Long before faith-based films became a regular feature of mainstream movie theaters, there was The Cross and The Switchblade. The film was made squarely within the Hollywood system. For instance, it was directed by Don Murray, famous for his acting roles in such films as Bus Stop, in which he starred opposite Marilyn Monroe. The lead roles were played by Pat Boone, an entertainer with a long career in Hollywood, and Eric Estrada who would go on to fame as a TV star. Yet, despite its mainstream pedigree, the film was set apart by the unashamedly Christian vision of its producers who set out to produce a slate of mainstream films with redemptive themes in the late 60's and early 70's.
The book, The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson was first published in 1963. It depicts Wilkerson's experience with gang members in the mean streets of New York City in the late 1950's. This was a world of "jitter-bugging bee-boppers" and "rumbles" in the park using the eras' weapons of choice, baseball bats and chains. The 1970 film adaptation partially updated the setting with the late 1960's youth culture in mind, a decision that led to some incongruous scenes that seem caught somewhere between the world of groovy pot-smoking hippies and the world of the greaser-gangs from West Side Story.
But, despite that curiosity and other now-dated (maybe always dated) elements, The Cross and the Switchblade stands up to scrutiny, not least of all because of the truth of the story it portrays. The life-changing solution that David Wilkerson brought to desperate lives is forever relevant.
The change in the life of notorious gang leader Nicky Cruz, as shown in the film, led to a decades long evangelistic ministry that in turned changed the lives of countless people around the globe. And the work of the skinny country preacher, David Wilkerson, who braved the meanest streets of New York to tell desperate and lost young people that there was a better way, is still going strong. The ministry of Teen Challenge and World Challenge is still changing lives and offering genuine hope to countless souls who had given up on life.
There has been much criticism of the film's production values over the years but, a lot of this is unfair. Sure, the duel time-periods the movie seems to exist in and the now dated dialogue and hokey songs used on the soundtrack are all fair game for criticism. But other elements of the film are impressive including some intricately choreographed action scenes filmed on New York City rooftops and fire escapes and a rock-jazz fusion soundtrack by Ralph Carmichael. The film also features some truly sincere acting by Boone, one of Hollywood's most famous Christians, who at one time called the role the most important he had ever played. Eric Estrada also gives a gritty and emotional performance as Nicky Cruz. Estrada is perfect for the part and he displays some real leading-man charisma here.
This 50th anniversary re-release was professionally restored and re-mastered using the original 35mm camera negative and rendered in 4K.
