Lonely are the Brave (1962)

90% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(889 ratings)

Although it never quite escapes the pitfalls of pretension, this film was Kirk Douglas's bid for the affections of the art house crowd, and it remains one of his best efforts. The star plays unreconstructed "rugged individual" Jack Burns, who rides throughout the modern west knocking down man-made… More Although it never quite escapes the pitfalls of pretension, this film was Kirk Douglas's bid for the affections of the art house crowd, and it remains one of his best efforts. The star plays unreconstructed "rugged individual" Jack Burns, who rides throughout the modern west knocking down man-made fences. Visiting his equally rebellious friend Paul Bondi (Michael Kane), Burns deliberately gets himself thrown in jail to be nearer his pal. Frustrated that Bondi doesn't want to join Burns on the road, Burns breaks out of jail, thereby becoming a fugitive. His trail is dogged by Sheriff Johnson (Walter Matthau), a frustrated frontiersman who secretly admires the freewheeling Burns. Meanwhile, a truck driver (Carroll O'Connor) is ominously driving down the highway with a truckload of toilets. If you think there's supposed to be some symbolism in this seemingly peripheral character, you're absolutely right. Bill Raisch, a genuine amputee who played the one-armed man on TV's The Fugitive, is Douglas' surly opponent in the café brawl sequence. Filmed on location in New Mexico, Lonely are the Brave was adapted by Dalton Trumbo from Edward Abbey's novel Brave Cowboy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: David Miller
Genres: Western, Drama

In Theaters: May 24, 1962 Wide
On DVD: Jul 7, 2009

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
David Miller builds sturdily on Philip Lathrop's widescreen cinematography, but Douglas and Dalton Trumbo's screenplay are the auteurs here
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Kirk Douglas produced and starred in this elegiac Western, scripted by Dalton Trumbo, which laments the vanishing Old West, its heroes and their mores, replaced by a modern world dominated by progress and technology.
Christian Toto, What Would Toto Watch?
Kirk Douglas remains the epitome of the rugged individual in the classic neo-western Lonely Are the Brave
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Douglas oferece uma atuação curiosamente divertida, mas o roteiro de Dalton Trumbo (normalmente um mestre) fracassa ao se concentrar na longa perseguição em vez de fornecer elementos para que possamos comprender melhor as motivações do protagonista.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
One of only a few Kirk Douglas films where the hammy actor didn't want to make me gag.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Kirk's favorite, and a true classic.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Observant drama of a maverick cowboy whose way of life has almost entirely disappeared. What he perceives as a good deed for a friend turns out to ultimately be a life and death struggle for him. Excellent work by a cast of familiar faces with Walter Matthau very good as a world weary… More
Observant drama of a maverick cowboy whose way of life has almost entirely disappeared. What he perceives as a good deed for a friend turns out to ultimately be a life and death struggle for him. Excellent work by a cast of familiar faces with Walter Matthau very good as a world weary sheriff and especially outstanding Kirk Douglas, in his own favorite of his performances. The ending is heart rending.
Randy T

I'm beginning to wonder if Kirk Douglas ever gave a bad performance. If you only know him from Spartacus then you don't know what you're missing. His lesser known films, like Ace in the Hole, Champion,… More
I'm beginning to wonder if Kirk Douglas ever gave a bad performance. If you only know him from Spartacus then you don't know what you're missing. His lesser known films, like Ace in the Hole, Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, Paths of Glory, and Lonely are the Brave are a testament to his talent and his enormous contributions to the art of movie making.
Michael G

Lonely are the Brave is an underrated classic that never seemed to get is due. A mostly great story (I did nod off a couple times but to the film's credit, it was past 4AM), some great acting (this movie--along with Ace in the Hole--is a monument to my underappreciation of Kirk… More
Lonely are the Brave is an underrated classic that never seemed to get is due. A mostly great story (I did nod off a couple times but to the film's credit, it was past 4AM), some great acting (this movie--along with Ace in the Hole--is a monument to my underappreciation of Kirk Douglas), some fine direction and some d a m n fine cinematography make for a memorable moviegoing experience. This is a sort of upbeat movie for a movie about such a doomed character and Douglas plays John (Jack for short) Burns with an almost naive optimism in a way that's hopeful but almost jarring at the same time. The supporting performances (particularly Walter Matthau) were great, but despite Lonely are the Brave (original title of The Last Cowboy is much more appropriate) being made at the right time in history, it was made kind of too early in cinematic history for its own good. File between Easy Rider precursors and High Sierra with a dash of Hud.
Stella D

ok i got sucked into this one. cowboy vs. modern world; not a huge fan of westerns or douglas but this was a heartbreaker. great script by dalton trumbo tho i'm not sure who came up with that title lol. with walter matthau, lovely young gena rowlands, oh, and george kennedy… More
ok i got sucked into this one. cowboy vs. modern world; not a huge fan of westerns or douglas but this was a heartbreaker. great script by dalton trumbo tho i'm not sure who came up with that title lol. with walter matthau, lovely young gena rowlands, oh, and george kennedy plays a mexican (!)
cody f

Great Kirk Douglas performance,one of his best. He is a old school cowboy dealing with modern times. The Frontier has been taken over by fences, cars, and laws and Kirk was born in the wrong century. He is a good man with outdated ideals that are crushing him. Walter Matthau is… More
Great Kirk Douglas performance,one of his best. He is a old school cowboy dealing with modern times. The Frontier has been taken over by fences, cars, and laws and Kirk was born in the wrong century. He is a good man with outdated ideals that are crushing him. Walter Matthau is fantastic as a cop who chases Kirk, but pity's him. Tragic story with great performances(including Kirk's horse Whiskey) and memorable ending. A must see.