“The Defiant Ones” tells the story of two escaped prisoners from a chain gang, one white and one black, who are shackled together and must cooperate to survive. It stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier, delivering outstanding performances under what was undoubtedly very difficult circumstances. The pair took up most of the screen time and held viewer’s interest to the very end of the picture, which has a 96 minute running time.
Tight direction by Stanley Kramer (“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” 1963) and a well composed screenplay by Harold Jacob Smith and Nedrick Young contributed to the film’s excellence. Co-stars include Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Akins, Whit Bissell, Charles McGraw, Lawrence Dobkin, King Donovan, Kevin Coughlin, and Carl Switzer (Alfalfa of “Our Gang”) in his final movie role.
The highly watchable “The Defiant Ones” was successful at the box office for producer Stanley Kramer, Stanley Kramer Productions, Lomitas Productions, Curtleigh Productions, and United Artists. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two: Best Story and Screenplay (Smith and Young) and Best Cinematography/Black and White (Sam Leavitt). Six other Oscar nods went for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Poitier and Curtis), Best Supporting Actor (Bikel), Best Supporting Actress (Williams), and Best Film Editing.
The Defiant Ones (1958)
cinema
My Review
“The Defiant Ones” tells the story of two escaped prisoners from a chain gang, one white and one black, who are shackled together and must cooperate to survive. It stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier, delivering outstanding performances under what was undoubtedly very difficult circumstances. The pair took up most of the screen time and held viewer’s interest to the very end of the picture, which has a 96 minute running time.
Tight direction by Stanley Kramer (“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” 1963) and a well composed screenplay by Harold Jacob Smith and Nedrick Young contributed to the film’s excellence. Co-stars include Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Akins, Whit Bissell, Charles McGraw, Lawrence Dobkin, King Donovan, Kevin Coughlin, and Carl Switzer (Alfalfa of “Our Gang”) in his final movie role.
The highly watchable “The Defiant Ones” was successful at the box office for producer Stanley Kramer, Stanley Kramer Productions, Lomitas Productions, Curtleigh Productions, and United Artists. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two: Best Story and Screenplay (Smith and Young) and Best Cinematography/Black and White (Sam Leavitt). Six other Oscar nods went for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Poitier and Curtis), Best Supporting Actor (Bikel), Best Supporting Actress (Williams), and Best Film Editing.