The Lonely Man (1957)

Director:

Henry Levin

Writers:

Harry Essex (writer) and
Robert Smith (writer)

Release Date:

12 August 1957 (Sweden)

Genre:

Western

Plot:

Aging gunslinger Jacob Wade hopes to settle down with his estranged son, but his old enemies have other plans for him.

Plot Keywords:

Ambush | Father Son Relationship | Canyon | Suicide | Wild Horse

Cast

Jack Palance	...	Jacob Wade
Anthony Perkins	...	Riley Wade
Neville Brand	...	King Fisher
Robert Middleton	...	Ben Ryerson
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Willie (as Elisha Cook)
Claude Akins	...	Blackburn (as Claude A. Akins)
Lee Van Cleef	...	Faro
Harry Shannon	...	Dr. Fisher
James Bell	...	Judge Hart
Adam Williams	...	Lon
Denver Pyle	...	Brad, Red Bluff Sheriff
John Doucette	...	Sundown Whipple
Paul Newlan	...	Fence Green (as Paul 'Tiny' Newlan)
Elaine Aiken	...	Ada Marshall
Tennessee Ernie Ford	...	Singer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Moody Blanchard	...	Bode (uncredited)
Ray Boyle	...	Matt (uncredited)
Taggart Casey	...	Sheriff Bradley (uncredited)
Billy Dix	...	Red Bluff poker player (uncredited)
Milton Frome	...	Bixby - Bonneville deputy (uncredited)
Kenneth Hooker	...	Red Bluff poker player (uncredited)
Wes Hudman	...	Milt (uncredited)
William Meader	...	Red Bluff poker player (uncredited)
Zon Murray	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Tudor Owen	...	Blacksmith, Mr. MacGregor (uncredited)
Alan Page	...	Bystander (uncredited)
Dick Ryan	...	Old Man (uncredited)
Russell Simpson	...	Red Bluff poker player (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Burnsey (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Butcher (uncredited)

Directed by
Henry Levin

Writing credits
Harry Essex		(writer) and
Robert Smith		(writer)

Produced by
Pat Duggan	....	producer

Original Music by
Van Cleave

Cinematography by
Lionel Lindon

Film Editing by
William B. Murphy

Art Direction by
Roland Anderson
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Robert C. Bradfield
Sam Comer

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernard McEveety	....	assistant director
Gary Nelson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Franz	....	sound
Winston H. Leverett	....	sound (as Winston Leverett)

Special Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photographer
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Quotes:

Jacob Wade: Where ya goin'?
Jacob Wade: Feed myself.
Jacob Wade: Man feeds his horse first.
Riley Wade: Well, I guess I got a lot to learn... not from you.

Soundtrack:

The Lonely Man

good western about a father, son, and a woman that helped them

This film has a lot going for it. It was done in Vistavision a process that gave a superior quality to the film on the screen, and unusually in black and white, since most of the films in Vistavision were in color. The cinematography is great, specially when it shows the wild horses being chased and captured. It has three excellent performances by Jack Palance, Tony Perkins and most of all by Elaine Aiken. Palance is a gunfighter who wants to change his lifestyle but knows that the odds are against it. But he takes upon himself the mission of turning his revolted son Tony Perkins into a better person. In this task he is helped by his former mistress Elaine Aiken with whom he wants no more involvement. There is quite a sensual chemistry between Aiken and Perkins. I wonder why such a talented, good looking woman like Aiken made so few films. It is very hard for a normal father son relationship to develop between Palance an Perkins, and director Henry Levin handles it very well, making the film come to a very satisfactory ending.