Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

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.

Director:

David Miller

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay), Edward Abbey (novel)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins.

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
William Schallert	...	Harry
George Kennedy	...	Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez
Karl Swenson	...	Rev. Hoskins
William Mims	...	First Deputy Arraigning Burns (as Bill Mims)
Martin Garralaga	...	Old Man
Lalo Rios	...	Prisoner

Storyline

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. Thus Burns breaks out on his own and is afterwards being chased by sheriff Johnson with helicopters and jeeps.

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Plot Keywords:

cowboy | county jail | mexican border | jeep | horse | 

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Taglines:

Life can never cage a man like this!

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

24 May 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Hero

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joel Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kirk Douglas intended to call the film "The Last Cowboy" but was overruled by the studio. And Trumbo gave his final version of the screenplay the title 'The Last Hero.'

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Goofs

Burns' rifle jumps from its holster on the horse's back to his hand.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in American Playhouse: True West (1984)

User Reviews

Kirk Was Right

This is a wonderful movie that never fails to impress me whenever I view it. I'm amazed that it is not out on DVD yet.

As many have stated, Kirk felt that this was his favorite movie and I quite agree. As the existential drifter searching for something that has long passed him by, Kirk delivers a stunning performance. I felt that the character development in this film was outstanding. Each individual plays an important role in delivering the theme of the story.

I was amazed that no one wrote about the bar fight scene where Burns battles a bitter one-armed local. There is something disturbing about this encounter...the one-armed man's bitterness and Burns' attempt to avoid the confrontation. Handled in black and white, this scene is memorable.

This film easily makes my top ten list.

-Paige