Riding on the ``Outsider'' and ``Young Adult'' trends, they became the origin of the ``Brat Pack.''

Toshiaki Karasawa's debut work! ?

Another thing that remains in many people's memories about ``The Outsider'' is the theme song. Stevie Wonder 's " LIFE~Stay Gold ". In Japan, it was later used in a Toyota commercial, and it regained popularity.

This song was created for "The Outsider". Stevie wrote the lyrics and the music was set by Coppola's father, Carmine Coppola , based on a poem by Robert Frost that appears in the film. Lyrics that cherish the momentary brilliance of youth, a sad yet beautiful melody, and Stevie's harmonica... There aren't many theme songs that are so perfect for a work.

In fact, a stage adaptation of the story of ``The Outsider'' with the title ``Stay Gold'' actually existed in Japan. ``Boys Revue Stay Gold'' was performed at Hakuhinkan Theater in Ginza, Tokyo in 1987. It was a Takarazuka-like two-part revue and play performed by as-yet-unknown actors and dancers, and the play part was ``The Outsider.'' Of course, "Stay Gold" was also sung.

"Stay Gold"

This play also marks Toshiaki Karasawa's full-fledged debut as an actor. Karasawa's role corresponds to the role of Johnny played by Ralph Macchio in the movie, and the scene where he dies in a violent manner is still fresh in my memory. Similar to the movie ``The Outsider'', it was the stage where Japanese stars were discovered (other performers in ``Boys Revue'' included Masayuki Imai and choreographer Hiroichi Tategata).

The movie ``The Outsider'' had a running time of 91 minutes when it was released. This is the result of many scenes being cut due to the studio's wishes. Naturally, fans of the original story were dissatisfied.

One day, Coppola heard that his granddaughter had read the original story at school and was going to see the movie with her friends, so he wanted her to see the complete version, so he started working on the director's cut. The 114-minute complete version of the novel ``The Outsider'' was premiered in 2005 in Tulsa, where the story takes place, and was released on DVD.

Director Francis Ford Coppola completed `` Rumble Fish ,'' also based on the S.E. Hinton original, immediately after `` The Outsider .'' It was also called the ``Coppola YA trilogy,'' which included the next movie `` The Cotton Club '' (1984), but after the trilogy, this master who carved Hollywood history created a masterpiece that captured the hearts of movie fans. When I think about the fact that I haven't taken any pictures, I can't help but feel a bit of sadness.

Text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News.

Watch now

View work information

(c) Photofest / Getty Images