Discover the Top 10 Fascinating Fun Facts About The Outsiders You Never Knew!

1. Pepsi-Fueled Tale of Teen Angst

Before S.E. Hinton was penning page-turners, she was cracking open Pepsi bottles and scribbling about greasers and socs in her high school notebook. Cue the dramatic music and say hello to the coming-of-age masterpiece that was born out of teen angst: "The Outsiders" was published in 1967, when Hinton was just a mere 18 years old, unraveling a tale of friendship and struggle that continues to captivate readers today.
Source => nytimes.com

2. Accidental Literary Masterpiece

Little did we know, Susie was a rebel without a cause, writing about rebels with causes: The Outsiders, penned by the then-fifteen-year-old Susan Eloise Hinton, started out as a short story, never meant to reach the literary heights it did. But kudos to that encouraging buddy who urged the young author to submit her work to a publisher, leading the world to witness this teen masterpiece that hit the shelves in 1967.
Source => sparknotes.com

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=> Fun Facts about Frankenstein

3. Stars United: From Page to Screen

When Greasers and Socs unite to drop jaws in Hollywood: The Outsiders, penned by high schooler S.E. Hinton, sparked the YA literary fire and transformed into a cult-classic movie directed by Francis Ford Coppola, featuring a constellation of stars like Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, and Tom Cruise. High school drama on steroids, this masterpiece survives the onslaught of critics and censors, securing its place in education, and sells over 500,000 copies a year.
Source => gamerant.com

4. Pre-Brat Pack Shenanigans

Before the Brat Pack was busy dancing through the halls of the 80s, these bambinos were outsiders just trying to survive Tulsa, Oklahoma: The Outsiders (1983) featured an all-star lineup, including C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise, known as the Brat Pack, with the film set on location and based on S.E. Hinton's 1967 novel.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Coppola's Casting Magic

In a remarkable game of musical chairs, Hollywood style: Francis Ford Coppola had all the actors in one room, watching each other audition for different roles in "The Outsiders," masterfully mixing and matching to create the perfect ensemble of future Brat Packers, with no family gatherings on set!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Hinton: The Original Teen Prodigy

Before Hogwarts had its prodigy penning magical tales, the Muggle world had its very own teenage wordsmith, conjuring up stories of greasers and socs: S.E. Hinton was a mere 16 years young when she embarked on writing The Outsiders, a literary gem born from her dissatisfaction with the young adult novels available at the time. Two years of creative dedication brought forth her brainchild when she was just 18 years old.
Source => cliffsnotes.com

7. Mystery Author Revealed

Although S.E. Hinton may have her head buried in the proverbial literary sand, preferring a coy "peekaboo" with the public over the full monty of fame: the elusive author of "The Outsiders" is none other than Susan Eloise, a fact often unbeknownst to the masses of her captivated readers.
Source => nytimes.com

8. Teen Troubles Turned Classic

Talk about some Greasers and a Social success story: S.E. Hinton was a mere 15-year-old when she penned "The Outsiders," a groundbreaking novel on the tumultuous divide between upper and lower class teens in the '60s, which went on to sell over 10 million copies and become essential reading in schools across the nation.
Source => bookreporter.com

9. Swimming Against the High School Tide

Feeling like a fish out of water in high school? Fret not, for a teenage wordsmith swam against the tide and penned a literary classic: The Outsiders, a beloved novel by S.E. Hinton, was written when she was just 16, inspired by her own sense of ostracization and the challenges faced by her peers during those tumultuous years.
Source => rogerebert.com

10. Hollywood's Outsiders Battle for Roles

Before they found their greasy-haired glory, a carousel of Hollywood notables swung through the door like a who's who of the Brat Pack extended family: Sean Penn, Scott Baio, Mickey Rourke, Val Kilmer, Dennis Quaid, and a Cagey cameo to boot, all fought valiantly to hang with S.E. Hinton's hoodlums: The star-studded audition process for "The Outsiders" saw the likes of Penn, Baio, Cage, Rourke, Kilmer, and Quaid vying for a spot in the film, with Nicolas Cage being the only one to score an uncredited bit role, under the discerning eyes of director Francis Ford Coppola.
Source => eonline.com