The Lords of Flatbush

• Directed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona
• May 1, 1974 (New York)

Teenagers from the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York have more interest in romance than in fighting.

While I had heard of The Lords of Flatbush, I knew very little about it other than Sylvester Stallone being in the cast. Stallone’s part as Stanley Rosiello as a clearly older than teenage teenager does not hint at later success. He is a bit stiff though clearly giving it his limited all.

It’s also interesting to see Henry Winkler and Perry King in early roles as Butchey Weinstein and Chico Tyrell respectively. Everybody knows Henry Winkler as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on Happy Days and to a certain generation Perry King is best known for his role as Cody Allen on the series Riptide as well as to the nerdy for the role of Han Solo (for which he auditioned) in the radio adaptations of Star Wars and both its sequels.

The Lords of Flatbush is a slice-of-life film. It dramatizes a few days amongst a group of friends who are part of a local and rather harmless gang during the 50s. And that’s all it is. It’s the usual stories of teen pregnancy and the break ups but doesn’t amount to much of anything. Things happen and then the credits start.

The shots are tight with the physical closeness of the actors and the camera becoming unnatural. Given that this is taking place in the 50s and the budget is low that is to hide the production’s inability to dress the surrounding area appropriately. It also makes it unnatural.

Who is the main character? Stanley? The movie ends on his wedding to his pregnant girlfriend but Chico is in far more of this than Stanley. His issues with Jane Bradshaw (Susan Blakely) are detailed throughout. The movie just doesn’t decide.

The Lords of Flatbush is okay. If it had decided on the main story it could’ve built to some type of climax or payoff but it didn’t so it could not. It’s interesting to watch for an early role for a few actors but not much more than that.