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The Defiant Ones

  • 1958
  • Approved
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
20K
YOUR RATING
Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier in The Defiant Ones (1958)
Nominated for nine Academy Awards including Best Picture, Stanley Kramer's THE DEFIANT ONES broke new ground by delivering its message of racial tolerance through a fast-moving blend of action and suspense. It remains a raw, powerful film that is as exciting as it is moving, real and literate. John "Joker" Jackson (Tony Curtis; The Vikings, Some Like It Hot) and Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier; Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night) are two convicts on the run. Escaping from a Southern work gang, the two men are bound together by an unbreakable iron chain and separated by an unbridled hatred towards each other. Relentlessly pursued by a bloodthirsty posse, they must put aside their differences if they are going to survive. Highly acclaimed upon release for its directing, writing, cinematography and acting, (Sidney Poitier won numerous awards for his role, including the coveted Silver Bear for Best Actor) THE DEFIANT ONES remains one of the most influential films of its era, and Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK in a special Dual Format edition.
Play trailer1:28
1 Video
54 Photos
CaperPrison DramaCrimeDrama

Two chained-together escaped convicts, one white and one black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture.Two chained-together escaped convicts, one white and one black, must learn to get along in order to elude capture.Two chained-together escaped convicts, one white and one 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
    • Cara Williams
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    20K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • Nedrick Young
      • Harold Jacob Smith
    • Stars
      • Tony Curtis
      • Sidney Poitier
      • Cara Williams
    • 115User reviews
    • 56Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 21 nominations total

    Videos1

    THE DEFIANT ONES (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer
    Trailer 1:28
    THE DEFIANT ONES (Eureka Classics) New & Exclusive Trailer

    Photos54

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    Top Cast24

    Tony Curtis
    Tony Curtis
    • John 'Joker' Jackson
    Sidney Poitier
    Sidney Poitier
    • Noah Cullen
    Cara Williams
    Cara Williams
    • Billy's Mother
    Theodore Bikel
    Theodore Bikel
    • Sheriff Max Muller
    Charles McGraw
    Charles McGraw
    • Capt. Frank Gibbons
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    Lon Chaney Jr.
    • Big Sam
    • (as Lon Chaney)
    King Donovan
    King Donovan
    • Solly
    Claude Akins
    Claude Akins
    • Mack
    Lawrence Dobkin
    Lawrence Dobkin
    • Editor
    Whit Bissell
    Whit Bissell
    • Lou Gans
    Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
    Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer
    • Angus
    • (as Carl Switzer)
    Kevin Coughlin
    Kevin Coughlin
    • Billy
    Joe Brooks
    Joe Brooks
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Clinton
    Jack Clinton
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Jimmy Dime
    Jimmy Dime
    • Townsman
    • (uncredited)
    Clem Fuller
    Clem Fuller
    • Search Party Member
    • (uncredited)
    Ned Glass
    Ned Glass
    • Doctor
    • (uncredited)
    Mickey Golden
    • Search Party Member
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Stanley Kramer
    • Writers
      • Nedrick Young
      • Harold Jacob Smith
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews115

    7.520.3K
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    Summary

    Reviewers say 'The Defiant Ones' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Curabitur pretium tincidunt lacus.

    Nulla facilisi etiam dignissim diam quis enim lobortis scelerisque
    Lorem ipsum dolorSit amet consecteturAdipiscing elitSed do eiusmodTempor incididuntUt labore et doloreMagna aliquaUt enim ad minimVeniam quisNostrud exercitation
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    Related interests

    Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Elliott Gould in Ocean's Eleven (2001)
    Caper
    Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
    Prison Drama
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Did you know

    • Trivia
      Co-writers Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith were cast as the prison truck drivers, with the writing credits below their faces, because Young was blacklisted and writing under a pseudonym at the time, and producer Stanley Kramer wanted to identify them truthfully.
    • Goofs
      Twice they are soaked to the skin in water and mud, but come up with dry cigarettes and matches.
    • Quotes
      • Noah Cullen: I ain't gettin' mad, Joker. I been mad all my natural life.
    • Connections
      Featured in Precious Images (1986)
    • 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

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    Details

    • Release date
      • September 27, 1958 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Fuga en cadenas
    • Filming locations
      • Kern County, California, USA(crossing the river)
    • Production companies
      • Lomitas Productions
      • Curtleigh Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    • Budget
      • $778,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    • Runtime
      • 1h 36m(96 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White

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