Studs Lonigan (1960)

A young man tries to escape the South Side of 1920s Chicago.

Director:

Irving Lerner

Writers:

James T. Farrell (novel), Philip Yordan

Stars:

Christopher Knight, Frank Gorshin, Venetia Stevenson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Knight	...	Studs Lonigan
Frank Gorshin	...	Kenny Killarney
Venetia Stevenson	...	Lucy Scanlon
Carolyn Craig	...	Catherine Banahan
Jack Nicholson	...	Weary Reilly
Robert Casper	...	Paulie Haggerty
Dick Foran	...	Patrick Lonigan
Katherine Squire	...	Mrs. Lonigan
Jay C. Flippen	...	Father Gilhooey
Helen Westcott	...	Miss Julia Miller
Kathy Johnson	...	Frances Lonigan
Jack Kruschen	...	Charlie the Greek
Suzi Carnell	...	Eileen
Madame Spivy	...	Mother Josephine (as Mme. Spivy)
Jim Drum	...	Jim Doyle

Storyline

A young man tries to escape the South Side of 1920s Chicago.

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Plot Keywords:

1920s | mother son relationship | urban setting | priest | gangster | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blue Jeans 1920

Company Credits

Production Co:

Longridge Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Warren Beatty was considered for the title role.

User Reviews

Studs as Dead End Kid

I read the Studs Lonigan trilogy in the early Seventies and I was blown away by how James T. Farrell accurately described my own Irish-Catholic working-class background. I also saw the made-for-TV movie that was based on the novels when it came out in 1979. I didn't see the 1960 film until the late Eighties, and I had mixed feelings about it. I was surprised at how it had the feel of movies like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and the THE WILD ONE. I thought Christopher Knight was fine, if rather tormented as Studs, and Nicholson and Gorshin were fine as Weary Reilly and Kenny Kilarney. However, I wasn't wild about the happy ending of the movie. Studs Lonigan was suppose to die after living a pointless life. I also felt neither of the movie versions were able to effectively focus on the Dead End Kids or West Side Story aspect of Studs' south side of Chicago.