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The Lords of Flatbush

  • 1974
  • PG
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, Perry King, and Paul Mace in The Lords of Flatbush (1974)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:04
1 Video
45 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

Two members of a social club in 1950s Brooklyn have more interest in romance than in rumbles.Two members of a social club in 1950s Brooklyn have more interest in romance than in rumbles.Two members of a social club in 1950s Brooklyn have more interest in romance than in rumbles.

  • Directors
    • Martin Davidson
    • Stephen Verona
  • Writers
    • Stephen Verona
    • Gayle Gleckler
    • Martin Davidson
  • Stars
    • Sylvester Stallone
    • Henry Winkler
    • Perry King
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.6/10
    5.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Martin Davidson
      • Stephen Verona
    • Writers
      • Stephen Verona
      • Gayle Gleckler
      • Martin Davidson
    • Stars
      • Sylvester Stallone
      • Henry Winkler
      • Perry King
    • 67User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
    • 53Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Lords of Flatbush
    Trailer 1:04
    The Lords of Flatbush

    Photos45

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    Top cast54

    Edit
    Sylvester Stallone
    Sylvester Stallone
    • Stanley Rosiello
    Henry Winkler
    Henry Winkler
    • Butchey Weinstein
    Perry King
    Perry King
    • David 'Chico' Tyrell
    Paul Mace
    Paul Mace
    • Wimpy Murgalo
    Susan Blakely
    Susan Blakely
    • Jane Bradshaw
    Maria Smith
    • Frannie Malincanico
    Renee Paris
    • Annie Yuckamanelli
    • (as Reneé Paris)
    Paul Jabara
    Paul Jabara
    • Crazy Cohen
    Bruce Reed
    • Mike Mambo
    Frank Stiefel
    • Arnie Levine
    Martin Davidson
    • Mr. Birnbaum
    Joseph Stern
    Joseph Stern
    • Eddie
    • (as Joe Stern)
    Ruth Klinger
    • Mrs. Tyrell
    Joan Neuman
    • Miss Molina
    Dolph Sweet
    Dolph Sweet
    • Mr. Rosiello
    Antonia Rey
    Antonia Rey
    • Mrs. Rosiello
    Lou Byrne
    • Mrs. Pat Bradshaw
    Bill Van Sleet
    • Mr. Bradshaw
    • Directors
      • Martin Davidson
      • Stephen Verona
    • Writers
      • Stephen Verona
      • Gayle Gleckler
      • Martin Davidson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews67

    5.65.2K
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    Featured reviews

    6tkdlifemagazine

    Dated But Good

    I saw this when it was first released. It is amazing how the relatively unknown Winkler and Stallone went on to greater things. A look at wild kids in the 1950's in Brooklyn is filled with memorable and humorous moments. Sly Stallone is particularly good. The cinematography and direction are "B" level, but the spirit of the film as a coming of age in the 1950's NYC makes it a watchable film. The film was made in the 1970's, about the 1950's, and in 2022 it still has some relevance and universal themes. This one would gone to influence the likes of Happy Days and Grease, for sure.
    7jmorrison-2

    Decent Movie

    A good, decent film about leaving adolescence behind, and the threshold to adulthood.

    Sylvester Stallone is very good as Stanley, the pug of the gang, who is facing fatherhood and marriage, and tries to amiably go along. He's not too bright, but he understands there is much more out there. His scene on the roof with Perry King is his way of trying to communicate that the world they have been living in is coming to an end, but, through their dreams and imagination, they can go places and experience other things. Things are changing for him, and he instinctively realizes there is much more to the world than their little corner of Brooklyn.

    Perry King's Chico, on the other hand, is brighter than he lets on, and he understands all too well what is out there and is waiting for them. The trouble is, in the adult world, he will never again have the freedom and power that he has running the streets with the Lords. Growing up is not something he looks forward to. He resents what he sees as the end of the road. He wouldn't mind living out the rest of his life with the Lords, prowling the streets, knocking up girls, fighting with the clean cut kids. In this world, he is powerful and respected, but he senses it coming to an end. His argument on the roof with Stanley is his rejection of dreaming or imagining something, or somewhere, else. His unfortunate episode with Susan Blakely is his inability to relate to her as another human being. To him, she is still just a chick to be laid, not someone he may have to relate to. Everyone around him is growing up and passing him by, and Chico resents it. He basically wants things to stay just as they are.

    The final rumble at the football field is an example of the Lords in their element, when they are at their happiest. The aftermath of the fight (the accident) is a further reminder that this life is at an end, and adulthood awaits, whether they are ready for it or not.

    A decent, entertaining movie. Quite an interesting character study, well-acted, especially by King and Stallone.
    Schlockmeister

    Messy amateurish fifties type fun

    This is not a slick movie. It looks like it was made with cheap handheld cameras, and probably was. The movie is primarily interesting due to the future stars seen here. This was Henry Winkler's first big movie as a greaser type ( this character was NO Fonzie ). Sylvester Stallone is his typical mumbly early self ( I vote for subtitles on his speaking parts on his first 6 Nothing really much happens, just an hour and a half of greaser posing and vague wonderings about "futures". Only interesting from a historical perspective. Not reaslly strongly recommended.
    5Cinemayo

    The Lords of Flatbush (1974) **

    In 1958 Brooklyn, we follow the Lords (or grammatically incorrect "Lord's", according to their jackets and the main title), a group of leather-wearing, greased-haired, immature, high school tough guys. At the head of the gang is Stanley (Sylvester Stallone), an intimidating thug with a guarded heart of gold, who's in a dilemma when his rough-talking girl Frannie (Maria Smith) announces she's pregnant. Her best friend Annie (Renee Paris) is dating the handsome Chico (Perry King), but Chico only uses her for sex while really setting his eyes on the new girl in school (Susan Blakely). Butchey (Henry Winkler) is the most bright of the Lords, and could make something better of himself if he wanted. Wimpy (Paul Mace) is a short member of the group who hangs out with his friends for the security it gives him.

    Most of what occurs on screen has no plot, and consists of vignettes with its cast members. Stallone fares best of all, and some good moments include him bullying a rival gang member in a pool hall, and especially the film's best scene near the end that takes place inside a jewelry store, when Frannie and Annie push Sly into buying a $1600 engagement ring against his will. Henry Winker's promising part was, unfortunately, under-written... but he's got one good scene occurring after hours alone in the local candy store hangout, where the shop owner tries to drill some sense into his head about how much more wisely he could be spending his time. Perry King's Chico is the main character, but he's such a jerk in the movie that he's hard for us to invest in.

    Ultimately, the movie has a good deal of problems and is only average. At best, this is watchable to me every few years as being one of those nostalgic guilty pleasures that I first saw in the theater when I was around 11 (it even featured the now-defunct Sunrise Drive-In, which was not far from where I lived back then). It's a very cheap film that was shot on 16mm and blown up, which accounts for its rough looking quality, and also for some poor sound issues that make it difficult to discern occasional dialogue. It's got a 1970s rock n roll soundtrack of made up '50s tunes of varying quality, some of which drown out moments of talking at times. But it's still worth at least one viewing to see a young Sylvester Stallone (who would later become ROCKY) and Henry Winkler (in a rough draft for his Fonzie character of HAPPY DAYS) getting to shine in a couple of brief moments. ** out of ****
    6ewarn-1

    Strange And Impressive

    The Fifties nostalgia craze started about 1971, and lasted all through the 70s, right into the early eighties, a whole decade of nostalgia devoted to half of a decade one decade previous! I thought it was insane at the time and still do, even though the nostalgic image reduced one of the most interesting decades in American history to irritating clichéd images of leather jackets. It hasn't really ended either, which is just as well, because no sane person could stand nostalgia for the 70s.

    "Lords of Flatbush" might seem like just a cheap cash in on a fad, but it's actually very well written. It features minimalist dialogue and slice of life vignettes with very honest performances by King and Stallone. It looks cheaply produced but to me that added to the attraction, it seems to be done in an almost documentary style. AS such, its not really a film about the "Fifties"---besides the leather jackets and hairstyles, it has little to say about a specific era, but a lot to say about the human condition.

    This tale of four friends could have been set at any period in history, and the dialogue for once is a true indicator of the mental states of 17 and 18 year olds, there's no breathless philosophizing here. The characters seem to struggle with what they want to say, unable to express their feelings with limited vocabulary and intellect. Watching it is sometimes painful. The best scenes involve Chico's relationship with Jane Bradshaw. (This guy deserves a medal for his taste in females) Chico tries to express his emotions, but hes too young and impatient. He thinks he knows what to say and do, but his words and actions just don't match up.In the end, his efforts at a relationship are too clumsy. I still feel bad for him.

    I was never a fan of Stallone, but I like his performance here. The main problem with this film is that it's too short. The honest performances make me want to know more about these guys, and it ends abruptly while everything is still going on. Still, taking a look at this movie is worth the time, especially nowadays when finding an honest film made with integrity is very rare. Its kind of---nostalgia for nostalgia! Besides, even if you hate it, you still get to look at Susan Blakely.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Henry Winkler stated that when he was creating the character of The Fonz in Happy Days (1974), he based his performance on Sylvester Stallone's portrayal of Stanley.
    • Goofs
      In the opening credits the camera pans the skyline of NY, and shows the construction of the Twin Towers in the background. The movie is set in the late 1950s and the Twin Towers were not constructed until the 1970s.
    • Quotes

      Mr. Birnbaum: It's a beautiful ring.

      Stanley Rosiello: Listen to me. Listen to me, Daddy-O. See that girl that just walked out of there. If you ever show her a $1600 ring again, you know what's going to be written on your tombstone? Do you know what's going to be written on your tombstone? "I was dumb enough to show Frannie Malincanico a $1600 ring." You know what I mean? Do you?

    • Connections
      Featured in The Lady with the Torch (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Chico's Song (You and Me)
      Lead Vocal by Jamie Carr

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 1, 1975 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Brooklyn Blues - Das Gesetz der Gosse
    • Filming locations
      • Sunrise Drive-In 750 W. Sunrise Hwy, Valley Stream, New York, USA(drive-in theatre - now demolished)
    • Production company
      • Ebbets Field
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $160,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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