| The Defiant Ones | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stanley Kramer |
| Written by | Harold Jacob Smith Nedrick Young |
| Produced by | Stanley Kramer |
| Starring | Tony Curtis Sidney Poitier Theodore Bikel Charles McGraw Lon Chaney King Donovan Kevin Coughlin Cara Williams |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Edited by | Frederic Knudtson |
| Music by | Ernest Gold |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release dates | |
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $778,000[2] |
| Box office | $2.75 million (US and Canadian rentals)[3][4] |
The Defiant Ones is a 1958 American drama film which tells the story of two escaped prisoners, one white and one black, who are shackled together and who must co-operate in order to survive. It stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.
The film was adapted by Harold Jacob Smith from the story by Nedrick Young, originally credited as Nathan E. Douglas. It was produced and directed by Stanley Kramer.
The film was highly regarded at the time of its release; it won Academy Awards for Cinematography (Black-and-White) and Original Screenplay and was nominated for seven others, including Best Picture and Best Actor for both Poitier and Curtis. Poitier won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin International Film Festival.
- ^ Myers, Harold (July 2, 1958). "Political Tensions, No U.S. Stars Mark Opening Of Berlin Film Fest". Variety. p. 2. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
- ^ Balio, Tino (1987). United Artists: The Company That Changed the Film Industry. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-0299114404.
- ^ "Vagaries of Overseas Playoff". Variety. May 27, 1959. p. 3. Retrieved June 16, 2019 – via Archive.org.
- ^ "Top Grossers of 1958". Variety. January 7, 1959. p. 48. Please note figures are for US and Canada only and are domestic rentals accruing to distributors as opposed to theatre gross