One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Marlon Brando

Writers:

Guy Trosper (screenplay) and
Calder Willingham (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

30 March 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

NOW THE SCREEN ACHIEVES SURPASSING GREATNESS! (original ad - all caps)

Plot:

Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth finds an opportunity to take the...

Plot Keywords:

Sheriff | Mexico | Bank Robbery | Gold | Escape

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Marlon Brando	...	Rio
Karl Malden	...	Sheriff Dad Longworth
Katy Jurado	...	Maria Longworth
Pina Pellicer	...	Louisa
Ben Johnson	...	Bob Amory
Slim Pickens	...	Deputy Lon Dedrick
Larry Duran	...	Chico Modesto
Sam Gilman	...	Harvey Johnson
Timothy Carey	...	Howard Tetley
Miriam Colon	...	Redhead
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Carvey (as Elisha Cook)
Rodolfo Acosta	...	Mexican rurale captain (as Rudolph Acosta)
Joan Petrone	...	Flower girl
Tom Webb	...	Farmer's son
Ray Teal	...	Barney
John Dierkes	...	Chet
Philip Ahn	...	Uncle
Margarita Cordova	...	Nika Flamenco Dancer
Hank Worden	...	Doc
Clem Harvey	...	Tim
William Forrest	...	Banker
Mina Martinez	...	Margarita
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nesdon Booth	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Sheryl Deauville	...	Marina (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez	...	Corral keeper (uncredited)
Mickey Finn	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo	...	Mexican townsman (uncredited)
Augie Gomez	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Al Haskell	...	Townsman (uncredited)
Fenton Jones	...	Square-dance caller (uncredited)
Margarita Martín	...	Mexican vendor (uncredited)
Jorge Moreno	...	Bouncer in shack (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Townsman (uncredited)
John Michael Quijada	...	Mexican rurale sergeant (uncredited)
Francy Scott	...	Cantina girl (uncredited)
Shichizo Takeda	...	Owner of cantina at beach (uncredited)
Felipe Turich	...	Card sharp (uncredited)
Henry Wills	...	Ephraim, Stableman (uncredited)

Directed by
Marlon Brando

Writing credits
Guy Trosper		(screenplay) and
Calder Willingham		(screenplay)
Charles Neider		(novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones")

Produced by
George Glass	....	executive producer
Frank P. Rosenberg	....	producer
Walter Seltzer	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer

Cinematography by
Charles Lang		(director of photography) (as Charles Lang Jr.)

Film Editing by
Archie Marshek

Art Direction by
J. McMillan Johnson
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)
Sam Comer

Costume Design by
Yvonne Wood

Makeup Department
Nellie Manley	....	hair styles supervisor
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup creator: Mr. Brando
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Caplan	....	assistant director
Francisco Day	....	assistant director

Art Department
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound recordist
Hugo Grenzbach	....	sound recordist

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

Stunts
Henry Wills	....	stunt double: Marlon Brando (as Hank Wills)
Jack Lilley	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Marlo	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Gibb Stepp	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
W. Wallace Kelley	....	director of photography: second unit (as Wallace Kelley)
Jack Beckett	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
Pete Candoli	....	lead musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Josephine Earl	....	dance stager
Carlo Fiore	....	assistant to producer
Rosita Moreno	....	technical advisor
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Rodd Redwing	....	technical advisor
Henry Scott	....	dialogue coach
Dolores Rubin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Pennebaker Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• Les Films Paramount (1961) (France) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• United American Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Artemis Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Hollywood Classics (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (Canada) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Platinum Disc (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• United American Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Ideal Enterprises (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Platinum Disc (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Platinum Disc (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2001) (USA) (video)
• Front Row Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Greatest Sports Legends (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Brentwood Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Unicorn Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Diamond Entertainment Group (DEG) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Westlake Entertainment Group (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• St. Clair Vision (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Kabaya Foods (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Weton Wesgram (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1961) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1991) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Pennebaker Productions

Trivia:

Marlon Brando's original cut of the movie was over five hours long.

Quotes:

Bob: We brought you along because you're supposed to be the big man with the iron; but I think now I could even out pull you.
Rio: You're probably right, Bob. You probably could put six in me by the time I put that one into you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Screenwipe: (#2.3)" (2006)

GREAT western (surprisingly)

Maybe it's the fact it's carelessly fallen into the public domain, and that people can only see it now on awful quality knock off DVD's, maybe it's because it was directed by it's star Marlon Brando who had never directed before (or since), but I really can't understand why this movie isn't considered anything less than an out and out classic.

With the exception of only two or three I cannot stand the stoic American westerns of the 40's and 50's and always preferred the more anti-establishment and infinitely more stylish Italian westerns, but man 'One Eyed Jacks' definitely sits at a fascinating place between the two.

I'm not sure how much of Peckinpah's script or Kubrick's ideas made it into what was eventually Brando's film but it's definitely easy to make an argument that their marks (be it directly through the script or just through influencing Brando) are definitely there.

It has all the things that makes the BEST Spaghetti Westerns so great, a story that is uncomplicated (it's just a revenge tale) but at the same time takes no easy or obvious turns - rather than shoot his prey straight up Brando's character makes a much more protracted and fascinating game of his 'revenge'. And the reason for this (and this in part where I think Kubrick's ideas may have come in) is that this is not JUST a two dimensional story of settling scores at the end of a gun. The relationship between Karl Malden and Marlon Brando just bristles with possibility (again like the best Spaghetti Westerns and UNLIKE a John Ford western) you don't know where it's going to go. They are, more than once in the movie, allies then enemies and NEITHER of them is stupid.

And as far as Brando's film-making ability goes, his struggle behind the camera might be well documented now, and he has even written this edit off as not being the film he intended, but the direction here is not even close to amateurish. I really don't think there are many American directors in 1960 who would hold quite so long and so beautifully on Karl Malden as he considers betraying Brando for the first time. I got chills on Brando's arrival up the road to Malden's estate, and the fantastic hold on Malden's face, again long and perfectly acted, as he watches this potential angel of death draw closer. It is obvious in that moment that this is a meeting he has been in a way anticipating and wondering about for many years - and never known what it would mean. Then there's the meeting between Brando and Malden through prison bars where, with the tables turned, Malden declares he will hang Brando himself. Just cold stuff, taken from the best westerns there ever was, but done with great modern style here.

I sincerely hope a proper studio DVD of this film is produced soon and that this great western get's the recognition it deserves.

Don't be swayed by the cheap packaging, it's a wonderful film. Especially for those who love the intellectualism of Kubrick's films and the sheer action and cruelty of the Spaghetti Western :)