Recently I read that Erik Estrada came under fire for starring in a film produced by the religious right. What everyone seems to forget is that Estrada made his film debut in The Cross And The Switchblade playing the real life Nicky Cruz evangelical minister who turned to religion at the call of Reverend David Wilkerson back in the Fifties.

The Cross And The Switchblade might have the facts of the Cruz conversion right, but they were surely deficient in other things. I saw this film when it first came out in 1970 and it was in San Antonio, Texas while I was a weekend warrior at Fort Sam Houston. The story is in the 50s, but everyone was wearing contemporary fashions. It did not have the effect on me that it did on Nicky Cruz.

Pat Boone played Reverend Wilkerson whom I understand was very much like Pat Boone. This turned out to be Boone's last fling at film stardom as he concentrated more and more on his religious activities.

One thing that truly got me was the casting of female JoAnn Robinson as young gang banger Little Bo. No hint that she was transgendered and the only role cast cross gender boundaries like that is usually Peter Pan. I have to say I got one weird vibe from that, seeing cross dressing where one really doesn't expect it. And in 1970 this was not something I would have taken notice of.

Shot on those mean streets of New York where David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz did their evangelical thing, despite production values that could have used some polish, The Cross And The Switchblade is a sincerely made film. If Christian films is your cup of tea you won't be needing sweetener like production values.

Watching the 1962 State Fair last night with Mom got me thinking about finally watching that movie's star-Pat Boone-in his last movie in a leading role that he made several years later, this one I'm reviewing right now. See, Mom told me how much of a fan she was of his growing up in the '50s which I sorta knew about since I remember my parents having several of his record albums on the shelf that I remember listening to as a kid. Anyway, here he plays real-life preacher David Wilkerson who comes to the New York ghetto hoping to convert some gangs there to God and Jesus. One particular gang member leader he hopes to convert is Nicky Cruz who feels such contempt for him he slaps his face and spits on him. He's played by Erik Estrada at the beginning of his acting career years before becoming popular on TV's "CHiPs". Initially, Mom thought the movie was weird when it showed some early scenes of some people doing drugs and I myself thought some of the songs weren't suitable for some sequences. Still, as the narrative went on we were enthralled by many of the conflicts being depicted and Wilkerson's attempts to reach the gangs' minds and soul. Boone is quite good in his role and Estrada was quite excellent in his angry scenes and some others near the end. So despite some cheesiness, I and Mom say give The Cross and the Switchblade a chance.

I found this movie to be a strange one. Naive - even simplistic in its presentation of how David Wilkerson (played by Pat Boone) began his street ministry to troubled teens and gang members in New York City in the late 1950's. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with naive and simplistic. I'm a pastor myself and I'm willing to say that the Gospel message of divine love for the world is in itself somewhat naive and simplistic - but I believe it to be true. And yet things seemed too easy for Wilkerson in this movie. Yes, I know there was a lot of violence portrayed and a lot of drug abuse portrayed and a lot of gang fighting portrayed, but eventually it seemed as if it all came together thanks to one sermon Wilkerson preached to a youth rally? Perhaps that was just dramatic licence. You probably can't fit the whole story into a less than two hour movie so I guess it has to be abridged. Or maybe it really happened that way. Maybe the 50's were just a different era indeed. I could appreciate the turnaround in Nicky Cruz (played by Erik Estrada) who has, himself, become a fairly noteworthy evangelist. I don't want to deny the possibility of a truly dramatic conversion experience. And a lot happened through one sermon - and I don't want to deny the power of the preached Word of God, nor do I want to deny that the movie does make clear that Wilkerson did make real sacrifices for the sake of the street kids he ministered to and he took real chances, so it wasn't just one sermon - it was Wilkerson's decision to invest himself in the kids and not just to preach to them. I can appreciate that. That's ministry.

And yet, in spite of the testimony of many people about how powerful this movie is, I just didn't feel that power as I watched it. Maybe I'm just more cynical than I realize or care to admit, but I think the reaction of most kids today (just your average everyday kid and not a gang member) would be to sneer at what was shown on screen - or at least to roll their eyes. I can appreciate and be humbled by Wilkerson's Pauline-style call to Antiochean ministry (Paul and Silas went to Antioch and stayed among the people) or to a Mother Teresa ministry (who went to the slums of Calcutta and stayed in the slums of Calcutta) but I certainly wouldn't show this movie to a youth group in church. I don't think they'd get it.

There are parts of this that are quite moving - particularly the withdrawal of a young teenage girl from heroin addiction that was painful to watch. Overall, though, I just didn't feel the power that so many claim for this movie. (4/10)