Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysAPA Heritage MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards 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
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)

There Was a Crooked Man...

  • 19701970
  • RR
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
Home Video Trailer from Warner Home Video
Play trailer3:00
1 Video
59 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Western

A charming but totally ruthless criminal is sent to a remote Arizona prison. He enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot.A charming but totally ruthless criminal is sent to a remote Arizona prison. He enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot.A charming but totally ruthless criminal is sent to a remote Arizona prison. He enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot.

IMDb RATING
6.9/10
4.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • Writers
    • David Newman
    • Robert Benton
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Henry Fonda
    • Hume Cronyn
Top credits
  • Director
    • Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • Writers
    • David Newman
    • Robert Benton
  • Stars
    • Kirk Douglas
    • Henry Fonda
    • Hume Cronyn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 61User reviews
    • 36Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    There Was A Crooked Man
    Trailer 3:00
    There Was A Crooked Man

    Photos59

    Hume Cronyn and John Randolph in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Kirk Douglas and Ilona Wilson in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Kirk Douglas on the set of "There Was A Crooked Man"
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    A1, 23 x 33 Movie Poster
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Kirk Douglas in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Michael Blodgett and Bert Freed in There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Paris Pitman, Jr.as Paris Pitman, Jr.
    Henry Fonda
    Henry Fonda
    • Woodward W. Lopemanas Woodward W. Lopeman
    Hume Cronyn
    Hume Cronyn
    • Dudley Whinneras Dudley Whinner
    Warren Oates
    Warren Oates
    • Floyd Moonas Floyd Moon
    Burgess Meredith
    Burgess Meredith
    • The Missouri Kidas The Missouri Kid
    John Randolph
    John Randolph
    • Cyrus McNuttas Cyrus McNutt
    Lee Grant
    Lee Grant
    • Mrs. Bullardas Mrs. Bullard
    Arthur O'Connell
    Arthur O'Connell
    • Mr. Lomaxas Mr. Lomax
    Martin Gabel
    Martin Gabel
    • Warden LeGoffas Warden LeGoff
    Michael Blodgett
    Michael Blodgett
    • Coy Cavendishas Coy Cavendish
    C.K. Yang
    • Ah-Pingas Ah-Ping
    Alan Hale Jr.
    Alan Hale Jr.
    • Tobaccyas Tobaccy
    • (as Alan Hale)
    Victor French
    Victor French
    • Whiskeyas Whiskey
    Claudia McNeil
    Claudia McNeil
    • Madamas Madam
    Bert Freed
    Bert Freed
    • Skinneras Skinner
    Jeanne Cooper
    Jeanne Cooper
    • Prostituteas Prostitute
    Barbara Rhoades
    Barbara Rhoades
    • Miss Jessie Brundidgeas Miss Jessie Brundidge
    Gene Evans
    Gene Evans
    • Col. Wolffas Col. Wolff
    • Director
      • Joseph L. Mankiewicz
    • Writers
      • David Newman
      • Robert Benton
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    More like this

    5 Fingers
    7.7
    5 Fingers
    Somewhere in the Night
    7.0
    Somewhere in the Night
    People Will Talk
    7.4
    People Will Talk
    House of Strangers
    7.4
    House of Strangers
    A Letter to Three Wives
    7.7
    A Letter to Three Wives
    No Way Out
    7.4
    No Way Out
    There Was a Crooked Man
    6.5
    There Was a Crooked Man
    The World, the Flesh and the Devil
    6.8
    The World, the Flesh and the Devil
    The Quiet American
    6.7
    The Quiet American
    Terror in a Texas Town
    6.8
    Terror in a Texas Town
    The Eternal Sea
    6.2
    The Eternal Sea
    Rambling Rose
    6.6
    Rambling Rose

    Storyline

    Edit
    Charm, intelligence and success in criminal career doesn't prevent Paris Pitman Jr. to start doing ten years in prison, in the middle of the Arizona desert. However, those years should pass quickly because of a $500,000 loot previously stashed away. New idealistic warden would only make Pitman think of getting his fortune even sooner. He starts to manipulate everyone to achieve his goal. —Dragan Antulov <dragan.antulov@altbbs.fido.hr>
    • 1880s
    • arizona territorial prison
    • arizona territory
    • yuma territorial prison
    • corrupt warden
    • 132 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Once upon a time, there was a crooked man. When he was good, he was very, very good. And when he was bad, it was murder...
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Western
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • R
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The prison set took seven weeks to build. When construction began, it was snowing. When it ended, the temperature was 100 degrees. Upon completion of filming, the entire set had to be removed and the area it occupied restored to its original pristine state, so that no trace would be left.
    • Goofs
      One of the escaping prisoners is shot from behind and falls on his stomach. Although there is an exit wound in his right abdomen, when he falls, there's apparently no entrance wound in his back that is visible.
    • Quotes

      Woodward Lopeman: Don't tell me you can't make speeches; you could talk a coyote out of a chicken.

    • Alternate versions
      A scene was shot where Miss Jessie Brundidge runs away from the prison completely naked, after having had her clothes torn off piece by piece over the course of the prison riot. Although two images from the shooting of this scene exist, proving that it was indeed shot, it was never a part of the final, finished film for U.S. release, and nor was it ever reinstated for either the VHS or, later, DVD release of the film. Whether the scene was ever added to any of the international releases of the film, however, is unknown.
    • Connections
      Edited into On location with There Was a Crooked Man. (1970)
    • Soundtracks
      There Was A Crooked Man...
      By Charles Strouse and Lee Adams

      Sung by Trini López

    User reviews61

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    The Judgment of Paris
    This is an interesting black comedy, from Joseph Mankiewicz, about the gullibility of man, and how greed can corrupt anyone. Henry Fonda is a lawman, in typical Fonda-style (before WARLOCK and the spaghetti westerns changed his image). He is a firm support for law and order. However, he has been shot and left lame by Warren Oates, a drunken outlaw. He may have to retire as a result sooner than he expected.

    At the start of the film we watch how Kirk Douglas (Paris Pitman) has robbed the home of Arthur O'Connor with his gang. They are killed off in one way or another. Pitman escapes with the money, and hides it in a hole full of rattlesnakes. But later he is captured. Pitman is sent to territorial prison, where he meets Oates, Burgess Meredith (as the legendary Missouri Kid), Hume Cronym and John Randolph (a pair of swindlers who are also a gay couple), and others. The warden is Martin Gabel, who soon makes it clear that if Douglas wants to be out sooner he needs the warden as a partner. But in a riot Gabel is killed, and Fonda is appointed the new warden.

    Fonda tries to reform the prison, improving facilities and setting up an honor system. Douglas, the total cynic, sneers at all this, and makes his own plans. He is not going to rot for two decades or so in prison while a fortune awaits for him. So he starts plotting to get out, and Fonda keeps watching to counter his plotting.

    I won't add anything else, but in the end one wonders if Paris Pitman's view of mankind is the truth of us all or not. The film has wonderful sharp comedy, including the comic put-downs of Cronyn when undercutting the pompous Randolph, and when one sees scenes like Burgess Meredith taking his first bath. I strongly recommend this film to fans of unusual westerns.
    helpful•33
    9
    • theowinthrop
    • Feb 14, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 19, 1970 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Hang Up
    • Filming locations
      • Mojave Desert, Arizona, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $15,160
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Aliens Among Us
    Aliens Among Us
    May 29Trailers from Hell
    Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ To Hit Netflix This June
    Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’ To Hit Netflix This June
    May 7The Playlist

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)
    Top Gap
    By what name was There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    See the full list
    Image caption not available
    2:14
    The Most Anticipated Movies and Shows to Watch in May
    Watch the video

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.