psychobabble typical of the 50’s, in this case laying the blame for rampant criminality on sibling rivalry and weak or too strict parents, and a lot of it is just too pat. Cassavettes is strong but is and looks ten years too old for his part. His v-neck sweater makes him look more like a college student than a street tough. Still I enjoyed the film for what it was.
Trailer
