Crime In The Streets

Siegel followed INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS with low-budget street realism and juvenile delinquency. CRIME IN THE STREETS was originally performed on television on the Elgin Playhouse. The story was adapted for the screen, and the cast retained Cassavetes, Mineo, and Rydell. Whitmore is the social worker who observes the troubled kids and offers unheeded advice. Cassavetes is the gang leader who plots to murder a man who slapped him publicly. Only Mineo, who had just completed REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, and Rydell, who later directed THE ROSE and ON GOLDEN POND, go along with his plans. They practice murder on a wino, then go for their real target. They corner the m...