Lonely Are The Brave

Dalton Trumbo is a screenwriter that has always fascinated me. He could write the manliest of movies, Spartacus, Papillon, and Johnny Got His Gun to name a few, and still wear his heart on his sleeve like he did with Roman Holiday. He was even able to make a comeback after Hollywood blacklisted him during the red scare. I'm really excited to see the new film Trumbo, which opens today. I thought I'd take a look back at one of his best, the forgotten 1962 classic Lonely Are The Brave.

Kirk Douglas, one of Trumbo's biggest supporters, stars as Jack Burns, one of the last true cowboys. Jack travels from town to town on his horse, picking up work as a ranch hand. He doesn't have a home. He prefers to sleep under the stars. He hates modern society and refuses to join the rat race.

When Jack gets word that his friend Paul, Michael Kane, is in jail and is looking at some serious time behind bars, he decides to get himself arrested and help Paul bust out. Jack gets into a barfight and is sentenced for a year. Once inside, he reconnects Paul and tells him of his plan. Paul refuses his help and wants to serve out his sentence. Jack knows that being locked up will drive him insane, so he busts out. The sheriff, Walter Matthau, is hot on his trail.

I remember my dad showing this movie to me as a kid, and it still sticks with me today. I'm not even that big a fan of westerns. Douglas, who has said that this is his favorite movie, gives one of his best performances. Jack could have came off as unlikable and stubborn, but Douglas has a way of letting the audience see the world through his eyes. Douglas was a huge fan of the novel and sought out Trumbo to write the script. I guess he was really impressed with his Spartacus script. Which by the way was written under an alias since Trumbo was blacklisted at the time. Matthau is also really good as the sheriff. A likable guy who doesn't want any trouble. But he also knows he has to bring Jack in. George Kennedy is pretty menacing as a sadistic deputy. Gena Rowlands, as Paul's wife, has a nice scene with Douglas. It kind of hints at a romantic interest between the two. But they both know that he would never give up his lifestyle, which is why she probably ended up with Paul.

If you want to see a legendary screenwriter and actor at the top of their game, you should check out this forgotten classic.

Available on dvd.