The Wanderers (1979 film)
Encyclopedia
The Wanderers is a 1979
greaser film based on the novel by Richard Price
(first published in 1974, when Price was 24 years old).
. The film stars Ken Wahl
, features Karen Allen
and was directed by Philip Kaufman
. In an interview for American Film in November 1983, Kaufman (who ran with a gang whilst growing up in Chicago in the 1950s) said he "had been wanting to do a gang movie for years - the urban experience, the darker side of teenagers growing up." Kaufman and his wife Rose wrote the screenplay, making a more cohesive story out of Price's episodic novel. Years later, Kaufman said, "I think Richard Price would say that his novel was really a bunch of short stories, and we really tried to make one story out of them all." The Kaufmans also swapped characteristics between the individual Wanderers in the transition from novel to film. For instance, in the book it is Wanderer Buddy Borsalino who marries Despie Galasso; in the movie, protagonist Richie who marries Despie, and Buddy is relegated to a supporting role in the story. Also, in the book, one of the major characters is a Wanderer named Eugene, who does not appear in the movie at all.
), leader of the Wanderers, who has to deal with the imminent responsibilities of marriage, fatherhood, and joining his mobster father-in-law's family business; and Joey Capra (John Friedrich
), who has a violent streak, artistic aspirations, and an unhappy home life (he hates and fears his brutal father).
notes that "many critics who loved the book would later accuse Kaufman of doing the novel a disservice...But Price would disagree: "I love that picture. It's not my book, and I don't care. The spirit is right, and the way Phil Kaufman directed it showed me another way of looking at my own book.""
Although it was not a box office
success upon its theatrical release, The Wanderers gained popularity and cult status over the years because of its sensitive depiction of teenagers coming of age. The gangs named in the movie, though fictionalized, are based on real gangs encountered by Price in his childhood, growing up in a housing project in the Bronx. Real names of Bronx gangs (1950s-1960s)
are used. "The Wanderers" was the name of an actual gang located in South Brooklyn
that was part of the larger South Brooklyn Boys
gang. The movie depicts the end of a more innocent time (1950s
to early 1960s
.), reflected by the violent death of Turkey (a former Wanderer), the recruitment of the Fordham Baldies into the Marines (a subtle foreshadowing of the Vietnam War
), the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the imminent marriage and domestication of Wanderers leader Richie, the departure of Wanderers Joey and Perry (who drive off to California), and a scene depicting then-rising folk singer Bob Dylan
in Greenwich Village
performing his song "The Times They Are A-Changin'
". Kaufman later said, "When I was shooting Goldstein, we came out on the street one day and I saw people were staggering down the street crying. We were walking around with our cameras and saw a bunch of people standing around a store window, looking in and crying. That was how I found out that JFK had been killed. We duplicated that in The Wanderers with the people looking in the department store window at all the TVs, watching the news that President John F. Kennedy
had been assassinated. I love that moment when Richie sees this transition happen and he decides to go back to the old neighborhood and stay in the old world (Despite the fact that it is clearly ending.), instead of going to see Bob Dylan with the Karen Allen character and joining the new world."
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....
greaser film based on the novel by Richard Price
Richard Price (writer)
Richard Price is an American novelist and screenwriter, known for the books The Wanderers and Clockers.-Early life:...
(first published in 1974, when Price was 24 years old).
Overview
It tells the story of several Italian-American youths growing up together amid the various gangs of 1963 New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The film stars Ken Wahl
Ken Wahl
Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
, features Karen Allen
Karen Allen
Karen Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...
and was directed by Philip Kaufman
Philip Kaufman
Philip Kaufman is an American film director and screenwriter. His movies have adapted novels of widely different types – from Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being to Michael Crichton’s Rising Sun; from Tom Wolfe’s heroic epic The Right Stuff to the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin’s...
. In an interview for American Film in November 1983, Kaufman (who ran with a gang whilst growing up in Chicago in the 1950s) said he "had been wanting to do a gang movie for years - the urban experience, the darker side of teenagers growing up." Kaufman and his wife Rose wrote the screenplay, making a more cohesive story out of Price's episodic novel. Years later, Kaufman said, "I think Richard Price would say that his novel was really a bunch of short stories, and we really tried to make one story out of them all." The Kaufmans also swapped characteristics between the individual Wanderers in the transition from novel to film. For instance, in the book it is Wanderer Buddy Borsalino who marries Despie Galasso; in the movie, protagonist Richie who marries Despie, and Buddy is relegated to a supporting role in the story. Also, in the book, one of the major characters is a Wanderer named Eugene, who does not appear in the movie at all.
Plot
The film centers around the members of a North Bronx youth gang, the Wanderers, and their fights with other gangs, and as well as gang rivalry, it deals (albeit in a highly juvenile manner) with issues such as racial tensions, sex, growing up, loyalty, the good and bad points of machismo and brotherhood, and the reflection of youth rebellion in the music of the era. The film's two main protagonists are Richie Gennaro (Ken WahlKen Wahl
Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:...
), leader of the Wanderers, who has to deal with the imminent responsibilities of marriage, fatherhood, and joining his mobster father-in-law's family business; and Joey Capra (John Friedrich
John Friedrich (actor)
John Friedrich is an American film actor.A talented and enigmatic character actor of the 1970s and early 1980s, John Friedrich is probably best known for his portrayal of Joey Capra in The Wanderers , Philip Kaufman's film adaption of Richard Price's novel.A familiar face on television throughout...
), who has a violent streak, artistic aspirations, and an unhappy home life (he hates and fears his brutal father).
Reception
In his book Cult Movies III, Danny PearyDanny Peary
Danny Peary is an American film critic and sports writer. He has written many books on cinema and sports-related topics.-Biography:...
notes that "many critics who loved the book would later accuse Kaufman of doing the novel a disservice...But Price would disagree: "I love that picture. It's not my book, and I don't care. The spirit is right, and the way Phil Kaufman directed it showed me another way of looking at my own book.""
Although it was not a box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
success upon its theatrical release, The Wanderers gained popularity and cult status over the years because of its sensitive depiction of teenagers coming of age. The gangs named in the movie, though fictionalized, are based on real gangs encountered by Price in his childhood, growing up in a housing project in the Bronx. Real names of Bronx gangs (1950s-1960s)
Bronx gangs (1950s-1960s)
In the 1950s and 60s the youth gangs in the Bronx, New York, emerged with a particular notoriety.-History:Gangs of the Bronx included*the Fordham Baldies*the Ducky Boys Gang aka the Ducky Gang*the Fordham Flames...
are used. "The Wanderers" was the name of an actual gang located in South Brooklyn
South Brooklyn
South Brooklyn is a region or composite neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, encompassing areas of Cobble Hill, Red Hook, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Boerum Hill. Thus it is roughly encompassed by Brooklyn Community Board 6, which in turn approximates the southern half of the 18th...
that was part of the larger South Brooklyn Boys
South Brooklyn Boys
South Brooklyn Boys is a famous New York City street gang that was formed some time around the 1950s in Brooklyn, NY...
gang. The movie depicts the end of a more innocent time (1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
to early 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
.), reflected by the violent death of Turkey (a former Wanderer), the recruitment of the Fordham Baldies into the Marines (a subtle foreshadowing of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
), the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the imminent marriage and domestication of Wanderers leader Richie, the departure of Wanderers Joey and Perry (who drive off to California), and a scene depicting then-rising folk singer Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
performing his song "The Times They Are A-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin opens with the title track, one of Dylan's most famous songs. Dylan's friend, Tony Glover, recalls visiting Dylan's apartment in September 1963, where he saw a number of song manuscripts and poems lying on a table. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" had yet to be recorded,...
". Kaufman later said, "When I was shooting Goldstein, we came out on the street one day and I saw people were staggering down the street crying. We were walking around with our cameras and saw a bunch of people standing around a store window, looking in and crying. That was how I found out that JFK had been killed. We duplicated that in The Wanderers with the people looking in the department store window at all the TVs, watching the news that President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
had been assassinated. I love that moment when Richie sees this transition happen and he decides to go back to the old neighborhood and stay in the old world (Despite the fact that it is clearly ending.), instead of going to see Bob Dylan with the Karen Allen character and joining the new world."
Gangs
- Wanderers: An all-Italian gang comprising 27 members. They wear bright yellow/brown jackets and blue jeansBlue Jeans"Blue Jeans" is a sentimental popular song written by Harry D. Kerr and Lou Traveller in 1920. In the song, the singer is reminiscing about a long-ago young love that happened somewhere in the "hills of the old Cumberland." The chorus echoes the singer's longing:* The Parlor Songs Collection.* by...
. Their leader, Richie, is dating Despie Galasso, the daughter of an infamous mobster, so The Wanderers have connections.
- FordhamFordham, BronxFordham is a neighborhood of New York City, United States, located in the West Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 5. It is bordered by Fordham Road to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, East 183rd Street to the south, and Jerome Avenue to the west...
Baldies: As their name suggests, they are all bald, reportedly to prevent their hair from getting in their eyes during a fight. There are 40 of them, and each member is a serious brawler. Their leader is Terror, a 6'6", 400-pound monster of a man. They wear leather jackets with a skull on the back and "FB" (Fordham Baldies) on the arm.
- Del Bombers: They are the toughest all-black gang in the Bronx. They have 23 members, and are prejudiced against Italians. They wear purple and gold hoodies with "DB" written in Old English lettering on the back. Their leader is Clinton Stitch.
- Ducky BoysThe Ducky Boys gangThe Ducky Boys gang was a purported Irish gang from The Bronx, New York.According to Richard Price's book The Wanderers, The Ducky Boys were "stunted Irish madmen, none of them over 5 foot 6"...
: They are an all-Irish gang. They have several distinctive things about them: none of them wears gang "colors", and they never speak. They are also the largest gang of the Bronx, with 500 members. They have a twisted take on CatholicismCatholicismCatholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
- it is all right to kill and beat up people, as long as they attend mass and confessionConfessionThis article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
. They are the only gang willing to kill people. They all have crucifix tattoos on their arms and chest.
- WongWong- Businesses :* WONG , a radio station licensed to serve Canton, Mississippi* Wong , a supermarket chain in Peru, founded by Chinese-Peruvians* Wong Fu Productions, Asian American filmmaking group* Wong Kei, London Chinatown restaurant...
s: As their name suggests, they are all ChineseHan ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and have the last name "Wong". There are 27 members, and every single one of them knows jujutsuJujutsuJujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. Their leader is Teddy Wong. They wear black hoodies with a hanzi (Chinese character) on the back. They all appear to be quite stealthy as during a meeting in an open field they appear to vanish as the Wanderers momentarily turn their heads. Their motto is "Don't Fuck with the Wongs". They all have dragon tattoos.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ken Wahl Ken Wahl Ken Wahl is an American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s. He twice won the title of Sexiest Man on TV, earned an Emmy nomination and won a Golden Globe.-Career:... |
Richie Gennaro |
| John Friedrich John Friedrich (actor) John Friedrich is an American film actor.A talented and enigmatic character actor of the 1970s and early 1980s, John Friedrich is probably best known for his portrayal of Joey Capra in The Wanderers , Philip Kaufman's film adaption of Richard Price's novel.A familiar face on television throughout... |
Joey Capra |
| Karen Allen Karen Allen Karen Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull... |
Nina Becker |
| Toni Kalem Toni Kalem Toni Kalem is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Kalem is best known for her portrayal of Angie Bonpensiero on the HBO series, The Sopranos.... |
Despie Galasso |
| Alan Rosenberg Alan Rosenberg Alan Rosenberg is an American actor of both stage and screen. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild, the principal motion picture industry on-screen performers' union.-Early life:... |
Turkey |
| Jim Youngs Jim Youngs Jim Youngs is an American actor. Youngs was born in Old Bethpage, New York, the brother of actor John Savage, actress/producer Gail Youngs, and journalist/producer/director Robin Young.-Career:... |
Buddy Borsalino |
| Tony Ganios Tony Ganios Tony Ganios is a Greek American actor. In 1979 he made his film debut as a heroic tough-guy named 'Perry' in The Wanderers. He is probably best known for his role as Anthony 'Meat' Tuperello in the 1982 hit comedy Porky's, the 1983 sequel Porky's II: The Next Day and the 1985 sequel Porky's... |
Perry LaGuardia |
| Linda Manz Linda Manz Linda Manz is an American actress, mainly active between 1978 and 1985.-Career:In 1976, at the age of fifteen, she was cast by Terrence Malick to play the young narrator in his second film Days of Heaven, which was released in 1978... |
Peewee |
| William Andrews | Emilio Capra |
| Erland van Lidth Erland Van Lidth De Jeude Erland van Lidth de Jeude was a Dutch-born actor who appeared in several Hollywood films, as well as being a wrestler, an opera singer bass-baritone, and also worked with computers. While his large size Erland van Lidth de Jeude (June 3, 1953 - September 23, 1987) was a Dutch-born actor who... |
Terror |
| Val Avery Val Avery Val Avery was an American character actor who appeared in hundreds of movies and television shows since the 1950s. In a career that spanned 50 years, Avery appeared in over 100 films and had appearances in over 300 television series.-Early life:Avery was born in Philadelphia... |
Mr. Sharp |
| Dolph Sweet Dolph Sweet Dolph Sweet was an American actor, credited with nearly 60 television and film roles as well as several roles in stage productions before his death from cancer in 1985.-Biography:... |
Chubby Galasso |
| Michael Wright | Clinton Stitch |
| Burtt Harris | Marine Recruiter |
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Samm-Art Williams Samm-Art Williams Samm-Art Williams is an American playwright and screenwriter, and a stage and film/TV actor. Much of his work concerns the African-American experience.... |
Roger |
| Dion Albanese | Teddy Wong |
| Olympia Dukakis Olympia Dukakis Olympia Dukakis is an American actress. In 1987, she won an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck... |
Joey's Mom |
| George Merolle | Peppy Dio |
| Terri Perri | Terri Perri |
| John Califano | Bowling Bankroller |
| Richard Price Richard Price (writer) Richard Price is an American novelist and screenwriter, known for the books The Wanderers and Clockers.-Early life:... |
Bowling Bankroller |
| Linda Artuso | Buddy's Woman |
| Alan Braunstein | Ducky Boy Leader |
| Konrad Sheehan | Ducky Boy 2nd-In-Command |
| Mark Lesly Mark Lesly Mark Lesly acted in only one movie, The Wanderers, but is recognized to this day for his role as "Ducky Boy Number 2" because of his menacing demeanor, most notably as he stands on the sidelines at the beginning of the climactic football sequence... |
Creepy Ducky Boy with Blade |
| Harry Benjamin | Pharaoh Leader |
| Farrel R. Tannenbaum | Ray Leader |
| Anthony Tirico | Executioner Leader |
Soundtrack listing
| Song | Performer |
|---|---|
| "Walk Like a Man" | The Four Seasons |
| "Ya Ya" | Lee Dorsey Lee Dorsey Lee Dorsey was an African American pop/R&B singer during the 1960s. Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint with instrumental backing provided by the Meters.-Career:... |
| "Big Girls Don't Cry" | The Four Seasons |
| "My Boyfriend's Back My Boyfriend's Back (song) "My Boyfriend's Back" was a hit song in 1963 for The Angels, an American girl group. It was written by the songwriting team of Feldman, Goldstein and Gottehrer . The recording was originally intended as a demo for The Shirelles, but ended up being released as recorded... " |
The Angels |
| "Sherry Sherry (song) "Sherry" is a song written by Bob Gaudio and originally recorded by The Four Seasons. It was their first nationally-released single and also their first number one hit, initially reaching the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on September 15, 1962... " |
The Four Seasons |
| "Baby It's You Baby It's You "Baby It's You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach , and Luther Dixon and Mack David . It was recorded by The Shirelles and The Beatles, and became hits for both... " |
The Shirelles The Shirelles The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee... |
| "Soldier Boy Soldier Boy (song) "Soldier Boy" is the name of a song written by Luther Dixon and Florence Green. The song was released as a single by The Shirelles in 1962 and met with great success, topping the US Billboard Hot 100... " |
The Shirelles The Shirelles The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee... |
| "Stand By Me Stand by Me (song) "Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3... " |
Ben E. King Ben E. King Benjamin Earl King , better known as Ben E. King, is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me", a U.S... |
| "Shout" | The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper... |
| "Do You Love Me Do You Love Me "Do You Love Me" is a 1962 hit single recorded by The Contours for Motown's Gordy Records label. Written and produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr., "Do You Love Me?" was the Contours' only Top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. Notably, the record achieved this feat... " |
The Contours The Contours The Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records.The group is best known for its Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a million-selling song that peaked twice in the Top 20.... |
| "Runaround Sue Runaround Sue "Runaround Sue" is a pop song, originally a US No. 1 hit for the singer Dion during 1961. The song ranked No. 342 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".-Original recording:... " |
Dion Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles.... |
| "The Wanderer The Wanderer (Dion song) "The Wanderer" is a song written by Ernie Maresca and originally recorded by Dion. The song, with a 12-bar blues-base verse and an eight-bar bridge, tells the story of a travelling man and his many loves... " |
Dion Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles.... |