The Boys of Paul Street (Hungarian: A Pál utcai fiúk) is a 1969 Hungarian-American drama film directed by Zoltán Fábri and based on the 1906 young adult novel The Paul Street Boys by Ferenc Molnár. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It features English-speaking (American and British) child actors (led by Anthony Kemp as Ernő Nemecsek) accompanied by Hungarians including Fábri's favorite actress Mari Törőcsik as Nemecsek's mother. The film is acclaimed as the best and most faithful adaptation of Molnár's source novel and a highlight of Hungarian film.
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Plot
Budapest, at the beginning of the 20th century. The story revolves around two rival youth gangs. On one side are the students of St. Paul, on the other are the so-called Red Shirts, led by the aggressive, brutal, and intimidating Feri Áts. After two members of the Red Shirts commit violence against the young Ernő Nemecsek, the members of the Paul Street Gang, under the leadership of János Boka, decide that it's time to put an end to the Red Shirt provocations once and for all and to settle the question of who controls the construction site on Paul Street in a "final battle." The Red Shirts are determined to take away the playground, known as the "Grund," from the boys of Paul Street and are not shy about their choice of weapons. Betrayal (namely by Geréb) and mutual spying are also employed.
Now it is up to little Nemecsek, who is often not taken seriously by either his own people or the opposing ruffians, to prove his courage and loyalty to his own comrades. He retrieves the flag of his own youth gang, which was captured by the Red Shirts, and suddenly becomes the hero. The final battle takes place with all means on the "Grund," including fights from "man" to "man." Although János' boys from Paul Street win the decision, little Nemecsek, who is "submerged" in the adjacent pond, catches pneumonia and eventually dies in his mother's arms. Both sides pay respect to the brave Ernő. In bitter realization that the fight for the "Grund" was completely in vain because the undeveloped piece of land is to be assigned a new purpose by the city and will never serve as a playground for any of the children again, everyone is left deeply affected.
Cast
Mari Törőcsik as Nemecsek's mother
Sándor Pécsi as teacher Rácz
László Kozák as Janó
Anthony Kemp as Ernő Nemecsek
William Burleigh as Boka
John Moulder-Brown as Geréb
Robert Efford as Csónakos
Mark Colleano as Csele
Gary O'Brien as Weisz
Martin Beaumont as Kolnay
Paul Bartlett as Barabás
Earl Younger as Leszik