The Defiant Ones
- Original title
- The Defiant Ones
- Year
- 1958
- Running time
- 96 min.
- Country
United States
- Director
- Screenwriter
- Cast
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- Tony Curtis
- Sidney Poitier
- Theodore Bikel
- Charles McGraw
- Lon Chaney Jr.
- King Donovan
- Claude Akins
- Lawrence Dobkin
- Whit Bissell
- Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
- Kevin Coughlin
- Cara Williams
- Ned Glass
- See all credits
- Music
- Cinematography
Sam Leavitt (B&W)- Producer
- Genre
- Drama. Thriller | Racism
- Synopsis
- This 1958 variation on Huck Finn's adventures with Jim finds a white convict (Tony Curtis) chained to a black convict (Sidney Poitier) as they both escape their captors. With each man literally stuck with the other, racial conflicts take a back seat to survival. Directed by Stanley Kramer (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner), the film's obvious consciousness-raising is mitigated by a pair of raw performances from the stars, memorable appearances by Lon Chaney Jr. and Cara Williams, and Kramer's strong storytelling abilities.
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- Awards
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1958: 2 Academy Awards: Best Screenplay, Cinematography (B&W). 9 Nominations1958: Golden Globes: Best Movie - Drama. 6 nominations1958: BAFTA Awards: Best Foreign Actor (Poitier). 3 Nominations1958: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nominated for Best Director1958: Writers Guild of America (WGA): Best Drama Screenplay1958: Berlin Film Festival: Silver Bear - Best Actor (Sidney Poitier)
- Critics' reviews
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"Though the political lesson drives the movie, the action is also effective as the odd couple flees from their oppressors. This is an engrossing depiction of racial tensions and an oppressive penal system."
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"The suspense of the manhunt in the swamps never really overcomes the dead weight of Kramer's 'message', but pleasures are to be found in the supporting roles of McGraw and Chaney."
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"Kramer was never much of a director, but there's still power in some of the performances, especially Poitier's."
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