'The Outsiders': Where Are They Now?

"Stay gold!" a dying Johnny Cade tells pal Ponyboy in 'The Outsiders,' Francis Ford Copola's look at teenage class warfare in Tulsa, Okla., circa 1967. On the film's anniversary, we check in with the "Greasers" and "Socs" to find out who's stayed gold ... and who hasn't. --By Tom Johnson

Where Are They Now?

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C. Thomas Howell

Then: As introspective dreamer Ponyboy Curtis, Howell set many a pre-pubescent girl's heart aflutter, but it was his far-from-PC star turn in 'Soul Man' that gained the actor enduring fame. He played a white student who pretends he's black to get into Harvard.

C. Thomas Howell

Now: Film stardom, including a role in 'Red Dawn,' has given way, mostly, to rounds of TV guest spots on hit shows such as '24.' Like 'Outsiders' co-star Tom Cruise, he starred in 'War of the Worlds' in 2005 -- except his version was low-budget and straight-to-DVD.

Patrick Swayze

Then: Swayze's turn as buff older bro Darry gave 'The Outsiders' needed gravitas. It was just one of many roles ('Dirty Dancing,' 'Roadhouse') that showcased the machismo of this classically-trained ballet dancer and thrill-seeker.

Patrick Swayze

Now: In January, Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Though initial tabloid rumors claimed he had only weeks to live, the actor's doctor denied these reports, saying that Swazye has a small amount of the disease and is responding well to treatment.

Rob Lowe

Then: As tough-guy Greaser Sodapop Curtis, Brat Packer Rob Lowe was more bumble than rumble. No matter, the chiseled actor weathered a damaging sex tape scandal, hitting his stride (and winning an Emmy) in the long-running TV hit, 'The West Wing.'

Rob Lowe

Now: A tireless fundraiser for cancer charities, the actor is also an avid political activist and "renowned" sportsman (he famously killed the Iowa state bird, a goldfinch, while golfing there). He can currently be seen on the ABC drama 'Brothers & Sisters.'

Glenn Withrow

Then: Withrow's Tim Shepard was a Greaser of few words, but the actor parlayed that minimalist approach into roles in five Coppola films.
Now: Jettisoning acting for a steadier paycheck, Glenn is the CEO of an L.A.-based media production facility.

Matt Dillon

Then: Dillon is the only actor to star in all three movie adaptations of S.E. Hinton's novels. Taking his bad-boy Greaser character a step further, the high school dropout gained wide acclaim as the stoned protagonist in 'Drugstore Cowboy.'

Matt Dillon

Now: Equally adept in comedy ('There's Something About Mary') and drama ('Wild Things'), Dillon's versatility culminated in a 2006 Oscar nom for Best Supporting Actor as a troubled cop in 'Crash.' He shows no signs of slowing, with three movies due soon.

Ralph Macchio

Then: Too bad Ralph couldn't channel the survivor instinct of his most famous role, 'Karate Kid,' into doomed hood Johnny Cade. He was a popular cover boy on teen mags like Tiger Beat, but his boyish good looks exacted a price and he never "grew" into adult roles.

Ralph Macchio

Now: Macchio lives with his wife and kids in Long Island and has showed good humor burlesquing himself as himself on TV comedies like 'Entourage.' He makes a rare film appearance in this year's horror-comedy, 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead.'

Emilio Estevez

Then: Just as "Two-Bit" Matthews never missed a Mickey cartoon, Estevez never passed on a Brat Pack movie in the '80s. Martin Sheen's eldest son starred in 'St. Elmo's Fire' and 'The Breakfast Club' before the brats scattered.

Emilio Estevez

Now: After an ill-advised marriage to Paula Abdul (and perhaps one too many 'Mighty Ducks' sequels), Estevez's career in front of the camera tailed off. But in 2006, Estevez launched a comeback, winning kudos for writing and directing the RFK drama 'Bobby.'

Darren Dalton

Then: Randy Anderson is a Soc who later bands with the Greasers. Darren banded with 'Outsiders' Howell and Swayze again in 'Red Dawn.'
Now: Dalton only recently returned to acting; you can catch him in Howell's direct-to-DVD 'War of the Worlds 2.'

Tom Cruise

Then: Steve Randle could do a back-flip off a parked car like it was nobody's business. After a tiny role as a Greaser, Cruise made all the right movies, starring in such blockbusters as 'Top Gun' and 'Mission: Impossible,' and becoming the planet's biggest movie star.

Tom Cruise

Now: After bouncing off Oprah's couch (shades of S. Randle!) and railing against psychiatry, America's top Scientologist downshifted into "Cruise Control" and became "TomKat" with baby in tow. He'll next appear in the WWII drama 'Valkyrie' and the comedy 'Men.'

Diane Lane

Then: Alpha female Cherry Valance turned the heads of Greasers and Socs alike, much like Lane in any role she plays. The daughter of a Playboy Playmate, Lane made her film debut at age 13 opposite Sir Laurence Olivier (in 'A Little Romance').

Diane Lane

Now: Lane's career and life have improved with age. In 2002, she earned an Oscar nomination for her riveting performance in 'Unfaithful' and followed that up with 'Under the Tuscan Sun.' After a first hitch to Christopher Lambert, Lane wed Josh Brolin in '04.

Leif Garrett

Then: Bob Sheldon loved bullying Greasers. And like him, teen idol Garrett squandered his promise with a recording career that spiraled into drug abuse and, in an eerie foreshadowing of his 'Outsiders' role, crashing a car and crippling his best friend.

Leif Garrett

Now: In 2006, Garrett was nailed for heroin possession and sentenced to live-in rehab. He left the program, and was consequently sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation. He's since been placed in custody for failing a drug test.

Michelle Meyrink

Then: Meyrink made her film debut as Maria in and followed it up with dorky roles in comedies like 'Revenge of the Nerds,' and 'Real Genius.'
Now: Meyrink lives the quiet life with her husband and children on Bowen Island near her native Vancouver.

Tom Waits

Then: As gravelly-voiced Buck the bartender, Waits seemed to be playing a variation on himself. When he wasn't cutting albums, Waits made small appearances in Coppola films. A family friend, he even performed at Sofia's wedding to Spike Jonze.

Tom Waits

Now: Still creatively ambidextrous, Waits records albums, contributes tunes to soundtracks, and keeps one foot in acting, including a part in last year's 'Wristcutters' and the upcoming 'Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,' Heath Ledger's final movie.

Sofia Coppola

Then: Look fast or you'll miss her! In a flash, little Sofia gets dissed by Dallas begging for ice cream change. She didn't fare much better as the last-minute replacement for a sick Winona Ryder in 'Godfather: Part III.' But like Dad, what she really wanted to do was direct.

Sofia Coppola

Now: Sofia's work behind the lens has catapulted her to the front-rank of young filmmakers. She won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for 'Lost in Translation' and, although her latest film, 'Marie Antoinette,' received critical lashings, she's in the family business to stay.

S.E. Hinton

Then: 'Outsiders' author Hinton was inspired to write her first and most popular novel after witnessing the Soc/Greaser divide in her own Tulsa school.
Now: Hinton still lives in Tulsa and keeps a low profile. In recent years, she's written fiction for kindergarteners.

Francis Ford Coppola

Then: Students first brought his attention to 'Outsiders,' and after directing it, he adapted Hinton's next novel, 'Rumble Fish.' One of the truly great American directors of the last half-century, Coppola won a Best Director Oscar for 'The Godfather: Part II.'

Francis Ford Coppola

Now: The 68-year-old director vowed to return to low-budget filmmaking with the release of last year's critically drubbed 'Youth Without Youth,' his first film in 10 years. When he's not writing or directing, Coppola tends to his Napa Valley vineyard.