Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Defiant Ones

  • 1958
  • Approved
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
17K
YOUR RATING
The Defiant Ones (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, box office & company info
    • IMDb RATING
    7.6/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • Nedrick Young
      • Harold Jacob Smith
    • Stars
      • Tony Curtis
      • Sidney Poitier
      • Theodore Bikel
    • 102User reviews
    • 63Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 22 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 The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Kevin Coughlin, and Cara Williams in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, and Cara Williams in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis and Cara Williams in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Cara Williams in The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, and Cara Williams in The Defiant Ones (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

    More like this

    Lilies of the Field
    7.5
    Lilies of the Field
    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
    7.8
    Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
    In the Heat of the Night
    7.9
    In the Heat of the Night
    The Defiant Ones
    6.0
    The Defiant Ones
    A Patch of Blue
    8.0
    A Patch of Blue
    To Sir, with Love
    7.6
    To Sir, with Love
    Inherit the Wind
    8.1
    Inherit the Wind
    Blackboard Jungle
    7.4
    Blackboard Jungle
    A Raisin in the Sun
    8.0
    A Raisin in the Sun
    The Defiant Ones
    8.5
    The Defiant Ones
    Bad Day at Black Rock
    7.7
    Bad Day at Black Rock
    From Here to Eternity
    7.6
    From Here to Eternity

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The young man with the transistor radio is played by Our Gang/The Little Rascals graduate Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer in his final screen appearance before his untimely death in a shooting incident.
    • 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
      Edited into Afro Promo (1997)
    • 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 reviews102

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Superb!
    The brilliant performances of Poitier and Curtis highlight this incredible film from the great Stanley Kramer. In the finest role of his career, Curtis shines especially as the man forced to fight for survival, not only from the law, but from Poitier, who is his enemy simply because of the color of his screen. Through their fight for survival, an unlikely kinship develops. Bikel and Williams are also wonderful in key supporting roles, as is Lon Chaney Jr.
    helpful•19
    9
    • Coxer99
    • Mar 5, 1999

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 27, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Flucht in Ketten
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA(Studio)
    • 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

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Defiant Ones (1958)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Defiant Ones (1958) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.