- Directed by Don Siegel and based on a play by Reginald Rose, Crime in the Streets may be the best film about juvenile delinquency, if only by virtue of competing in such a weak category. Even films with solid critical reputations such as The Blackboard Jungle and Rebel Without A Cause too often veer into accidental farce when their disillusioned youths start acting out. Crime in the Streets features some of that, too, but at least it casts two very strong leads to play troubled youth Frankie Dane (John Cassavetes) and local social worker Ben Wagner (James Whitmore).
- The trouble with Frankie is that he thinks nobody loves him. His much put-upon mother (Virginia Gregg) spends all of her time working as a waitress or complaining about said job. His younger brother (Peter J. Votrian) looks up to Frankie, but always with an element of fear. The upstairs neighbor (Malcolm Atterbury) would be happy to see Frankie behind bars, and the local shopkeeper (Will Kuluva) has banned him from the store. The shopkeeper's daughter (Denise Alexander) has other ideas, but Frankie is either too angry or oblivious to reciprocate. Frankie's only friends are the members of his street gang, the Hornets, and even they are a little worried about Frankie these days.
- As Frankie pushes the gang toward more violent encounters, Ben Wagner tries his best to run interference. A man of seemingly infinite patience, Ben constantly asks after the gang members and subtly steers them away from trouble. At the same time, however, Frankie convinces his goofy sycophant Lou (Mark Rydell) and the shopkeeper's son "Baby" (Sal Mineo) to help him commit murder, which proves to be a bridge too far for the other gang members. Now it's just a question of whether Ben's positive messages will sink through Frankie's thick skull before it's too late.
- While the basic plot elements of Crime in the Streets aren't terribly original, Cassavetes and Whitmore are such perfect foils for one another that their interactions seem much more fresh and interesting than I would have expected. Whitmore's performance, in particular, is unexpectedly impressive since I only know the actor from The Asphalt Jungle and a few other small parts. Equally valuable to the production is Siegel's skilled direction, which never shies away from long takes and emotional close-ups. The film's settings, consisting primarily of a shabby apartment, an alley, and a store, are simple but utterly convincing. In the end, I was happy that I had watched a film about juvenile delinquency, which is probably the highest compliment I can deliver.
