One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Marlon Brando

Writers:

Guy Trosper (screenplay) and
Calder Willingham (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

30 March 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

NOW THE SCREEN ACHIEVES SURPASSING GREATNESS! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth finds an opportunity to take the...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Mexico | Bank Robbery | Gold | Escape

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Rio
Karl Malden	...	Sheriff Dad Longworth
Katy Jurado	...	Maria Longworth
Pina Pellicer	...	Louisa
Ben Johnson	...	Bob Amory
Slim Pickens	...	Deputy Lon Dedrick
Larry Duran	...	Chico Modesto
Sam Gilman	...	Harvey Johnson
Timothy Carey	...	Howard Tetley
Miriam Colon	...	Redhead
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Carvey (as Elisha Cook)
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Mexican rurale captain (as Rudolph Acosta)
Joan Petrone	...	Flower girl
Tom Webb	...	Farmer's son
Ray Teal	...	Barney

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1961) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Pennebaker Productions

Trivia:

Marlon Brando's original cut of the movie was over five hours long.

Quotes:

Bob: We brought you along because you're supposed to be the big man with the iron; but I think now I could even out pull you.
Rio: You're probably right, Bob. You probably could put six in me by the time I put that one into you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Screenwipe: (#2.3)" (2006)

Brando's directorial debut - marvelous, albeit flawed

From IMDb trivia:

Marlon Brando's first cut of the film was allegedly 5 hours long. He was reportedely unhappy with the final product, despite its box-office success. "Now, it's a good picture for them [Paramount]," he said upon its release, "but it's not the picture I made... now the characters in the film are black-and-white, not gray-and-human as I planned them."

Hand it to Brando to be dissatisfied with a film because he didn't manage to make it as long as he wanted to. Regardless of what Brando thought, this is a really fine Western and a unique one, too - it seems fresh and "new," like a Cool Man's West or something. Having Brando (when he was still looking fairly trim) in the lead role certainly gives it a certain glamor and the story itself - and execution - is great.

Overall I wish Brando had made another film after this but to the best of my knowledge this is really the only true film he ever made. If he was just trying to prove he could direct, he did - even if the film has its flaws, it's far from bad. In fact, it's very, very good - and extremely entertaining.

4.5/5