The Defiant Ones
1958 · Movie · NR · 96 min · ★ 7.1 · 80% critics
Two convicts—one white, one black—escape while chained to each other.
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Details
- Years
- 1958
- Release date
- 1958-08-14
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 80/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (324 votes)
Themes
- escape
- mississippi river
- freedom
- hostility
- swamp
- bias
- racist
- escaped convict
- chain gang
- man hunt
- racism
- black and white
- +5 more
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Black-and-White · 1959
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1959
- United Nations Awards · 1959
- Golden Globe Award — Best Motion Picture – Drama · 1958
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actor · 1959 · nominated
Show all 18 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Black-and-White · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1959 · nominated
- BAFTA Award — Best Film · 1959 · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Film Promoting International Understanding · 1959 · nominated
- Directors Guild of America Award — Outstanding Directing – Feature Film · 1958 · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture · 1958 · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama · 1958 · nominated
- Golden Globe Award — Best Director · 1958 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Director · nominated
Cast & crew
Tony Curtis
as John 'Joker' Jackson
Sidney Poitier
as Noah Cullen
Theodore Bikel
as Sheriff Max Muller
Charles McGraw
as Capt. Frank Gibbons
Lon Chaney Jr.
as Big Sam
King Donovan
as Solly
Claude Akins
as Mack
Lawrence Dobkin
as Editor
Whit Bissell
as Lou Gans
Carl Switzer
as Angus
Directed by Stanley Kramer