The Defiant Ones (1958)

Two escaped convicts chained together, 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

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Tony Curtis	...	John 'Joker' Jackson
Sidney Poitier	...	Noah Cullen
Theodore Bikel	...	Sheriff Max Muller
Charles McGraw	...	Capt. Frank Gibbons
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Big Sam (as Lon Chaney)
King Donovan	...	Solly
Claude Akins	...	Mack
Lawrence Dobkin	...	Editor
Whit Bissell	...	Lou Gans
Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer	...	Angus (as Carl Switzer)
Kevin Coughlin	...	Billy
Cara Williams	...	Billy's Mother

Storyline

When the truck that is transporting convicts has an accident on the road, the inmates John "Joker" Jackson and Noah Cullen that are chained to each other escape. They hate each other but they need to help each other to succeed in their intent of going north to jump in a train and reach freedom. Meanwhile the humane Sheriff Max Muller organizes a posse to track them down in a civilized manner and respecting justice. Joker and Cullen reach a small farm where a lonely woman helps them to get rid of their chains. She offers to drive her car with Joker and her son Billy while Cullen would escape through the swamp to the railroad. But when Joker learns that she sent Cullen to a trap, he leaves her and is shot in the shoulder by Billy. Joker seeks out Cullen to save him and when they meet each other, their former hatred has changed to friendship and respect.

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Plot Keywords:

chain gang | escaped convict | manhunt | racism | mississippi | 

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Taglines:

One of the great ones!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 September 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Defiant Ones

Filming Locations:

Between Piru & Fillmore, Southern Pacific Railroad, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$778,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Curtleigh Productions, Stanley Kramer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min (Turner library print) (copyright length)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, and Frank Sinatra all turned down the role of John "Joker" Jackson.

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Goofs

When the police stop to take a rest, we see stubble on the face of Captain Gibbons. Jackson and Cullen, who have been on the run for even longer, are shown completely clean-shaven in the next scene.

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Quotes

Noah Cullen: [to John] Go on, tell me all that big talk about Charlie Potatoes, when the chains off and nobody chasing you. Come on. You can't, can you? You can't because you're nothing. You're not even a man! You're a monkey on a stick. That cracker mob back there, they pull the string and you jump.
[John punches him]

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Connections

Referenced in The Incredible Hulk: And the Wind Cries... Wendigo (1996)

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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 Reviews

A well directed outing

I found this film very entertaining, thanks in part from great performances by both Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, and due to great directing by Stanley Kramer. The black and white cinematography is great, as is the story of a black man and a white man, chained together and on the run from the law, who hate each other more than captivity itself. Shared experiences and the realization that inside they are both very similar helps both men to understand each other. I also liked the friction between the gung-ho sheriff and the more laid-back, realistic one. The character of the bloodhound owner rings true to anyone who knows a person who breeds dogs. The only thing I didn't like about this film was the Poitier character's singing. I know thats its a big part of the film and it is a form of defiance on its own, but it bugged me none the less. Oh well, small criticism for a great film. But what's with woman who'll sell out her son to some guy who stumbles into her yard? Wrong priorities, I guess.