Wild in the Streets (1968)

A young man gains significant political influence as the leader of a counterculture rock band with his rallying cry of voting rights for teenagers.

Director:

Barry Shear

Writer:

Robert Thom

Stars:

Christopher Jones, Shelley Winters, Diane Varsi

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Shelley Winters	...	Daphne Flatow
Christopher Jones	...	Max Frost
Diane Varsi	...	Sally LeRoy
Hal Holbrook	...	Senator Johnny Fergus
Millie Perkins	...	Mary Fergus
Richard Pryor	...	Stanley X
Bert Freed	...	Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.
Kevin Coughlin	...	Billy Cage
Larry Bishop	...	The Hook
May Ishihara	...	Fuji Elly
Salli Sachse	...	Hippie Mother
Kellie Flanagan	...	Mary Fergus
Don Wyndham	...	Joseph Fergus
Michael Margotta	...	Jimmy Fergus
Ed Begley	...	Senator Amos Allbright

Storyline

Wealthy twenty-two year old Max Frost - born Max Jacob Flatow, Jr. - is a rock music superstar, he a rock music franchise unto himself. He has cut ties with his parents, especially due to the control wielded by his overbearing mother, Daphne Flatow, that control against which he rebelled and is still rebelling in the form of having an entourage solely of young people, who he believes knows better than people even a few years older than them. Age-wise, the senior member of his entourage is his acid-dropping girlfriend, former child star Sally LeRoy, age twenty-four, the junior member being fifteen year old Yale law graduate Billy Cage, his business advisor and his band's guitarist. Max decides to endorse thirty-seven year old Congressman Johnny Fergus, running on the Democratic ticket for a California senate seat, as one of Johnny's platform policies is to lower the voting age to eighteen. Johnny happily accepts that endorsement because of Max's power over young people, whose votes ...

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Plot Keywords:

right hand man | hook handed trumpeter | trumpeter | attorney | drummer | 

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Taglines:

If you're thirty, you're through!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug content

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 May 1968 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Day it Happened, Baby

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Ryder Sound Services)

Color:

Color (Pathecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

American International Pictures originally offered the role of Max Frost to noted folk singer-songwriter Phil Ochs, who was known at the time to want to branch out into film work. However, after reading the screenplay, Ochs rejected it, stating the story presented the youth counterculture of the 1960s in a badly distorted light.

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Goofs

When Jimmy Fergus meets his Senator father, he states "and when that special water comes in...". The decision to put LSD in the water supply is made in the scene following during Max's War Council so Jimmy's scene with his father was edited out of sync.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Daphne Flatow: I don't want to have a baby. I never wanted a baby. My mother said, I'm gonna die if I have a baby.
Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.: Come on, please, come to bed.
Mrs. Daphne Flatow: No!
Max Jacob Flatow, Sr.: I won't do anything! I promise you. I won't do a thing.
Mrs. Daphne Flatow: If it's a boy, I'll die. I'll just die.

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Connections

Featured in Brady Bunch Home Movies (1995)

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Soundtracks

Fifty Two Per Cent
Written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
Performed by The 13th Power

User Reviews

There's a new voice, rising up angry in the sky

My high school buddies and I drove into Chicago to watch this the day it opened in 1968 and were not disappointed. On the way, WLS AM radio played "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which was the first time any of us had heard that tune. I think we may have inhaled some contraband, but I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was good to be "young, dumb and full of ***!" (-to quote Mr Busey, from Point Break.)

Some epic bits from this movie: 1) Richard Pryor spikes the DC water supply with LSD, resulting in a congress-full of hopelessly tripped-out Senators and Representatives. 2) Ed Begley and Shelley Winters wander about in flowing robes and caftans at the "Acid Concentration Camp" for people over 30. 3) Extremely young Billy Mumy confronting the great lout, Max Frost and declaring "We're putting everyone over 8 out of business!" 4)Diane Varsi cavorting nude in a fountain 4) Future Brady Buncher Barry Williams as the young terrorist Max.

See, this is one highly-lacking-in-credibility enterprise, but you have to love it. Watch and remark to yourself how this movie could only have been made in that halcyon year, 1968. Nothing this wonderfully over-the-top crazed and ridiculously sublime has been made since nor will ever grace the screen again.

For comparison (and companion) purposes, view this superb teen psychodrama in series with other 1968 befuddlements such as: "Planet of the Apes", "2001: A Space Oddysey", "Rosemary's Baby", "Putney Swope" and "The Savage Seven".

Christopher Jones only immortal role was the highly Hitleresque rocker, Max Frost.

Jeez, gimme the DVD already! This glorious cinematic potato is out of print!