One of American youth gang films that came out in the late 70′s and early 80′s. This one shows the gangs from the Bronx, and as you might guess, the gang we are meant to identify with are the Italians. Our gang, the Wanderers, seem to have problems getting along with anybody, as every gang does. They get into it with one of the rival Black gangs, and the adults, who are gangsters themselves, decide to settle the whole thing with a football game and a wager, “so’s they can make a little money off of it.”
There is something else of interest with this film. The character, Terror, who is the head of the Baldies may be recognizable to you. He appeared in two other movies, but his mug is unmistakable. His name was Erlan Van Lidth. He was an MIT graduate with a degree and an advanced degree in the field of Computer Science in 1972. Upon graduation, he started his own successful company within his chosen field, took up studio wrestling as a hobby and began acting once discovered in a gymnasium by a fellow weight lifting enthusiast who happened to be a movie producer.
As MIT was one of the Gene Amdahl hub universities, and the time frame puts him there at the beginning, when the entire exercise in capitalism got started, with absolutely no proof, I am giving Van Lidth the due credit he deserves for his part in the birth of the internet, as the work he did as a student at MIT, right at the beginning of the entire thing, doubtless helped his professors create this wonderful tool. In short, the reason you are able to watch this movie on your computer, linked to a website called youtube, is in part thanks to the fellow who portrays Terror in this fun little movie, relegated to land of cult classic.
I have two favorite quotes from this movie.
“Here goes the elbow tittin champeen of the Bronx”
“But I never did it to nobody’s daughter.”
Those psycho Irish dudes at the end were something out of Five Points (which was already gone by the 50s). They don’t see to be as gay friendly as Chris Matthews.
I wonder why Matthews is like that…
Hubby and I loved this little gem of a movie! We thought it never got enough exposure.
EBL wrote:
Five Points was gone by the end of the 19th century.