A youthful gang of punks includes one guy named Eddy (Tony Travis), who has singing talent and is discovered by a talent agent in a restaurant. Which makes his gang members jealous. As the gang tries to sway Eddy away from a singing career, he makes some mistakes in judgment. The result is an off-screen murder event wherein Eddy is a witness.
This puts Eddy is something of a predicament. At one point, one of the gang members, played by Peter Breck, reminds Eddy: "You're in it (the murder) just as much as I am; we're all in it, together ... you're one of us ... you hip?" "The Beatniks" is mostly a character study of one juvenile delinquent's dilemma in being loyal to his gang vs. pursuing a promising singing career.
The underlying premise is fine. But the script is below average with corny dialogue; too much talk; and the inclusion of Tony Travis' singing, which stops the plot flow. You get the feeling that the film is nothing but a singing vehicle for Travis.
Some of the acting, especially from Peter Breck, is really hammy. Casting is poor in that most of the actors look like they're closer to the age of thirty. B&W lighting is acceptable, if conventional. Background music is nondescript jazz, which is the only element that remotely conveys a "beatnik" theme.
The film's title is deceptive. Despite that, and other major problems, it's not a terrible movie, just not as good as comparable films from that era. Thankfully, the short runtime makes viewing less painful.
This puts Eddy is something of a predicament. At one point, one of the gang members, played by Peter Breck, reminds Eddy: "You're in it (the murder) just as much as I am; we're all in it, together ... you're one of us ... you hip?" "The Beatniks" is mostly a character study of one juvenile delinquent's dilemma in being loyal to his gang vs. pursuing a promising singing career.
The underlying premise is fine. But the script is below average with corny dialogue; too much talk; and the inclusion of Tony Travis' singing, which stops the plot flow. You get the feeling that the film is nothing but a singing vehicle for Travis.
Some of the acting, especially from Peter Breck, is really hammy. Casting is poor in that most of the actors look like they're closer to the age of thirty. B&W lighting is acceptable, if conventional. Background music is nondescript jazz, which is the only element that remotely conveys a "beatnik" theme.
The film's title is deceptive. Despite that, and other major problems, it's not a terrible movie, just not as good as comparable films from that era. Thankfully, the short runtime makes viewing less painful.