Lonely Are the Brave (1962)

Director:

David Miller

Writers:

Edward Abbey (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 May 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Western

Tagline:

Life can never cage a man like this!

Plot:

A fiercely independent cowboy arranges to have himself locked up in jail in order to then escape with an old friend who has been sentenced to the penitentiary.

Plot Keywords:

Helicopter | Jeep | Sheriff | Man Hunt | Maverick

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Jan. 2

5:00 AM

AMC

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	John W. "Jack" Burns
Gena Rowlands	...	Jerry Bondi
Walter Matthau	...	Sheriff Morey Johnson
Michael Kane	...	Paul Bondi
Carroll O'Connor	...	Hinton (truck driver)
William Schallert	...	Harry (soft-spoken radio operator)
George Kennedy	...	Deputy Sheriff Gutierrez
Karl Swenson	...	Rev. Hoskins (prison inmate)
William Mims	...	First deputy arraigning Burns (as Bill Mims)
Martin Garralaga	...	Old man (observer in Latin bar)
Lalo Rios	...	Prisoner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bill Bixby	...	Airman in helicopter (uncredited)
George Keymas	...	Deputy (uncredited)
Harry Lauter	...	Deputy in canyon (uncredited)
Bill Raisch	...	One Arm (uncredited)
Dan Sheridan	...	Deputy Glynn (Comic Book) (uncredited)
Vince St. Cyr	...	Navajo prisoner who escapes (uncredited)
Stuart Wade	...	Desk sergeant (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Vagrant Convict (uncredited)
Dan White	...	Convict (uncredited)

Directed by
David Miller

Writing credits
Edward Abbey		(novel "Brave Cowboy")
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay)

Produced by
Edward Lewis	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Philip H. Lathrop		(as Philip Lathrop)

Film Editing by
Leon Barsha

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Robert Emmet Smith		(as Robert Smith)

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Makeup Department
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist
Dave Grayson	....	makeup artist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Shaw	....	assistant director
David Silver	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound
Frank H. Wilkinson	....	sound

Stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Richard Michaels	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Joel Productions (presents)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1967) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

The Last Hero (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | UK:A (original rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #20037) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:12 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Joel Productions

Trivia:

After Kirk Douglas read the novel "Brave Cowboy" by Edward Abbey, he purchased the rights to it and gave the project to his friend Dalton Trumbo. Douglas said Trumbo's screenplay was perfect, the best he had ever read, and he didn't change one word of it.

Goofs:

Factual errors: A common Hollywood mistake when radios are used is to end the transmission with the phrase "Over and out". "Over" is used when turning the channel to the other speaker and "Out" is used when the transmission is finished, but one wouldn't say "Over and out". In this movie, radio use is inconsistent. Sometimes "Over and out" is used incorrectly, sometimes "Out" is used correctly and sometimes speakers switch back and forth without indicating anything at all.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[to his horse, as he watches jets leave contrails across the sky]
Jack Burns: Time we took off, too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Tatort: Märchenwald (#1.576)" (2004)

a powerful portrayal of a man left behind and way out of step with the times

I pity those who cannot, even in a small way, identify with Douglas' character, Jack Burns in this ageless work of art. This is a self described 'lonely man,' of no use to his true love( who has married his old friend) because he cannot share his life with anyone. He acknowledges that he is of no use to anyone. Rather he is a constant threat to whatever social order he encounters. The one time he makes a commitment, to his horse no less, he loses his edge. And probably his freedom. What a wonderful movie this is.It steeps itself in the fading of the West. While much of it is seemingly allegorical, there is also a truthfulness, and a tenderness in Burns search for escape over the mountains. Someone else has commented on the similarities between Burns and Bogart's rendition of Roy Earle in HIGH SIERRA. Surely any thoughtful movie goer has experienced that rush to the mountains, that sense that time has passed you by and you are not of this place.