Zoot Suit Riots
Los Angeles erupts in violence
2002 | 53m | English
Popularity: 0.2 (history)
| Director: | Joseph Tovares |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Joseph Tovares |
| Staring: |
| On August 1, 1942, a 22-year-old Mexican American man was stabbed to death at a party. To white Los Angelenos, the murder was just more proof that Mexican American crime was spiraling out of control. The police fanned out across LA, netting 600 young Mexican American suspects. Almost all those taken into custody were wearing the distinctive uniform of their generation: Zoot Suits. The tragic murder and the injustice of the trial that followed, coupled with sensational news coverage of both, fanned the flames of the racial hostility that was already running rife in the city. Within months of the verdict, Los Angeles was in the grip of some of the worst violence in its history. | |
| Release Date: | Mar 01, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Joseph Tovares |
| Writer: | Joseph Tovares |
| Genres: | Documentary, History |
| Keywords | police brutality, riot, los angeles, california, mexican american, lapd, 1940s, zoot suit, police violence |
| Production Companies | GBH, PBS |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 31, 2026 Entered: May 05, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Héctor Elizondo | Narrator (voice) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Joseph Tovares | Writer, Director |
| James Rutenbeck | Editor |
| Michael Chin | Cinematography |
| Jill Tufts | Assistant Camera |
| Claudio Ragazzi | Music |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person |
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