Jicop le proscrit

THE LONELY MAN, made in 1957, stars a forceful Jack Palance as a gunfighter who wishes to "retire", settle down, and make amends with his son, played by Anthony Perkins in the same type of nervous nelly role that would make him famous in "Psycho" three years later. So, in the proud tradition of Henry King's classic "The Gunfighter" and others. From a script by Harry Essex ("Creature from the Black Lagoon"), and capably directed by Henry Levin, who had much impressed me with his Glenn Ford vehicle "The Man from Colorado" all these years ago. Fantastic b/w photography by Lionel Lindon; excellent, sensitive score by (Nathan) Van Cleave. While not terribly original, this leisurely paced, character-driven drama is worth seeking out.

I found "Lonely Man' in a local library. I can't believe it only has 26 votes on the IMDB. This is not as great as the Anthony Mann films I've studied in grad school. There is one with Anthony Perkins called "The Tin Star" which I would recommend more. But, this is still a good Western which doesn't follow the conventional theme/structure narrative. Worth a look.

Henry Levin did not direct many Westerns but he does well with this one, extracting credible performances from the main names, including Jack Palance, a gunslinger with a knot on his Colt for a dead sheriff, who left his son Perkins and wife, and who keeps straining his eyes until we learn that he is going blind; Anthony Perkins in good form, fresh from his supporting Oscar nomination in FRIENDLY PERSUASION; Neville Brand as master villain, very good at planning the killing of unaccompanied targets; Lee Van Cleef as cold killer sidekick happy to do it well; and a truly superior performance from Robert Middleton, who simply steals the show.

Excellent B&W cinematography from Lionel Lindon. Gripping dialogue in script by Harry Essex and Bob Smith, though the ending could have been a little bit more light-hearted... like, for instance, an operation to Palance's cataracts...

Superior B&W cinematography by Lionel Lindon (breathtaking mountain vistas and horses on the run), editing by Bill Murphy.

All told, well worth a watch. 7/10.

This isn't the cowboys vs. indians or "saved by the Cavalry" formulaic western. There is characterization! Jack Palance delivers a great performance. He can act when the script and director allowed him. Tony Perkins seems to be the same character as he was in Tin Star. Great outdoor scenery; the studio should have paid the extra cost to film this in Technicolor.

This film has got merit not least the photography. It is beautifully shot and the location has much to admire. There is a touch of John Ford in parts. Its main strength is the performance by Jack Palance. Anthony Perkins is ok but he has not a lot to do. Small parts by familiar actors adds to the attractions of the film which is well worth a viewing. One of my childhood best loved films which I was not disappointed with when I watched it recently.