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There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
The Judgment of Paris, 14 février 2006

Author: theowinthrop de United States

This is an interesting black comedy, from Joseph Mankiewicz, about the gullibility of man, and how greed can corrupt anyone. Henry Fonda is a lawman, in typical Fonda-style (before WARLOCK and the spaghetti westerns changed his image). He is a firm support for law and order. However, he has been shot and left lame by Warren Oates, a drunken outlaw. He may have to retire as a result sooner than he expected.

At the start of the film we watch how Kirk Douglas (Paris Pitman) has robbed the home of Arthur O'Connor with his gang. They are killed off in one way or another. Pitman escapes with the money, and hides it in a hole full of rattlesnakes. But later he is captured. Pitman is sent to territorial prison, where he meets Oates, Burgess Meredith (as the legendary Missouri Kid), Hume Cronym and John Randolph (a pair of swindlers who are also a gay couple), and others. The warden is Martin Gabel, who soon makes it clear that if Douglas wants to be out sooner he needs the warden as a partner. But in a riot Gabel is killed, and Fonda is appointed the new warden.

Fonda tries to reform the prison, improving facilities and setting up an honor system. Douglas, the total cynic, sneers at all this, and makes his own plans. He is not going to rot for two decades or so in prison while a fortune awaits for him. So he starts plotting to get out, and Fonda keeps watching to counter his plotting.

I won't add anything else, but in the end one wonders if Paris Pitman's view of mankind is the truth of us all or not. The film has wonderful sharp comedy, including the comic put-downs of Cronyn when undercutting the pompous Randolph, and when one sees scenes like Burgess Meredith taking his first bath. I strongly recommend this film to fans of unusual westerns.

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
There Was a Crooked Man..., 16 janvier 2005

Author: Oliver-50 de United States

Terrific mix of comedy/western/prison film about clever thief Kirk Douglas who lands himself in jail after robbing a rich man of $500,000 which he's hidden in a mountain. Honest, forthright sheriff Henry Fonda becomes warden of the jail with the intent on reforming the prisoners not punishing them. Kirk Douglas must plan his escape with the help of some colorful prisoners by bribing them. Very underrated and overlooked gem of the 70's wonderfully directed by Academy Award winning director Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Full of humor, excitement, and entertainment. Cynical and funny script has some great twists and the cast is perfect.

***1/2 out of ****

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
The unredeemable quality of Douglas' bandit undermines the humor of the film…, 22 mai 2005

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) de Mexico

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

In making "There Was a Crooked Man" Joseph L. Mankiewicz set out with the intention of creating a cynical Western, based on the view that there is a little bit of badness even in the best of men… What emerges in this long and expert exercise is a film so thorough1y cynical, so negative in its view of the human species that the viewer is allowed no point of view of his own…

For Kirk Douglas, the very crooked man of the title, the film gave scope for bravura playing but the characterization is black and utterly ruthless… Mankiewicz would have done well to consider the view that there is a little bit of goodness even in the worst of men… but the film remains admirable in its staging and in the performances of an exemplary cast…

Douglas, wearing steel-rimmed spectacles and with his hair dyed red, appears at the beginning of the picture as a somewhat cultured bandit; he raids the home of a wealthy rancher and escapes with half a million dollars in cash...

In making his escape, several of his men are shot to death and Douglas himself kills his surviving companion… Thus the swag is entirely his… He hides it in a rattlesnake pit in the desert but he is later spotted in a brothel by the rancher and we next see Douglas on his way to jail…

In the prison wagon are five fellow felons: Hume Cronyn and John Randolph, a pair of con-men, religious fakers and implicitly homosexual; a huge homicidal Chinaman, played by Olympic athlete C. K. Yang in a screen debut; Michael Blodgett, a young man who accidentally killed his girl friend's father when suddenly interrupted in an act of love-making; and Warren Oates, a stupid gunman who shoots sheriff Henry Fonda in the leg when the peaceful, unarmed lawman tries to persuade him to surrender…

These endearing rascals are then incarcerated in a cell with a dirty old fellow called 'The Missouri Kid,' played like a ferret by Burgess Meredith…

The theme, like that of all prison pictures, is escape, and with Douglas openly proud of his hidden half-million, escape becomes inevitable and the wily bandit, a born leader of men, can take his pick not only of his accomplices but of the prison warden (Martin Gabel), a degenerate gentleman, as eager to leave, his post as any prisoner…

However, a noisy fight breaks out among the prisoners and in trying to stop it the warden is killed…

One irony leads to another and the new warden turns out to be Henry Fonda, a solidly honest, humane man who dedicates himself to penal reform… He quickly spots the officer-like qualities of Douglas and assigns him to supervising the building of a new dining hall… It is during the inauguration of the building, attended by the state governor and his guests, that Douglas elects to spark a revolt—his cover for escape…

The motion picture is graphic in depicting the sweat and stench of life in a desert prison, and the frustration and despair of its inmates… The spirit of decency, exemplified by Fonda's warden, is almost a stimulating note in an atmosphere swirling with resentment and spite…

Mankiewicz' film has some memorable moments: Douglas, in his opening robbery, commenting on the excellence of the fried chicken being served at the rancher's table; Hume Cronyn, passing himself off as a deaf mute at a church gathering, backing into a hot stove and yelling a profane curse; a pretty schoolteacher reciting Henley's 'Invictus' at the dining room ceremony, watched by hundreds of hungry eyes; and in the long chaos of the revolt, a furious montage of incidents, particularly the old Missouri Kid sitting, weeping because he has been in prison too long and hasn't the courage to leave "home," and Cronyn, like a firm-minded old wife, leading his companion back into their cell and telling him they will serve out their sentence…

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13 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
Uneven western that is difficult to recommend, 3 octobre 2001

Author: Michael Udel de Guangzhou, China

My commentary refers to minor elements of the plot of the film in question, revealing, to an inconsequential extent, some of the events of the movie. Some may interpret this as a SPOILER, but I am very careful not to expose anything specific crucial.

Similar to "Paint Your Wagon" (1969) in it's use of a comedic western as a vehicle for social commentary, "There Was a Crooked Man" has a comic tone at times, but has difficulty being consistently one kind of movie: Is it a satire? Is it a comedy? Is it a bawdy western with a serious disguise? Is it a social commentary about the penal system? Is it an arc for Fonda's upright and uptight sheriff to find disillusionment?

Kirk Douglas portrays a robber who will sacrifice anyone and anything to get the loot and come out on top, while Henry Fonda is a town sheriff who seems the exact opposite of Douglas, and who specializes in moral correctness. While attempting to practice what he preaches, kindness before cruelty, Fonda is shot apprehending a drunken Warren Oates. The town quickly and easily gives up hope in Fonda's ability to do his job, leading Fonda to volunteer as warden for the prison where both Douglas and Oates are incarcerated.

Fonda begins a crusade to uplift the inmates of this desolate Arizona penal colony by abolishing obligatory hard labor and restricting cruel punishments upon the men. It seems the only way to earn Fonda's enmity as warden is to draw lascivious pictures of scantily clad women, as all other crimes are forgivable and reformable in Fonda' eyes.

While Fonda is trying to teach the prisoners self-respect, Douglas is luring them into his aid with promises of sharing the money he stole in the crime for which he was convicted and sentenced to the prison. Those he can't persuade he tricks into helping him by various plots and devices, all the while Fonda thinks Douglas should become the prisoners' leader and help give them hope by improving their living conditions. Burgess Meredith frequently steals the spotlight as a former flashy train robber that has been transformed by years in prison into a tired, gritty, petty old man who does nothing for free.

The problem with this movie is not the excellent acting, but the tone and the Mickey Mouse musical score. It deals with murder and betrayal carelessly, it refers to revenge and cruelty with humor, and it moves back and forth from serious to light-hearted scenes so quickly and easily that it becomes difficult to maintain any clear perspective. In the middle of a murderous rampage an (apparently) hilarious food fight ensues while a buxom visitor to the prison is gradually, but incompletely, disrobed.

Unlike other satires released that year such as "Catch-22" (1970) or "M.A.S.H." (1970), "There Was a Crooked Man" doesn't succeed in delivering a message, but only appears to chronicle an improbable series of events that have no meaning outside of itself, all the while the most irritating and thematically contrary music imaginable scores nearly every scene.

Despite good acting and some laughs, it's a tough film to recommend. If there was a DVD version that allowed you to keep the dialog and eradicate the music, this would be a totally different, and much improved, movie.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Crime pays...well almost. It's easy to be a little crooked., 10 juin 2002
Author: Michael O'Keefe de Muskogee OK

I found this to be a fine western comedy. Kirk Douglas plays an incorrigible, but likable bank robber in the 1800's. Henry Fonda is a straight-laced Sheriff turn prison Warden trying to reform the cunning thief in the territorial pokey. Douglas of course intends to escape and go back to the hidden money, but he must enlist help from the likes of Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith and Hume Cronyn. This is a very enjoyable and funny film that reveals Douglas' bare butt. In supporting roles are Arthur O'Connell and Martin Gabel. Unload your six shooter and prop up your spurs; this one is worth your time.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The Bad In Every Man, 25 mai 2008

Author: bkoganbing de Buffalo, New York

For his next to last film Joseph Mankiewicz did his only western and it ain't the west of John Ford or Howard Hawks. There Was A Crooked Man starts with the proposition that every man if given sufficient reason will turn dishonest.

Kirk Douglas has never been afraid to appear as evil, but next to his performance in The List of Adrian Messenger, the screen's never seen him as diabolically evil as Paris Pittman, Jr. in There Was A Crooked Man. And it's clear from the start just how bad he is when he shoots the only other gang member after robbing miserly Arthur O'Connell of his half a million dollar fortune that he keeps in the house because of distrust of banks.

So nothing that he does after this should surprise us. But Kirk Douglas is a player of incredible charm, never more so when used for evil intentions. Eventually he's caught and sent to Territorial prison from where he collects a gang of sorts and plots an escape.

A year after the Stonewall Riots homosexuality finally comes to the west and its depicted in two ways. First John Randolph and Hume Cronyn are a pair of aging gay con men who've pulled one con too many and are in the prison with Douglas in the same cell. Randolph's the flighty one, but Cronyn as it turns out has more talent and more common sense than just about everyone else in the film. That fact saves their lives.

And that's quite a look of lust that repressed prison guard Bert Freed has for young Michael Blodgett who admittedly is quite something to lust after. Blodgett is scheduled to hang at an undetermined date, but Freed's willing to give him some special consideration for special favors. Which Blodgett is unwilling to give him.

Blodgett's story is the most tragic one of the lot. He's a 17 year old kid who's caught by a most flirtatious girl's father who cries rape. As the father aims his shotgun, Blodgett throws a billiard ball and the blow is a fatal one. I've always thought if the kid had a good lawyer he could have gotten off, it was self defense. He's really the only innocent in this film.

The great moral figure in this is Henry Fonda, who's a lawman shot in the performance of his duty and now given the job of prison warden. He's another repressed individual, doesn't smoke or drink, and looks with particular disdain on sexual promiscuity.

Without giving away exactly what Fonda does in the end, it seems he has no other choice. Douglas in pulling off the jail break has made a total fool of him. They'll be all kinds of inquiries so for Fonda the self righteous his duty is clear unless he wants to kill himself. Which in some cultures would have been the answer.

But There Was A Crooked Man should be seen for what happens to Kirk Douglas. It is one of the most priceless comeuppances ever delivered on screen.

Besides Douglas, Fonda, and others I've mentioned look also for good performances from Warren Oates and Burgess Meredith as another two convicts that Douglas takes into his confidence.

Just as man can rise to noble heights on some occasions, with a little temptation he can fall. That's the unvarnished message of There Was A Crooked Man.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Very good but also a big "edgy" and adult, 1 septembre 2007

Author: planktonrules de Bradenton, Florida

Kirk Douglas plays a very amoral and scheming bandit. For a while, this lifestyle pays off until he is ultimately captured and placed in an awful prison in the middle of the desert. At first, this is a real tough stay for Kirk as the warden is a greedy cuss and he tries to abuse Kirk into revealing where he hid $500,000 in stolen loot. But, after the warden is killed, a new guy takes over (Henry Fonda) and he and Douglas develop a certain level of respect for each other--all the while Kirk is planning his escape. As for Fonda and his motivation for befriending Kirk goes, this is all very vague until very late in the film--and I think this made for a better film.

In addition to these two terrific actors, there are some wonderful supporting performances--especially by Hume Cronin and John Randolph who seemed an awful lot like a married couple! About the only negatives were a few places where the script seemed ridiculous (such as the escape from the prison--they took their time and it sure looked too easy).

I enjoyed this Kirk Douglas film quite a bit and I was torn between giving it a 7 and an 8. My final decision to give it a 7 was because some of the nudity and language seemed rather gratuitous and was inserted less for artistic reasons than to satisfy the new 1960s and 70s morality. There are just a few too many butts and breasts to make it a good bet for most kids--and it's a shame, because otherwise it's a dandy film.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
A pretty good yarn, 16 septembre 2002

Author: grahamsj2 de SE US

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is a light oater about an unrepentant bank robber, his fellow prisoners and a reformist Warden. I say "light" since there are some moments of real humor, but it's overall NOT a comedy, as some reviewers have called it. Rather, it's a drama with some humorous moments. The bank robber, Paris, superbly played by Kirk Douglas, had hidden $500,000 after the robbery. Paris keeps scheming to escape, offering a cut of the money to his fellow prisoners for help in escaping. Paris is a real con man and a charmer. However, he is foiled at nearly every turn by the new Warden, Lopeman (played by the great Henry Fonda). The Warden seems to have "seen it before" with everything that Paris tries. Excellent in supporting roles are Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Alan Hale and Burgess Meredith. There are a couple of real surprises at the end of the film. I truly enjoyed this and think it's well worth a watch.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
'Crooked': a straightforward masterpiece, 19 janvier 2007

Author: Max Schmeder de New York, NY

An exceptionally detailed and brilliant film. It distills two essences of the Western - the character study and the morality play - but packages them in one of the sharpest black comedies of all time.

The characterizations in this film are incredibly detailed. Never have so many personalities and relationships been so fully fleshed-out in two hours. At the center, Kirk Douglas's cunning charm as a prisoner is rampant but perfectly counterbalanced by Henry Fonda's steady perceptiveness as his well-intentioned warden. Burgess Meredith is the tender heart of this ensemble and provides several poignant moments - the bath scene and his reaction to a shooting are particularly unforgettable. Needless to say, the screen writing is stellar.

Some will feel betrayed by the film and find its ethical stance off-putting. On the one hand, it purports to be a comedy, but then it exposes aspects of human nature we want to pretend aren't there. Even worse, it justifies itself, getting maximum mileage out of the characters' (and viewers') hypocrisy. It's merciless. The only way the film manages to maintain its levity throughout is by quickly skipping over these disturbing moments. It's a film you'll need to revisit in your head to really get it. Amazingly, it has a happy ending, but you have to have an open mind to appreciate it.

The humor is wonderfully varied: from wry to heart-warming, from slapstick to abstract. It's not the type of humor to make you laugh out loud, but you will smile a lot. Some of the jokes compromise the viewer's integrity. How can we laugh during the scene with the progressively disrobed school teacher? But given its silly and preposterous execution, how can we not laugh? But part of the aim of this movie is to pull the viewer down into the sty of hypocrisy. The most abstract joke is how Ah-ping meets his end (consider his previous notable scene). It's over-the-top hilarious, but it registers too far back in the brain for laughing or even smiling.

This film operates on many levels: it's a comedy, a suspenseful prison escape flick, a character-driven drama, a Western. It's nihilistic one moment, deeply sympathetic the next. Enjoy it by taking it all in.

One caveat: I would have given this movie 10/10 except for a stupid (and homophobic) subplot involving a sadistic prison guard.

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
can't believe it got good reviews, 25 mars 2007

Author: cadbar de United States

I was terribly disappointed in this film, which I watched after seeing good reviews and a great cast. The actors performed well, the acting was certainly good, so I must assume the problem is in the script. I agree with those who comment that it's not really funny (though there are a few amusing bits), that the score is horribly annoying and repetitive, and that the ruthlessness of the main character keeps the movie from being in any way a comedy. The humor seemed childish and dated--as Douglas taunts the family he's robbing about the fried chicken I was bored--the jokes between the two con men are very old and silly. What could be more cliché than prisoners ogling a woman who is there to "perform good works?" The musical theme was abrasive and repeated itself until I was tempted to smash the DVD. Most of all, Douglas's character is repellent right from the beginning, and it seems surprising that the characters within the movie could be taken in by him or find him attractive. Even the cheap dye job was patently false. I felt uncomfortable, then appalled as the movie went from bad to worse. The nudity surprised me as it seemed to serve little purpose. My advice would be to skip this one. I do admire Kirk Douglas for other movies I've seen him in, notably Lonely are the Brave. I also enjoyed Spartacus. As I said, great actors, lousy story.

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