Zoot Suit (film)

Zoot Suit is a 1981 filmed version of the Broadway play Zoot Suit (play). Both the play and film were written and directed by Luis Valdez. The film stars Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos — both reprising their roles from the stage production — and Tyne Daly. Many members of the cast of the Broadway production also appeared in the film. Like the play, the film features music from Daniel Valdez and Lalo Guerrero, the "father of Chicano music."

Story

In Zoot Suit, Luis Valdez weaves a story involving the real-life events of the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial — when a group of young Mexican-Americans were wrongfully charged with murder — and the Zoot Suit Riots. In the play, Henry Rena (inspired by real-life defendant Henry Leyvas) is a pachuco gangster and his gang, who were unfairly prosecuted, are thrown in jail for a murder they did not commit. The play is set in the barrios of Los Angeles in the early 1940s against the backdrop of the Zoot Suit Riots and World War II.

Awards

The film was nominated for the 1982 Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (won by Arthur).

Cast

The cast of the film (in credits order):
*Daniel Valdez
*Edward James Olmos
*Charles Aidman
*Tyne Daly
*John Anderson
*Abel Franco
*Mike Gomez
*Alma Martínez
*Francis X. McCarthy
*Lupe Ontiveros
*Ed Peck
*Robert Phalen
*Tony Plana
*Rose Portillo
*Marco Rodríguez
*Kelly Ward
*Helena Andreyko
*Bob Basso
*Darlene Bryan
*Bernadette Colognne
*Miguel Delgado
*Roberta Delgado
*Anacani Echeverria
*Hammam Shafie
*Honey Garcia
*James Hogan
*Laura Leyva
*Sal Lopez
*Luis Manuel
*Kim Miyori
*Ángela Moya
*Bertha E. Oropeza
*Jeff Reynolds
*Juan Ríos
*Greg Rosatti
*Nancy Salis
*Candice L. Silva
*Geno Silva
*Kurtwood Smith
*Dennis Stewart
*Duke Stroud
*Judy Susman
*Jon Thomas
*Lewis Whitlock
*Antoinette Yuskis
*Robert Beltran
*Alma Beltran
*Julio Medina
*Diane Rodriguez
*Socorro Valdez

See also

Zoot Suit, the play
*Zoot suit
*Zoot Suit Riots

External links

*In-depth information about the Sleepy Lagoon murder trial