The Delinquents

A frustrated young man, separated from his younger girlfriend, gets involved in a juvenile gang.

Robert Altman wrote, produced, and directed this film in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri during the summer of 1956 on a $63,000 budget raised by local theater owner Elmer Rhoden. He was hoping to cash in on the juvenile craze that American International Pictures made popular with films such as "Hot Rod Girl" (1956) and " Shake, Rattle & Rock!" (1956). Indeed, the film is very much in the AIP style and could pass for one of their productions.

As summed up by Altman, "I wrote the thing in five days, cast it, picked the locations, drove the generator truck, got the people together, took no money, and we just did it, that's all." Shooting was a bit of a pain, with Altman in constant disagreement with star Tom Laughlin (a Milwaukee native who went on to be known for the "Billy Jack" film series).

Cameraman Charles Paddock, on Altman's advice, imitated the lighting of "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950). This is probably why the film looks more professional than it actually was. Despite anything it might lack, the photography is smart and sharp.

United Artists bought the film for $150,000, earning it a quick profit before even hitting theaters. Altman maintained for years (at least up to 2001) that he did not care for the film, but Alfred Hitchcock of all people did and got Altman hired on for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Success! Rhoden produced one more film in Kansas City -- AIP's "The Cool and the Crazy" (1958) -- and was even featured in Time magazine as one of the "new wave" of producers. He then produced a delinquency film in Hollywood featuring the debut of composer John Williams, AIP's "Daddy-O" (1958), but his mini-mogul reign was short-lived.

After some screenwriting assignments, Altman debuted as film director in this disappointing juvenile delinquency saga. Similarly, Tom Laughlin is merely okay as the nominal good-guy hero whose unbelievable naivete gets him into trouble. His emergence as a a major independent filmmaker and icon a decade or so later was certainly not telegraphed here.

Altman brings some realism via location filmmaking and especially the Julia Lee blues singer opening but his screenplay is standard '50s corn. With Peter Miller and especially Richard Bakalyan as the stereotypical young villains, the quality and drama of say Nick Ray ("Rebel Without a Cause") is way beyond Altman's reach.

Altman's daughter playing the future Billy Jack's cute young sister impressed me, but otherwise it's a dreary, contrived movie. Add the preachy narration and it's way too dated to be an enjoyable watch.

I enjoyed this vintage film because it shows 50s era kids as perceived by adults of the day. It opens with dialogue from an announcer explaining about the plight of todays teenagers, then the story begins showing kids in real life then as they deal with problems about going steady and socializing. Unlike most teen films of the 50s, they apparently used real police officers in the movie as they are credited for this during the film credits. I must, however, criticize the music the teens are playing at their party. It is definitely pre-rock n roll type music when, in reality, they would have been dancing to Elvis, Fats, and many other 1956 era artists. Of course, adults of the day were just learning about the teenage music of choice then.

Although United Artist released The Delinquents in 1957, it was filmed in Kansas City in the summer of 1955. That helps explain the musical choice of jazz over rock. When it was shot, the ground just been broken on the juvenile delinquent sub-genre with The Wild Ones and The Blackboard Jungle. A more timely release would likely have made it more successful at the box office and more influential on other rebelling teen films. Even with the late release, the film made a tidy profit for the studio.

Altman later said Tom Laughlin copped an attitude during the filming and was very difficult to work with.

Regardless of what some of the other uninformed reviewers here may think, this is a great little picture of the 1950s teen scene.

Of course we don't have the budget or production values of Dean's "Rebel" but the compact story and action move along swiftly.

It's interesting to watch such a young Billy Jack, and of course Dick Bakalyan turns in a great performance of, what else, a punk.

And yes some of the other cast members, besides Lauglin, DID continue on in the business quite successfully...Miller stayed busy, finally landing a recurring role in a soap, and all you have to do is turn your set on any time any day and you can find Bakalyan in something, the guy must be filthy rich.

A good flick.