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Western

There Was a Crooked Man...

- Of All the Crooked Men in All the Crooked West One of Them Was the Best!

Arizona Territorial Prison inmate Paris Pitman, Jr. is a schemer, a charmer, and quite popular among his fellow convicts — especially with $500,000 in stolen loot hidden away and a plan to escape and recover it. New warden Woodward Lopeman has other ideas about Pitman. Each man will have the tables turned on him.

Release Date : 1970-09-18

Language :SpanishEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Kirk Douglas

Character Name : Paris Pitman, Jr.

Original Name : Kirk Douglas

Gender : Male

Henry Fonda

Character Name : Woodward W. Lopeman

Original Name : Henry Fonda

Gender : Male

Hume Cronyn

Character Name : Dudley Whinner

Original Name : Hume Cronyn

Gender : Male

Warren Oates

Character Name : Floyd Moon

Original Name : Warren Oates

Gender : Male

Burgess Meredith

Character Name : The Missouri Kid

Original Name : Burgess Meredith

Gender : Male

John Randolph

Character Name : Cyrus McNutt

Original Name : John Randolph

Gender : Male

Lee Grant

Character Name : Mrs. Bullard

Original Name : Lee Grant

Gender : Female

Arthur O'Connell

Character Name : Mr. Lomax

Original Name : Arthur O'Connell

Gender : Male

Martin Gabel

Character Name : Warden LeGoff

Original Name : Martin Gabel

Gender : Male

Michael Blodgett

Character Name : Coy Cavendish

Original Name : Michael Blodgett

Gender : Male

C.K. Yang

Character Name : Ah-Ping

Original Name : C.K. Yang

Gender : Male

Alan Hale Jr.

Character Name : Tobaccy

Original Name : Alan Hale Jr.

Gender : Male

Victor French

Character Name : Whiskey

Original Name : Victor French

Gender : Male

Claudia McNeil

Character Name : Madam

Original Name : Claudia McNeil

Gender : Female

Bert Freed

Character Name : Skinner

Original Name : Bert Freed

Gender : Male

Jeanne Cooper

Character Name : Prostitute

Original Name : Jeanne Cooper

Gender : Female

Barbara Rhoades

Character Name : Miss Jessie Brundidge

Original Name : Barbara Rhoades

Gender : Female

Gene Evans

Character Name : Col Wolff

Original Name : Gene Evans

Gender : Male

Pamela Hensley

Character Name : Edwina

Original Name : Pamela Hensley

Gender : Female

J. Edward McKinley

Character Name : The Governor

Original Name : J. Edward McKinley

Gender : Male

Karl Lukas

Character Name : Otis

Original Name : Karl Lukas

Gender : Male

Larry D. Mann

Character Name : Harry

Original Name : Larry D. Mann

Gender : Male

Ann Doran

Character Name : Mrs. Lomax

Original Name : Ann Doran

Gender : Female

Paul Prokop

Character Name :

Original Name : Paul Prokop

Gender : Male

Bart Burns

Character Name : Dr. Loomis

Original Name : Bart Burns

Gender : Male

E.J. André

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : E.J. André

Gender : Male

David Armstrong

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : David Armstrong

Gender : Male

Bob Bennett

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Bob Bennett

Gender : Male

Bill Borzage

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Bill Borzage

Gender : Male

Danny Borzage

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Danny Borzage

Gender : Male

Buff Brady

Character Name : Nolan

Original Name : Buff Brady

Gender : Male

David Cadiente

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : David Cadiente

Gender : Male

Vincente Cadiente

Character Name : Riot Guard

Original Name : Vincente Cadiente

Gender : Male

Harry Caesar

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : Harry Caesar

Gender : Male

Virginia Capers

Character Name : Cook

Original Name : Virginia Capers

Gender : Female

James J. Casino

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : James J. Casino

Gender : Male

Donald Chaffin

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Donald Chaffin

Gender : Male

Al Checco

Character Name : Wheatley

Original Name : Al Checco

Gender : Male

Robert Cleaves

Character Name : Grizzard

Original Name : Robert Cleaves

Gender : Male

John Davey

Character Name : Riot Guard

Original Name : John Davey

Gender : Male

Barbara Eaton

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Barbara Eaton

Gender : Female

Duke Fishman

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Duke Fishman

Gender : Male

Byron Foulger

Character Name : Member of Town Council

Original Name : Byron Foulger

Gender : Male

Bruce Garrick

Character Name : Lomax Kid

Original Name : Bruce Garrick

Gender : Male

Lars Hensen

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Lars Hensen

Gender : Male

Bob Herron

Character Name : Oran

Original Name : Bob Herron

Gender : Male

George Hickman

Character Name : Church Member

Original Name : George Hickman

Gender : Male

Harry Holcombe

Character Name : Hammond

Original Name : Harry Holcombe

Gender : Male

Clyde Howdy

Character Name : U.S. Marshal

Original Name : Clyde Howdy

Gender : Male

Michael Jeffers

Character Name : Church Member

Original Name : Michael Jeffers

Gender : Male

Henry Kingi

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : Henry Kingi

Gender : Male

Ron Kinwald

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : Ron Kinwald

Gender : Male

Monty Laird

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : Monty Laird

Gender : Male

Jacquelyn Landrum

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Jacquelyn Landrum

Gender : Male

John Lawrence

Character Name : Jones

Original Name : John Lawrence

Gender : Male

Norman Leavitt

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Norman Leavitt

Gender : Male

Ian McLean

Character Name : Cavalry Man

Original Name : Ian McLean

Gender : Male

John McCook

Character Name : Deputy

Original Name : John McCook

Gender : Male

Boyd 'Red' Morgan

Character Name : Hobbs

Original Name : Boyd 'Red' Morgan

Gender : Male

Paul Newlan

Character Name :

Original Name : Paul Newlan

Gender : Male

Terry L. Nichols

Character Name : Tower Guard

Original Name : Terry L. Nichols

Gender : Male

Carol Nicholson

Character Name : Lomax Girl

Original Name : Carol Nicholson

Gender : Male

Gerry Okuneff

Character Name : Riot Guard

Original Name : Gerry Okuneff

Gender : Male

Renee Paul

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Renee Paul

Gender : Male

Jack Perkins

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Jack Perkins

Gender : Male

Red Perkins

Character Name : Guard

Original Name : Red Perkins

Gender : Male

Bill Peterson

Character Name : Gordon Hartley

Original Name : Bill Peterson

Gender : Male

Mel Pittenger

Character Name : Cavalry Man

Original Name : Mel Pittenger

Gender : Male

Roberta Randall

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Roberta Randall

Gender : Male

Clark Ross

Character Name : Church Member

Original Name : Clark Ross

Gender : Male

James Seay

Character Name : Aide to Lieutenant Governor

Original Name : James Seay

Gender : Male

Vincent St. Cyr

Character Name : Apache Prisoner

Original Name : Vincent St. Cyr

Gender : Male

Ron Stein

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Ron Stein

Gender : Male

Kelly Thordsen

Character Name : Edwina's Father

Original Name : Kelly Thordsen

Gender : Male

George Tracy

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : George Tracy

Gender : Male

Rick Traeger

Character Name : Peddler

Original Name : Rick Traeger

Gender : Male

Jesse Wayne

Character Name : Prisoner

Original Name : Jesse Wayne

Gender : Male

Napoleon Whiting

Character Name : Lomax Servant

Original Name : Napoleon Whiting

Gender : Male

Guy Wilkerson

Character Name : Prisoner in Solitary

Original Name : Guy Wilkerson

Gender : Male

Ilona Wilson

Character Name : Girl

Original Name : Ilona Wilson

Gender : Female

Will Wyler

Character Name : Rioting Prisoner

Original Name : Will Wyler

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Don't tell me you can't make speeches; you could talk a coyote out of a chicken. There Was a Crooked Man... is directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and written by David Newman and Robert Benton. It stars Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith, John Randolph and Michael Blodgett. Music is by Charles Strouse and cinematography by Harry Stradling Jr. Plot has Douglas as Paris Pitman Jr., an unscrupulous thief who after stealing and hiding in a rattlesnake's nest half a million dollars, gets caught and sent to an Arizona prison for ten years. Once there his plan is simple, to befriend as many cons as he can so they can help him escape. Dangling the carrot of sharing his stash with those who help him, Pitman's plan may be usurped by the arrival of new Warden Woodward Lopeman (Fonda)? Joseph L. Mankiewicz's only venture into the Western sphere is an odd picture in many ways, but not in a bad way, sort of! Coming as it did at the start of the 1970s when the Western was for what was to be some time, on its last legs, the pic blends comedy with cynicism and violence with choice characterisations. Taking bold decisions in not making this a straight run of the mill genre piece, it's unsurprising to find that Warner Brothers got itchy feet and cut a whopping forty minutes from the original cut of the film, footage that to this day has never seen the light of day. This is a crying shame for although it doesn't make the film a mess in any shape or form, it does stop it from being the more edgy piece it was meant to be, With a super cast list fronted by a strong dynamic between Douglas and Fonda, story thrives by pretty much having nobody being straight as an arrow. In fact one of the strengths in the narrative is in setting us up for some surprises, we are never quite sure how this is going to pan out. As the violence, crafty scheming and general crookedness that exists within the prison simmers along, it's set up a treat for the pay off at story's culmination, something which has proven to be divisive (for me it's a doozy). At times it feels like we are in a knockabout comedy, yet this is merely a trick in the tale, the makers are in it for sucker punch merit, craftily flipping the finger whilst embracing moral decay. Hard to recommend with great confidence for it is an acquired taste, but it's fascinating as a snapshot of when the Western was gasping for breath, and rewards are there for those willing to buy into its devilish oddities. 7.5/10