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Kahle

Original title: The Defiant Ones
  • 1958
  • K-16
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Kahle (1958)
Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Stanley Kramer's THE DEFIANT ONES broke new ground by delivering its message of racial tolerance through a fast-moving blend of action and suspense. It remains a raw, powerful film that is as exciting as it is moving, real and literate. John "Joker" Jackson (Tony Curtis; The Vikings, Some Like It Hot) and Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night) are two convicts on the run. Escaping from a Southern work gang, the two men are bound together by an unbreakable iron chain and separated by an unbridled hatred towards each other. Relentlessly pursued by a bloodthirsty posse, they must put aside their differences if they are going to survive. Highly acclaimed upon release for its directing, writing, cinematography and acting, (Sidney Poitier won numerous awards for his role, including the coveted Silver Bear for Best Actor) THE DEFIANT ONES remains one of the most influential films of its era, and Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a special Dual Format edition.
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
49 Photos
CrimeDrama

Two chained-together escaped convicts, White and Black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture.Two chained-together escaped convicts, White and Black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture.Two chained-together escaped convicts, White and Black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture.

  • Director
    • Stanley Kramer
  • Writers
    • Nedrick Young
    • Harold Jacob Smith
  • Stars
    • Tony Curtis
    • Sidney Poitier
    • Theodore Bikel
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • Nedrick Young
      • Harold Jacob Smith
    • Stars
      • Tony Curtis
      • Sidney Poitier
      • Theodore Bikel
    • 103User reviews
    • 57Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos1

    THE DEFIANT ONES (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
    Watch THE DEFIANT ONES (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer

    Photos49

    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Kevin Coughlin, and Cara Williams in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, and Cara Williams in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Cara Williams in Kahle (1958)
    Cara Williams in Kahle (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, and Cara Williams in Kahle (1958)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tony Curtis
    Tony Curtis
    • John 'Joker' Jackson
    Sidney Poitier
    Sidney Poitier
    • Noah Cullen
    Theodore Bikel
    Theodore Bikel
    • Sheriff Max Muller
    Charles McGraw
    Charles McGraw
    • Capt. Frank Gibbons
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    • Big Sam
    • (as Lon Chaney)
    King Donovan
    King Donovan
    • Solly
    Claude Akins
    Claude Akins
    • Mack
    Lawrence Dobkin
    Lawrence Dobkin
    • Editor
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Lou Gans
    Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
    Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
    • Angus
    • (as Carl Switzer)
    Kevin Coughlin
    Kevin Coughlin
    • Billy
    Cara Williams
    Cara Williams
    • Billy's Mother
    Joe Brooks
    Joe Brooks
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Clinton
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Jimmy Dime
    Jimmy Dime
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Clem Fuller
    Clem Fuller
    • Search Party Member
    • (uncredited)
    Ned Glass
    Ned Glass
    • Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Mickey Golden
    • Search Party Member
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • Nedrick Young(originally as Nathan E. Douglas)
      • Harold Jacob Smith
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Robert Mitchum turned down the role of John "Joker" Jackson (Tony Curtis' role). Mitchum, who claimed to have served on a Southern chain gang when he was 14, said that he didn't believe the premise that a Black man and a white man would be chained together, as such a thing would never happen in the very-strictly-segregated South. Over the years, this reason was corrupted to the point where many people believed Mitchum turned down the role because he didn't want to be chained to a Black man, an absolute falsehood. Curtis repeated the inaccurate story in his autobiography, but recanted after it was explained to him.
    • Goofs
      Twice they are soaked to the skin in water and mud, but come up with dry cigarettes and matches.
    • Quotes

      Noah Cullen: I ain't gettin' mad, Joker. I been mad all my natural life.

    • Connections
      Featured in Precious Images (1986)
    • Soundtracks
      Long Gone
      Adapted from "Long Gone (From Bowlin' Green)" (1920)
      Music by W.C. Handy (as William C. Handy)
      Words by Chris Smith
      Sung a cappella by Sidney Poitier (uncredited) several times

    User reviews103

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Another Stanley Kramer great.
    A great job by Stanley Kramer on this film. Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier turn in stellar performances as two convicts who get an unexpected shot at escape but are held together by a length of chain. They must learn to overcome their racial dislike of each other in order to survive and gain their freedom. But will they? The film is shot in black and white and had it been shot in color it would not have been as good. A remake was done some years later which was passable but didn't match this original version.
    helpful•29
    5
    • yenlo
    • Aug 10, 1999

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    FAQ18

    • How long is The Defiant Ones?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 28, 1958 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Defiant Ones
    • Filming locations
      • Kern County, California, USA(crossing the river)
    • Production companies
      • Lomitas Productions
      • Curtleigh Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $778,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 36 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White

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