Well Deserved Praise

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

This is best viewed as a filmed Stage Play because that is basically what it is. There is very little Movie pretensions and is delivered as an Actor's vehicle. It is a talky treatise on Juvenile Delinquency that starts out with a Rumble but then (un)settles in for a peek behind the cement curtain of dingy apartments and dirty streets, one Parent Families and smelly surroundings. A strong cast and Direction with an ambiance that is stifling and unsanitary (in the Kitchen, the 10 year old little Brother says..."I caught a roach, you want to see"). That is basically what we are witnessing. Human roaches scurrying around in this filth trying to survive. Sometimes it is so gritty that audiences may feel uncomfortable watching. The dialog has verisimilitude and the Film feels authentic beneath the facade, but as Movie Entertainment it could have opened up a bit, but the limited budget and Studio bound sets were not accommodating. Overall it is worth seeing as an artifact of the time, an era that was starting to pay some attention, if not enough, to the plight of underprivileged Youth in underdeveloped neighborhoods, and understaffed and overworked broken "homes".

The sociology of all sociological films is this 1956 excellent view of urban life, filled with social problems and the rise of gangs and ensuing violence. It's an absolutely wonderful film.John Cassavetes, as Frankie, the boy craving attention, is just fabulous here and Sal Mineo, always good, especially when he is a follower and conflicted, is hesitant in going along with Frankie's plans to rub out an elderly man who blew the whistle on their friend. Peter Votrian, who plays their accomplice, is terrific. He is absolutely demented and actually enjoys what the trio plan to do.James Whitmore is the social worker here who knows that Frankie and the guys are up to no good.There is a wonderful performance by Virginia Gregg as Frankie's exhausted, over-worked waitress mother, who knows that she can't control him but pleads with him. You'd remember Ms. Gregg the year before as the nurse in "Ill Cry Tomorrow." She gave Susan Hayward her first drink in the film. Ditto for the gentleman who played the Italian father of Mineo.The film, though extremely liberally slanted, provides an excellent view of urban decay and the rise of juvenile delinquency as a result. The ending in itself is ****.A wonderful picture.

Not among Siegel's finest , but in any case not a bad attempt at all. In this first stage of his career Siegel worked as a kind of hired hand on numerous low budget films .In some cases he was forced to work with very standard material, nonetheless in some others Siegel worked with some of the finest scripts ever created such as the Invasion of the Body Snatchers or The Killers. No worries whatsoever, if the basis are not that solid here ,Siegel had what it takes to left his mark and didn't need a super script to come out with an amazing films ,as he proved with the Line up or Private Hell 36. Sadly foundations here are not that solid , indeed these are much much weaker . He was probably charged with the task of making a teenage movie in the vein of the Blackboard Jungle ,same as he was probably assigned to do in Riot in Block cell 11 .In both cases he managed to succeed though working under disadvantageous circumstances: low budget , unoriginal plots with a moralistic tone which allows to see the what would be the end from minute one . Crime in the streets also had some clichés about juvenile delinquency.But Siegel overcame aany inconveniences to provide a more than decent outcome . Characters are solid and well constructed, Cassavettes is very convincing as the leader of the gang and action flows smoothly , helped by the sense of realism that the director gives to the film, so overall not bad at all

"Crime In the Streets" tells the story of growing up in the slums, and what some young people will do to get out, or just to have a few kicks to help them forget their dead-end lives. This film's non-existent budget actually helps to add to the realism, with sets that are bleak and cheap-looking. Back alleys never looked so lurid and dangerous as they do in this sadly forgotten film. "Crime In the Streets" features some wonderful performances, especially Sal Mineo, who doesn't have enough scenes, but when he is on camera, the magic is there. Anyone who is familiar with Mineo's work knows what I'm talking about. The scene between Sal and his father is unforgettable. The actress who plays Frankie Dane's mother also gives an amazing, dramatic performance as the over-worked waitress, abandoned with two sons, all living in a dismal tenement apartment. John Cassevetes is waaaaay too old to play the 18 year old delinquent, though his performance is fine. It is depressing to witness how badly people treat each other in this film, and it is particularly disturbing to see Frankie abuse his little brother. He really treats this child savagely, hitting him, threatening him, and holding knives to his throat. I also should mention the fantastic jazz score featured, that compliments the dark, shadowy images and the taught drama unfolding on the screen. "Crime In the Streets" is almost impossible to find as there has never been an official video or DVD release. My copy is a bootleg DVD, and the quality is good enough. This and other early Sal Mineo films deserve to be re-discovered, but I don't imagine this one being re-issued any time soon. This is probably one of the best in the 50's 'JD' category.