Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
Lonely Are the Brave
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Lonely Are the Brave (1962) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 5 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   2,065 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 39% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
David Miller
Writers:
Edward Abbey (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Lonely Are the Brave on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 May 1962 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Western more
Tagline:
Life can never cage a man like this!
Plot:
In order to free his best friend Bondi, Jack Burns lets himself be imprisoned only to find out that Bondi does not want to escape... more | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
DVD Playhouse--July 2009
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 6 July 2009, 11:32 PM, PDT)

Douglas Turned To Father After 'Wonder Boys' Disappointment
 (From WENN. 15 August 2006)

User Comments:
Natural Man Sacrificed to Progress more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Kirk Douglas ... John W. "Jack" Burns

Gena Rowlands ... Jerry Bondi

Walter Matthau ... Sheriff Morey Johnson
Michael Kane ... Paul Bondi

Carroll O'Connor ... Hinton (truck driver)
William Schallert ... Harry (soft-spoken radio operator)
George Kennedy ... Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez
Karl Swenson ... Rev. Hoskins (prison inmate)
William Mims ... First deputy arraigning Burns (as Bill Mims)
Martin Garralaga ... Old man (observer in Latin bar)
Lalo Rios ... Prisoner
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Last Hero (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #20037) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After Kirk Douglas read the book Brave Cowboy by Edward Abbey, he purchased the rights to the novel and gave the project to his friend Dalton Trumbo. Douglas said Trumbo's screenplay was perfect, the best he had ever read, and didn't change one word of it. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: The aircraft purports to be a US Air Force helicopter and indeed shows some military markings. However, the FAA "N" number (N8411E) is clearly visible on the belly and the tail of the aircraft. Military aircraft never show civilian markings. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
[to his horse, as he watches jets leave contrails across the sky]
Jack Burns: Time we took off, too.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Tatort: Märchenwald (#1.576)" (2004) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful:-
Natural Man Sacrificed to Progress, 2 June 2005
10/10
Author: writerasfilmcritic from western US

Can you imagine a time when a man could mount his horse and ride across the country, camping wherever he pleased? It's the kind of life Kirk Douglas was still living as the cowboy in "Lonely Are The Brave," long after the horse had given way to the horseless carriage and most people were living in towns and cities working for someone else. His only accommodation to the modern world are a pair of snips he keeps in a saddle bag for getting through barbed wire fences. A man like that is just bound to run up against the System, and that is precisely what happens when the cowboy arrives at the house of an old friend, whose wife they both loved. She tells him that her husband has been jailed for smuggling illegals across the border and the cowboy resolves to get arrested and help him break out. However, married life has changed his friend's perspective and he is content to do his time. After taking a beating from the sadistic jailer, played by George Kennedy, the cowboy escapes alone. The rest of the movie is about his attempt to elude the authorities, led by Walter Matthau as the efficient sheriff in charge of lesser lights who admires Douglas enough to hope he makes good his escape and who pursues him skillfully but without enthusiasm. Much of the story is about the relationship between the cowboy and his inexperienced young horse, who symbolizes the wild and free life being lost bit by bit. As they surmount a rugged mountain range, the extent of their trust, affection, and ties to the land become clear, while so-called civilization, aptly represented by a truckload of new toilets, threatens to do what the police can't.

This is a very good movie, well-shot, well-acted, well-written, and with a very poignant theme. In it, Kirk Douglas delivers one of his best performances.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
DVD is coming 7/7/09 Wailmer1990
soundtrack CD available July 2009 limited edition CatTales
The Worst Ending Ever! (SPOILER!!!) gtak77
In Color?? eju87
look both ways, then go? -- and the trucker uncarsenal
Composer Goldsmith + LONELY ARE THE BRAVE ScopeWatcher
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Defiant Ones True Grit Ghost Valley Raiders Range Law Wanted
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.