The Cool and the Crazy

If you can overlook the over-hyped 'marijuana is a killer' message of this film, you're in for a treat. Scott Marlowe is the new kid in town, pushing 'M' to the local delinquents (who otherwise seem to like getting smashed on booze, funnily enough). It's the role of his career, even though he seems to be trying to channel the spirit of Marlon Brando. The Kansas City locations add the extra grit the film needs, and there's a super slimy turn by Marvyn J. Rosen as the big wheel of the narcotics business. Rosen never had another role, so presumably he was a KC local, and he makes the most of it. I remember watching this movie on TV back in the 70s and being impressed, and seeing it recently for the first time in 25 years rekindled my fond feelings for this nice example of indie filmmaking.

While not quite as ridiculous as "Reefer Madness", "The Cool and the Crazy" is a ridiculous propaganda film designed to warn folks that marijuana kills! While filled with lies, it is quite unintentionally funny. Now my expectations for "The Cool and the Crazy" were low to begin with....with such a nutty title and the film coming from American International Pictures!

Benny (Scott Marlowe) is a new cool 'kid' who arrives at some high school. I put kid in quotes because he and the rest of the students are generally in their upper 20s! Anyway, he's a rebel and the kids soon are won over to his coolness. Then, he introduces them to marijuana...and soon he's out of control and going through withdrawal because he's become addicted and hell-bent on self-destruction!

This film is packed with misinformation--the type that actually ended up encouraging kids to use pot. After all, in the film, Benny uses it and soon becomes out of control and suicidal. But when folks see that none of this really happens with folks they know who use pot, they tend to ignore and laugh at such over-the-top warnings.

So is it any good? Not really. The acting isn't bad and the look and style of the film are good...but the story itself is goofy and silly at times. But, it is unintentionally funny...and is worth seeing in this light.

This juvenile delinquent movie is definitely a cut above similar films of the era I've seen, thanks to a good script and a strong lead performance by Scott Marlowe. Marlowe had the looks and charisma to be a major star, but never get a chance at a breakout role in a big Hollywood movie. (He did at least have a long career as a supporting player.) When I say it's a good script, perhaps I should qualify that to say except for the ridiculously overblown responses to smoking pot by the "teenagers," who freak out as if they were on a bad acid trip. There's also a romantic subplot with second lead Richard Bakalyan and nice girl Gigi Perrau that goes nowhere and keeps Marlowe off the screen for long stretches. When Marlowe's not on the screen the movie suffers. Also, typical of many of these movies, several of the alleged high school students look like they're pushing 30. But the movie rolls along along at a brisk pace, has some good action sequences, and Marlowe delivers the '50s existential alienation in spades. (Per the title, he's both cool and crazy.)

One added bonus for jazz fans is the unnamed combo we see playing at a local club. The band really cooks. Too bad there's no credit for them. (Kansas City once had a very active jazz scene). As others have commented, the Kansas City locations gave the movie some grit and authenticity, when compared to the vanilla suburban Southern California setting of most '50s teen movies. (The Wikipedia article on the movie has some interesting info on the producer, a Kansas City theater chain owner who wanted to carve a niche for himself in the teen exploitation market. He had earlier hired KC local Robert Altman to make another juvenile delinquent movie).

First off the movie is very dated and fairly stupid('58) but that didn't stop me from watching it.

The Star Scott Marlow (Bennie) is off his ass!! Kept me watching until the very end..(which is crazy if you think of the time VS now. His acting for the time is completely original.

In the 50's film acting wasn't the way to go (or even really discovered yet) it was all stage acting, voice projection, big movements (more is more VS film now where Less is more) but Scott was acting like he was Vince Vaughn in Swingers, craaaaazy slick, believable and because it's in black and white you can't get over how modern his sarcasm and jokes are! As an actor i was blown away at how Scotts performance would still impress viewers well into 2007.

Intended to show the results of smoking marijuana, this movie is interesting in the fact it is fun to watch the 'over acting' or lack thereof. A young punk(Scott Marlowe)fresh from reform school enrolls into a Kansas City high school with the intent to push marijuana. It is comical watching the results of just the introduction to the 'special smoke'. Watching this today is a hoot with or without the munchies! Also in the cast are:Richard Bakalyan, Dickie Jones and Gigi Perreau.