The Original Warriors Gang
Since its release, the Warriors gang has infamously gone down as one of the most well-known gangs in movie history, and for years after its release, it was considered the most exciting film in America. In reality, though the name wasn’t even the original name given to the main gang of this story.
Even before “The Warriors” movie script was created, in the original story written and published in the novel written by Sol Yurick, the name given to the main gang did not even include any mention of the word ‘Warriors’! Instead, Yurick referred to the infamous game as ‘The Dominators.’
The Baseball Furies: A Real-Life Gang Reference
With their intimidating painted faces, baseball uniforms, and terrifying baseball bat weapons, the threatening presence of the 'Baseball Furies' in the film is one not soon forgotten. The appearance of this nightmarish group was based on a prominent gang that occupied uptown New York in the 1970s, known as 'Second Base.'
However, the 'Second Base' gang instead wore matching Letterman jackets, with the gang’s name etched onto the back. Paying homage to this real-life gang, when watching the film you may notice one particularly obvious Easter egg present in one scene in the movie, during which time the New York Boppers gang is informed that The Warriors are "on Second Base."
The Film’s Consequences
Though filmmakers surely did not initially intend it, the making and release of their movie ultimately led to an immediate spike in real-life violence. In hopes of decreasing this increase in violence and aggression on the streets, the producers of "The Warriors" instead chose to promote the upcoming release of their film with a more minimal poster, containing nothing more than the logo of the film, placed on a white background.
Despite the deliberate efforts carried out by producers to put a halt to gang-related violence, much to their dismay, the violence surrounding the release of the film continued to escalate. Not long after re-releasing the film’s promotional posters, there were separate attacks that occurred in two different showings of "The Warriors."
Irwin Keyes's Ironic Twist of Fate
The character of Ajax was originally written to have a highly muscular, particularly foreboding character presence, and actor Irwin Keyes was among the top considerations for the role. However, because director Walter Hill believed Keyes was far too old to play this character, the role was instead given to actor James Remar, a significantly smaller, skinnier actor when compared to Keyes.
Despite Keyes's ultimate rejection for the role of Ajax, filmmakers still kept Keyes on set, giving him the consolation role. He was the New York City police officer known for hitting Ajax with his baton during the scene in the film involving the sting operation in the park. Then, in an ironic twist of events, Keyes ends up arresting the very character he initially was meant to play!
The Comic Book Effect
While watching "The Warriors," did you happen to notice certain scenes that appeared distinct from the rest? If so, your keen observation skills are impressive! One aspect of the film that often goes unnoticed is the creative utilization of a progressive post-production editing technique that gave it a certain comic-book effect.
This technique involves seamlessly combining animation with live-action photography to produce a final product that incorporates both elements, adding a unique visual dimension to the movie. In the specific scenes of the film where this unique technique is carried out, the film is broken up by drawn images. From here, these pictures are seamlessly joined together to effectively transition into actual photos of the actors in real life.