Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

Director:

David Miller

Writers:

Edward Abbey (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 May 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Life can never cage a man like this!

Plot:

A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the penitentiary.

Plot Keywords:

Helicopter | Jeep | Sheriff | Man Hunt | Maverick

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

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

Also Known As:

The Last Hero (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

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

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Joel Productions

Trivia:

The one-armed man tells Jack Burns in the bar that he lost his arm at Okinawa during World War II. Bill Raisch, the actor who played the one-armed man, actually did lose his right arm in a fire on board a ship during the war. Raisch was Burt Lancaster's stand-in and later landed a recurring role in the TV series "The Fugitive" (1963).

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.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[to his horse, as he watches jets leave contrails across the sky]
Jack Burns: Time we took off, too.

Movie Connections:

Featured in ... A Father... A Son... Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2005) (TV)

Kirk Douglas' favorite movie

I was pleasantly surprised to see so many "10" ratings. I thought this was a secret between Kirk Douglas (who used to shop in the wee morning hours at the same supermarket as I did when I lived in Hollywood in the 70s) and I .. I saw a retrospective where he said of all his movies, this was his favorite. On my Top 10 All Time list as well. When the movie came to Texas, where I saw it, I think it barely lasted through the opening weekend before it was pulled. Amazed and pleased that there are so many who have seen it and rated it so highly. Way to go guys.