Film Snail

7.0

The Wanderers

R·1979·117m

Drama

Summary

The streets of the Bronx are owned by '60s youth gangs where the joy and pain of adolescence is lived. Philip Kaufman tells his take on the novel by Richard Price about the history of the Italian-American gang ‘The Wanderers.’

Cast

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

Val Avery

Mr. Sharp

Dolph Sweet

Chubby Galasso

Michael Wright

Clinton

Burtt Harris

Marine Recruiter

Samm-Art Williams

Roger

Dion Albanese

Teddy Wong

Olympia Dukakis

Joey's Mom

George Merolle

Peppy Dio

Terri Perri

Tara King

Pretty Girl

Michael Pasternak

Georgie

Bruce Nozick

Dushie

Faith Minton

Big Lady

Adam Kimmel

Folk singer

Jery Hewitt

Bowler

Leon W. Grant

Boo Boo

Sally Anne Golden

Crying Woman

Ken Foree

Black Sportsman

Rosemary De Angelis

Waitress

John Califano

Bowling Bankroller

Richard Price

Bowling Bankroller

Linda Artuso

Buddy's Woman

Earlie J. Butler III

Del Bomber

Rafael Cabrera

Del Bomber

Brian Colleary

Referee

Lorna Erickson

Gloria Galasso

Adam Kimmel

Folk Singer

Sheryl Posner

Despie's Girlfriend

Bert Samuel

Mau Mau

Konrad Sheehan

Ducky Boy 2nd-In-Command

Frank Ferrara

Wanderer

Paul Lisotta

Wanderer

Thomas H. LoRusso

Wanderer

Anthony Pleskow

Wanderer

Steven Santillo

Wanderer

Billy Stulberg

Wanderer

Victor Terry

Wanderer

F.X. Vitolo

Wanderer

Harry Benjamin

Pharoah Leader

Alan H. Braunstein

Ducky Boy Leader

Mark Lesly

Second Ducky Boy

Farrel R. Tannenbaum

Ray Leader

Anthony Tirico

Executioner Leader

Vinnie De Carlo

Albert

Dom De Prospo

Dom

Tony Munafo

Tony

Michael J. Raffaele

Mike

Danny Aiello III

Baldie

Michael Amato

Baldie

John Devaney

Baldie

Terrence George

Baldie

Nicholas J. Giangiulio

Baldie

Eddie Horre

Baldie

Dennis M. Lee

Baldie

Ralph Mazzella

Baldie

Peter Potulski

Baldie

Jimmy Scagnelli

Baldie

Joe Zimmardi

Baldie

Anton Evangelista

Wanderer (uncredited)

Olympia Dukakis

Joey's Mother (uncredited)

Wayne Knight

Waiter (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Philip Kaufman

Novel

Richard Price

Screenplay

Rose Kaufman

Reviews

John Chard

July 10, 2016

Rumble in the Bronx.

The Wanderers, an Italian street gang in the Bronx 1963, preparing for a rumble with rival gang the Del-Bombers, try to enlist other gangs to help their cause. However, as the times are a changing, The Wanderers and all the other gangs of the city must come to terms with pending adulthood, and, the ending of an era.

Directed by Phillip Kaufman, this adaptation of Richard Price's novel stands up as one of the best pictures to deal with gang culture. Laced with crackling adolescent humour, and sublimely sound tracked, The Wanderers triumphs better than most because it captures the time frame perfectly. Encompassing the killing of JFK, and subtly showing (during an hilarious sequence) the enlisting of ignorant youths into the Marines, to be carted off to Vietnam no doubt, The Wanderers has far more to offer than merely angst and high school jinx. The cast are surprisingly strong, Ken Wahl, Karen Allen, Tony Ganios and Erland van Lidth all shine in their respective roles, whilst Kaufman directs with a knowing sense of purpose of the thematics to hand. All of which culminates in a quite eerie final third as the deadly Ducky Boys enter the fray. Not quite as serious as The Warriors, which was released the same year, it's a film that much like this one now feels part of my teen education. The Wanderers is however the smarter picture of the two in terms of substance. The coming together at the finale, the racial harmony bursting out from the screen, is and always should be eternally embraced.

All together now, "I'm the type of guy who will never settle down" 8/10