The Lonely Man

For the Bonanza episode, see Bonanza season 13 § Episodes.

The Lonely Man
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHenry Levin
Screenplay byHarry Essex
Robert Smith
Produced byPat Duggan
StarringJack Palance
Anthony Perkins
Neville Brand
Robert Middleton
Elisha Cook, Jr.
Claude Akins
Lee Van Cleef
CinematographyLionel Lindon
Edited byWilliam B. Murphy
Music byVan Cleave
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • June 21, 1957 (1957-06-21)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Lonely Man is a 1957 American Western film directed by Henry Levin and written by Harry Essex and Robert Smith. The film stars Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Elaine Aiken, Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Elisha Cook, Jr., Claude Akins and Lee Van Cleef. The film was released on June 21, 1957, by Paramount Pictures.[1][2][3]

Plot

Riley Wade hates his gunfighter father, Jacob, for deserting Riley's mother, who then committed suicide. Jacob rides to Red Bluff hoping to reconcile with his son, unaware that King Fisher holds a grudge and intends to shoot down Jacob, first chance.

Riley accompanies his father on the trail, after Jacob sets their family ranch ablaze, never letting him out of his sight. They go to the ranch where Jacob used to live with Ada Marshall, who takes them in, glad to see Jacob again. Jacob's sight, meantime, is fading; he is slowly going blind, a fact he hides from his son. Riley refuses to forgive his father until old friend Ben Ryerson explains to him that Jacob didn't desert his mother at all.

King comes to town with his men. Riley, aware for the first time of his father's failing vision, acts as his eyes in directing Jacob where to shoot. King's men die and he tries to sneak away, but he and Jacob end up in a showdown anyway and kill one another. Jacob dies in his son's arms.

Cast

Production

In April 1955 Hedda Hopper reported the script by Harry Essex and Robert Smith had been sold to Parmaount; she described it as an "off beat character study" and suggested Bing Crosby might play the lead.[4]

Filming started 2 April 1956. Anthony Perkins had made Friendly Persuasion and was being built into a star by Paramount. Assistant director Gene Nelson recalled "a lot of tension on the set. Everybody thought it was an important picture they were making. Most of the actors were from the method school but it was really Palance who was the macho act. He would go off and do push ups and run before every scene. People would stand around waiting for him to get ready and there was a lot of tension in the air."[5]

Reception

Variety called it "an offbeat western, more a character study of a gunfighter who tries to reform than an out-and-out action picture. Narrative carries certain interest and winds in a gun flourish when principal character is baited into one last battle."[6]

The film was not a commercial success[7]

Notes

  • Winecoff, Charles (1996). Split image : the life of Anthony Perkins. Dutton.

References

  1. ^ "The Lonely Man (1957) - Overview". Turner Classic Movies. June 14, 2011. Archived from the original on September 18, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  2. ^ Tana Hobart (2014). "The-Lonely-Man - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  3. ^ "The Lonely Man". Afi.com. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  4. ^ Hopper, Hedda (April 26, 1955). "Anita Ekberg bids lAy Khan farewell". The Los Angeles Times. p. 8 Part 3.
  5. ^ Winecoff pp 117-118
  6. ^ "The Lonely Man". Variety. May 15, 1957. p. 7.
  7. ^ Winecoff p 119


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