Defiant Ones The (1958)

This Academy Award nominated film was an early race relations look at two prisoners one White – one Black who escape yet are chained to each other. Both Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier received Best Actor Oscar nominations. Theodore Bikel who plays the lawman leading the pursuit and Cara Williams who plays a woman they meet along the way that helps them picked up their only nominations (in the Supporting Actor/Actress categories) as well. Producer Stanley Kramer also received a Best Director nomination. The film won Oscars for its B&W Cinematography (Sam Leavitt’s only win on his first of three nominations) and its Harold Jacob Smith-Nedrick Young original screenplay. Lon Chaney Jr. Whit Bissell and Claude Akins are among those who also appear. Watch for a cameo by a grown-up Carl Switzer (‘Alfalfa’ from The Little Rascals) the young man with the radio. #55 on AFI’s 100 Most Inspiring Movies list.

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