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Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw, Lon Chaney Jr ... see more see more... , Cara Williams , Claude Akins , King Donovan , Lawrence Dobkin , Whit Bissell , Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer , Kevin Coughlin

Convicts Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier escape from a chain gang. Curtis' character, John "Joker" Jackson, hates blacks, while Poitier's character, Noah Cullen, hates whites. However, the men are mana... read more read more...cled together, forced to rely on each other to survive. Captured at one point by a lynch-happy mob, the convicts are rescued by Big Sam (Lon Chaney Jr.), himself a former convict. The men are later sheltered by a lonely, love-hungry widow played by Cara Williams, who offers to turn in Cullen if Joker will stay with her. By the time the two men are within hailing distance of a train that might take them to freedom, they have become friends. The script for The Defiant Ones is credited to Harold Jacob Smith and Nathan E. Douglas. The latter was really Nedrick Young, a blacklisted writer, whom producer Stanley Kramer hired knowing full well that Young was using an alias (when "Douglas"' credit appears onscreen, it is superimposed over a close-up of a truck driver -- played by Nedrick Young). Both the script and the photography by Sam Leavitt won Academy Awards. If you look closely, you'll notice that the actor playing Angus is former Little Rascal Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, making his last screen appearance. The Defiant Ones was remade for TV in 1986, with Robert Urich and Carl Weathers in the leads. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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86% liked it

4,755 ratings

Critics

81% liked it

16 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Stanley Kramer

Release Date: September 24, 1958

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DVD Release Date: December 11, 2001

Stats: 260 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (260)

  • kenstachnik
    January 25, 2011
    kenstachnik
    Amazing black and white cinematography.
  • 76Majikat
    November 23, 2010
    76Majikat
    Whilst I cringe my way through the prejudice of history, beneath their lies a film of opportunity and comradery.

    I couldn't help being reminded through the film of later films that perhapsmay have been influenced by this film; The Fugitive and O'Brother where art thou?

    A wo... read morerthy classic.
  • garyX
    June 8, 2010
    garyX
    Two convicts, one black and one white, escape from a chain gang in the deep south and find they have more in common than they first thought. Having a racist and a black man chained together and having to co-operate to evade their captors is hardly a subtle allegory for racial ten... read moresion but thanks to some intelligent writing and good dialogue The Defiant Ones makes for a far more interesting story about breaking down the barriers between creeds and colours than the usual heavy handed touchy-feely nonsense you'd expect from Hollywood. The characters feel a lot more genuine than the usual racial stereotypes; if it were made today, it would no doubt have Curtis' character as a pantomime villain and Denzel as some kind of behaloed, saintly innocent man who consistently turns the other cheek. Instead we have two men who've both had the sh*t end of the stick, Curtis' racism a product of his failure to question an unjust system and Poitier is a proud and angry man who is tired of never being given an even shake. The two of course have to put their differences aside to struggle together against capture and the plot and character development doesn't feel 100% convincing as it seems to exist to help get the message across rather than create believable drama. The use of music is also very odd, the pursuers having some kind of jazz swing theme tune every time they appear on screen and Poitier's singing voice is..."different". The two have real chemistry together though, and this well intentioned and tensely paced film has stood the test of time rather well.
  • bottcorecords1
    May 2, 2010
    bottcorecords1
    Director Stanley Kramer's The Defiant Ones starts off with Tony Curtis calling Sidney Poitier the "N-word". This sets the tone for the rest of the film, a look at race relations in America, more specifically in the south, pre-civil rights, as seen through two escaped cons (one w... read morehite, one black) who are chained at the wrists. The prisoners are being transported by truck one dark and rainy night. When Johnny "Potatoes" (Curtis) calls Cullen (Poitier) the n-word, the two get in an altercation which distracts the driver and causes an accident. After the crash, it's discovered that two prisoners have escaped and a posse is rounded up to search the woods for them. The sheriff (Theodore Bikel) doesn't seem too concerned about them getting away after finding out it's a white man and a black man chained together: "they'll probably kill each other before they get 5 miles". It's a surprise they don't, as Johnny is the quintessential racist redneck and Cullen is the prototypical angry black man. Cullen is also the prototypical Sidney Poitier role, as Poitier plays a similarly lost and rage-filled character in "A Raisin in the Sun". Beyond the racial slurs and violence, there's a deep-seated anger in the south at that time which I think is captured quite effectively here. Poitier is like a cornered animal or a soldier trapped behind enemy lines with one of his foes in tow. While Johnny is a cheap, two-bit hood, the growth his character displays as the film progresses is both unique and socially challenging. It's a tour de force of acting and the plot and script are tightly written. Excellent film.
  • hypathio7
    June 27, 2011
    hypathio7
    The words raw and desperate come to mind. An early performance from another one of my favorite actors, Sidney Poitier. Those who say Poitier always played a clean cut, successful black man and therefore was not a threat to white audiences are basing that on just a few of his perf... read moreormances. I am a fan of Stanley Kramer's pictures even though he favors a message over style. And like 49th Parallel I appreciate the study of various characters along the escape route of the two convicts. Curtis and Poitier, as the convicts, are solid anchors at the center.
  • staindslaved
    March 13, 2012
    staindslaved
    In 1958 this must have been one powerful film about race relations that unsurprisingly was beloved by a typically liberal Hollywood. It relies on the intriguing concept of a white con chained to a black con as the two escape their captors. Struggling to work together as their d... read moreifferences get in the way. The film focuses heavily on the black vs. white elements, a mob catches them and are surprised to find out one is white, a boy sees the two and assumes the white man is a policeman bringing the black man to jail, etc. I have been waiting to see a film like this to make the following point: It has lost its effect over time. Racism is still a problematic issue today and films (Crash, The Help) still find thematic success and audience interest for it. However The Defiant Ones is not the hot button topic it surely was over fifty years ago. This thing was nine years before the films In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and ten years before Martin Luther Kings death for crying out loud. It is decently acted with nothing too special in the way of writing or filming and it has simply lost its bite over the years. Quality film-making will stand the test of time no matter what its concept, however films like The Defiant Ones will only dim with time as their elements become less and less radical or controversial.
  • DrStrangeblog
    July 11, 2009
    DrStrangeblog
    Slower-paced than I expected for a men-on-the-run film, pausing for lengthy moments of reflection. Moving climax, Poitier a strong presence as usual, and Tony Curtis impresses in atypical role as petty thug.
  • trisarahtops22
    March 26, 2009
    trisarahtops22
    I liked this movie a lot - it was simple and complex at the same time, not to mention great performances by the two leads.
  • lizzardb72688
    May 30, 2008
    lizzardb72688
    If you have a heart at all you would love this movie.
  • keith222
    May 27, 2008
    keith222
    Just a great movie about survival l and what you would do if you were put in a situation you didn't want to be in. Its a lot like the Running man, but the game show is Racism. Would have been real curious to see what this would have been like if Marlon Brando had been able to do ... read moreit, like it was originally intended.

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Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
November 7, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Kramer was never much of a director, but there's still power in some of the performances, especially Poitier's. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

It is nervous and suspenseful from the start. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
March 8, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

Boasting strong performances from Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis, this interracial drama of two escaped convicts is Stanley Kramer's most satisfying film, deservedly nominated for and winning Oscars. Full Review

Christopher Lloyd
March 7, 2011
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Tony Curtis' acting is borderline awful. His famous Bronx accent bleeds through his faux Southern one like a bloody shirt, and he continually grits his teeth in a failed attempt to show the character'... Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
May 21, 2008
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It becomes shackled with its heavy-handed liberal message. Full Review

November 7, 2007
Film4

Although an advance on Hollywood's usual treatment of racial themes, the script is too message-laden and the direction (by do-gooder Kramer) too single-minded and naively optimistic to really work. Full Review

November 7, 2007
TV Guide's Movie Guide

This was the film that established Poitier as a star. Full Review

Melissa Anderson
January 26, 2006
Melissa Anderson, Time Out

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. Full Review

Mike DeWolfe
March 16, 2004
Mike DeWolfe, Apollo Guide

Given the era of this movie, it was a controversial topic and a theme that Kramer handles courageously. He does a good job of showcasing Poitier and Curtis in their prime and the film's Oscar-winning ... Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten
March 10, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

Groundbreaking. Full Review

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The Defiant Ones Trivia

  • Name the actors who portrayed the original 'The Defiant Ones'.  Answer »
  • What two acting stars were chained together throughout the 1958 film, "The Defiant Ones?"  Answer »
  • Name the actor who has appeared in The Blackboard Jungle, Buck and the Preacher, Defiant Ones, Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner, The Heat of the Night, and To Sir, With Love.  Answer »
  • (1958) Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis are escaped convicts on the lam who are chained together by the leg. Their mutual struggle to escape from the law leads them to develop an interesting friendship. What is this buddy film called?   Answer »
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