The Wanderers (1979)

Set against the urban jungle of 1963 New York's gangland subculture, this coming of age teenage movie is set around the Italian gang the Wanderers. Slight comedy, slight High School angst ... See full summary »

Director:

Philip Kaufman

Writers:

Richard Price (novel), Rose Kaufman (screenplay)

Stars:

Ken Wahl, Karen Allen, John Friedrich

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ken Wahl	...	Richie
John Friedrich	...	Joey
Karen Allen	...	Nina
Toni Kalem	...	Despie Galasso
Alan Rosenberg	...	Turkey
Jim Youngs	...	Buddy
Tony Ganios	...	Perry
Linda Manz	...	Peewee
William Andrews	...	Emilio
Erland van Lidth	...	Terror (as Erland Van Lidth De Jeude)
Val Avery	...	Mr. Sharp
Dolph Sweet	...	Chubby Galasso
Michael Wright	...	Clinton
Burtt Harris	...	Marine Recruiter
Samm-Art Williams	...	Roger

Storyline

Set against the urban jungle of 1963 New York's gangland subculture, this coming of age teenage movie is set around the Italian gang the Wanderers. Slight comedy, slight High School angst and every bit entertaining with its classic 1950's Rock n' Roll soundtrack such as "Walk Like a Man", "Big Girls Don't Cry" by The Four Seasons and "My Boyfriend's Back" by The Angels. Focusing around a football game where the different gangs play with and against each other, then at its grand finale, come together in a mass of union to defend their honour and their turf. Nostalgic stuff and above all a Rock n' Roll retrospective on a grand musical era. Timeless.

---

Plot Keywords:

ethnic slur | racial slur | blackboard | kiss | john f. kennedy assassination | 

---

Taglines:

The magic, the music, the mystery of growing up.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wanderers

Filming Locations:

Fordham Road, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,206, 13 November 2016

Gross USA:

$14,492

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,492

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Finance Group, Orion Pictures, Polyc International BV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where the Marine Corps recruiter cajoles several of The Baldies to joining the Marines would have been unnecessary as there was still a active Draft in place. They were destined to end up in some element of the Armed Forces.

---

Goofs

The Holy Mass/Holy Communion scene with the Duckies has several factual mistakes. First, before Vatican Council II in the late 1960's, evening Masses were extremely rare, usually taking place only at the Easter and Christmas Vigil Masses. In the movie, 25 candles are burning. At most 7 candles would be lit on or near the altar during the celebration of the Mass. The priest is throwing the host into the recipients' mouths when in real life he would have been gently placing them on their tongues. The movie includes a potato chip crunch sound. Being made only of wheat and water the hosts are silent when chewed. Finally when the one Duckie goes to investigate the screams of Turkey, he genuflects towards the altar on his left knee. In reality one always genuflects on their right knee. The people responsible for this should have done a better job.

---

Quotes

Nina: [realizes Ritchie and Joey are cheating at strip poker with Despie and herself]
Nina: Hey, wait a minute there's something fishy going on here! You know, in a couple minutes we're going to be naked, and then what?
Richie: Then we play one more hand.
Nina: For what?
Joey: [whistles casually]
Nina: For What?
Joey: Then we get to do whatevah' we want to do.
Despie Galasso: OK, that's IT! We got to back to the party!
Richie: What the party? What are you talkin' about we're just havin' some fun here.
Nina: C'mon Despie, we don't have to stop playing.
[...]

---

Connections

References Palm Springs Weekend (1963)

---

Soundtracks

The Times They Are a Changin'
Written and performed by Bob Dylan
Courtesy of CBS Records

User Reviews

Screenplay Notes - Part 1

Interestingly enough, most of the gangs portrayed in the film were neither symbolic nor imaginary, but were based on various real gangs who existed at different periods throughout the fifties and early sixties.

Many of these gangs were not real gangs in the common theatrical sense, but were specific ethnic groups of teens from different Bronx and Manhattan neighborhoods. Of course, each group developed its own mythical idea of what the other groups were like, and in his novel, Richard Price used much of this teenage myth and lore.

Of all the well-embellished epics common to the teens in the Wanderers' neighborhood , those dealing with the Duckies were the most detailed and commonly accepted. The Duckies, whether or not they were truly an organized group with such a name, were "the guys across the tracks", insofar as The Wanderers were concerned (the tracks being the NY Central's Harlem Line). They lived in the predominantly Irish neighborhood directly across Bronx Park. I believe their frightening, near demonic quality in the movie was based on a single actual event when two of the Wanderers were actually attacked in the park. Since The Wanderers had never really engaged in any real "gang wars" (or any significant fighting for that matter), that particular episode was the source of most of their perceptions of the Duckie Boys' penchant for unbridled violence.