The Delinquents (1957), NR

A scene from The Delinquents. (Photo: MGM)

Starring: Tom Laughlin, Peter Miller, Richard Bakalyan

Filmed on location in Kansas City, The Delinquents was the first big-screen directorial effort by Robert Altman, who also wrote and produced the film. Altman's participation is far more impressive than the film itself, which is pretty bad. Future Billy Jack star Tom Laughlin plays Scotty, a nice teenager who goes bad in a hurry. Told to get lost by the father of his girl friend Janice (Rosemary Howard), Scott gets mixed up with a street gang, headed by the ineluctable Richard Bakalyan. The film's highlight is a rumble at a drive-in movie, which is so much better than the rest of The Delinquents that it stands out like an unsore thumb. For music fans, Julia Lee and the Bill Nolan Quintet Minus Two offer a rendition of the deathless "Dirty Rock Boogie." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide