Youngblood (1978)

A gang war/drug story set in a Los Angeles ghetto about the coming of age of a 15-year-old black youth.

Director:

Noel Nosseck

Writer:

Paul Carter Harrison

Stars:

Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Bryan O'Dell, Renn Woods

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs	...	Rommel
Bryan O'Dell	...	Youngblood
Renn Woods	...	Sybil (as Ren Woods)
Tony Allen	...	Hustler
Vince Cannon	...	Corelli
Art Evans	...	Junkie
Jeff Hollis	...	Pusher
David Pendleton	...	Reggie
Ron Trice	...	Bummie
Sheila Wills	...	Joan
Ralph Farquhar	...	Geronimo
Herb Rice	...	Durango (as Herbert Rice)
Lionel Mark Smith	...	Chaka (as Lionel Smith)
Maurice Sneed	...	Skeeter-Jeeter
Ann Weldon	...	Mrs. Gordon

Storyline

A gang war/drug story set in a Los Angeles ghetto about the coming of age of a 15-year-old black youth.

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Plot Keywords:

1970s | blaxploitation | gang | teenager | social issues | 

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Taglines:

If you live through the gang wars, the pushers, the back-alley deathtraps... YOU GONNA BE A STAR!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The entire soundtrack was performed by the band WAR.

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Goofs

After Bummie (Ron Trice) is killed, you can still see him breathing.

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Soundtracks

Galaxy
Performed by War
Courtesy of Far Out Productions and MCA Records

User Reviews

Not Strong Enough

I don't want to be so simple as to say that this movie had no point or message at all, but I will say that they failed to make a better point.

The main character, Michael aka Youngblood (Bryan O'Dell), is a hard-headed high schooler itching to get into trouble. He gets hooked up with an L.A. street gang called the Kingsmen and that was all the brotherhood of troublemakers he needed.

Either because they were stupid or reckless, the Kingsmen move up from gang fights and other petty crimes to jackin' drug dealers. Drug dealers usually aren't in business for or by themselves. They have suppliers who have suppliers on up the food chain and you better believe that someone is going to be protecting the merchandise.

I thought the movie was trying to drive home the message of the futility of street gangs, but it didn't effectively do that. I thought it would drive home the message of the inanity of getting in over your head criminally, and it only somewhat did that as well.

Ultimately, I think this movie languished somewhere in the middle of praising gang life and coming out hard against it. It never came out too strong on either point. Had this movie drove home a harder and more sobering message I think it would have been better.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 1978 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema 77

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1