The Lonely Man *** (1957, Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef) – Classic Movie Review 13,784

Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins star as battling gunfighter father and sensitive son in the thoughtful, hard-bitten 1957 Western film The Lonely Man.

Director Henry Levin’s 1957 Paramount Pictures widescreen black and white Western film The Lonely Man stars Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins, along with a nice cast of Western worthies, including Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Robert Middleton, Elisha Cook, Jr and Claude Akins.

Jack Palance plays Jacob Wade, a dangerous gunman trying to go straight, in this thoughtful, sour-toned and satisfyingly hard-bitten 1957 Western.

He also tries to rekindle the love of his son Riley (Anthony Perkins), who hates him over the abandonment and suicide death of his mother, while keeping an eye on the town’s murderous villains (Neville Brand as King Fisher, Lee Van Cleef as Faro) who are out to get him. Meanwhile Palance also has to battle that odd moustache he’s wearing.

Despite the obvious disadvantage of the bizarre casting Palance and Perkins as father and son (the actors are only 13 years apart and exist in different worlds), the strong cast, with a whole crew of the finest Western character actors, and Harry Essex and Robert Smith’s dark-tinged, brooding screenplay give a familiar yarn more than the usual bite, while Henry Levin directs with an effective accent on tension.

The Lonely Man is a man’s man movie, with poor, little known Elaine Aiken, in her film debut, sticking out like sore thumb as Ada Marshall. The actress returned to New York.

It is shot in VistaVision by Lionel Lindon, filming on location at Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles; Mojave Desert, Arizona; Sierra Nevada Mountains, California; Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California; as well as at Paramount Studios, Hollywood.

Perkins and Brand reunited for The Tin Star (1957).

Cast: Jack Palance, Anthony Perkins, Elaine Aiken, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef, Elisha Cook Jr, Robert Middleton, Claude Akins, Harry Shannon, Denver Pyle, James Bell, John Doucette, Milton Frome, Russell Simpson, Paul Newlan, Bill Mims, Martin Gerralaga, Lalo Rios.

The film was released on June 21, 1957.

Anthony Perkins filmed this before Fear Strikes Out, which was released earlier. He was busy and his career was on the rise.

Claude Akins is wrongly credited as Claude A Akins when is real name is Claude Marion Akins.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,784

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