The Young Animals
Cast & Crew
Maury Dexter
Tom Nardini
Patty Mccormack
David Macklin
Joanna Frank
Zooey Hall
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Tony, a Mexican-American teenager who has recently moved to a small border town, finds a great deal of anti-Mexican feeling in the local high school. Assuming peaceful leadership of the Mexican-American students, Tony unsuccessfully tries to get the principal to promote equality in school affairs. Among the students' aims is the dismissal of a particularly bigoted math teacher and football coach, Mr. Simms. Tensions mount as Janet, a liberal-minded student, defies her wealthy, racist boyfriend, Bruce, and becomes friendly with Tony. Bruce and his gang retaliate by raping Raquel, a popular Mexican-American student, and beating up her boyfriend, Paco. Paco seeks to avenge the assault by kidnaping Bruce's friend Din-Din, tying him to the hood of a car, and leaving him unconscious after a wild drive. [According to some sources, the rape precedes Tony's efforts to organize the Mexican-American students and his friendship with Janet. Bruce and his gang assault student picketers, and Paco reacts by kidnaping Din-Din.] Meanwhile, Tony and Janet have organized a grievance committee composed of both Anglo-American and Mexican-American student leaders; but the principal maintains his refusal to see them. During a committee meeting, Bruce and his gang set fire to the cars parked outside and later cause the deaths of Paco and Raquel by forcing their automobile off the road into a ravine. That night, Bruce chases Tony and Janet to his father's airplane junkyard and threatens to kill them with a giant steel wrecking machine; but they escape and summon the police. A few days later, the entire student body pickets the school on behalf of the Mexican-Americans, thus forcing the principal to give a hearing to student demands.
Director
Maury Dexter
Cast
Tom Nardini
Patty Mccormack
David Macklin
Joanna Frank
Zooey Hall
Sammy Vaughn
Michael Wood
Keith Taylor
Adolph Martinez
Alberto Isaac
Russ Bender
Arthur Peterson
The American Revolution
Crew
Les Baxter
Maury Dexter
Maury Dexter
Wava Green
Harley Hatcher
John Inzerella
Robert M. Jones
Harold E. Knox
Sidney Levin
The Orphan Egg
Kenneth Peach
Harry Reif
Hank Tani
Brad Trask
James Gordon White
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Filmed in Tucson. Also known as Born Wild.
