I’ve been wanting to see this ever since I bought the Something Weird Greatest Hits CD as two of the best songs from the collection “Don’t Make Me Mad” and “Black Belt” come from this movie. (The score itself is equally fine.) Boy, this didn’t disappoint. It’s one of the best Juvenile Delinquent flicks ever made.
Terry (Diane Conti) is the new bad girl in town who immediately makes a play for Johnny (John Battis), the leader of a gang called The Rebels. First thing she’s got to do is go toe to toe with Johnny’s gal, with the winner of the catfight getting the privilege of being his plaything. When Terry balks at having Johnny’s initials carved into her chest, she seduces his second in command, Nino and goads him into starting a knife fight with her man. After Nino (Joey Naudic) kills Johnny and assumes control of the gang, Terry slowly begins manipulating him into doing her bidding.
Made well after the initial Juvenile Delinquent movie craze of the ‘50s and just on the cusp of the avalanche of biker flicks in the ‘60s, Teenage Gang Debs is a bit meaner than what came before and yet stops short of showing the more exploitative elements of what would follow. It has some great black and white cinematography, and the excellent handheld camerawork puts you in the thick of the action during the various catfights, switchblade duels, and gang rumbles. The same goes for the dance sequences as the camera is so close to the actresses that you feel like you’re right in there shaking a tailfeather with the teenage gang debs themselves.
One touch I found hilarious: Even though he’s supposed to be a tough gang leader, Johnny wears a dress shirt and buttoned-up cardigan. How are we supposed to take him seriously when he dresses like Mr. Rogers?
After hearing the songs so many times on the Something Weird CD, it was a real treat to finally hear them in their proper context within the film. “Don’t Make Me Mad” really got those delinquent gals moving and grooving on the dancefloor but it's the “Black Belt” number that really brings the house down. Not only is the song a straight-up banger, but the choreography that goes along with it is spectacular (the dancers punch and kick in time with the music like Kung Fu fighters), which results in a peak cinematic experience.
The thing that really ties everything together is the electrifying performance from Conti. She makes Terry a character you truly love to hate. She’s tough-talking, cold, and calculating, and it’s a blast seeing her chew men up and spit them out.
The ending is something else too. It’s possibly the only ending I’ve seen that reminded me of both Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Freaks. If that’s not a recommendation, I don’t know what is.
AKA: Leather Jacket Jungle.
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