Zoot Suit (1981)

Name: Zoot Suit
Director: Luis Valdez
Genre: Drama, Musical
Released: 1982-01-01
Duration: 1 h 43 min
Rating: 6.8
Cast: Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos, Charles Aidman, Tyne Daly

R | 103 min | Drama, Musical

When barrio leader Henry Reyna and his friends are unjustly convicted on circumstantial evidence, activist lawyers Alice Bloomfield and George Shearer fight the blatant racially motivated miscarriage of justice to win them their freedom.

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6.8/10
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Cast & Crew

Top Billed Cast

Daniel Valdez

Henry Reyna
Edward James Olmos

El Pachuco
Charles Aidman

George Shearer
Tyne Daly

Alice Bloomfield
John Anderson

Judge F.W. Charles
Abel Franco

Enrique
Mike Gomez

Joey
Alma Martinez

Lupe

(as Alma Rosa Martínez)
Francis X. McCarthy

Press

(as Frank McCarthy)
Lupe Ontiveros

Dolores
Ed Peck

Lieutenant Edwards
Robert Phalen

District Attorney
Tony Plana

Rudy
Rose Portillo

Della
Marco Rodríguez

Smiley

Full cast

Awards

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Another 2 wins.

Reviews & Commentary

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User Reviews

8 April 2015 | neddaly1

| A valiant attempt

I also saw the original stage production in LA in 1978/79. I was likely the only Anglo in the audience, which was itself an experience worth buying a ticket to. I would have gone back several times if I had had the money.

Olmos was featured in the local TV commercials for the play and was riveting to watch. That commercial could be re-released as a short. In the theater, you could NOT take your eyes off him.

I have seen the film several times and own a DVD copy. While there are some cringe-worthy moments and some obvious "staginess", the film does credit to the original vision and is worth watching.

One should never watch a work of art in an attempt to learn about history, or science, or anything else. Art is art.

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Trivia

The Broadway production of "Zoot Suit" opened at the Winter Garden Theater in New York on March 25, 1979 and ran for 41 performances. Charles Aidman, Mike Gomez, Abel Franco, Darlene Bryan, Luis Manuel, Edward James Olmos, Tony Plana, Rose Portillo, Geno Silva, Dennis Stewart, and Socorro Valdez recreated their stage roles in this filmed production. Edward James Olmos was nominated for the 1979 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actor in a Drama for "Zoot Suit" as El Pachuco and recreated his stage role in this filmed production.

Quotes

El Pachuco: The idea of the original chuco is to look like a diamond, to look sharp, hip, bonaroo, finding a style of urban survival in the rural skirts and outskirts of the brown metropolis of Los, Cabron.
Press: It's an afront to good taste!
El Pachuco: Like the Mexicans, ...
Press: Yes!