Adapted for the screen from the best-selling novel by Peter Maas, director Frank Pierson weaves a compelling tale of New York's ''gypsies'' and their criminal underworld. Dave (Eric Roberts), the grandson and heir apparent to the dying ''King'' (Sterling Hayden), is torn between his legacy and the outside world, and is soon faced with a decision that will forever alter his life and the lives of those around him. Photographed by famed cinematographer Sven Nykvist, King of the Gypsies is a tale of love, rivalry, jealousy, murder and intrigue, and features first-rate performances by a supporting cast that includes Susan Sarandon, Annie Potts, Annette O'Toole, Brooke Shields, along with Hollywood royalty Shelley Winters and Sterling Hayden.