The Defiant Ones
| 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 |
| Box office | $2.75 million (US and Canadian rentals) |
The Defiant Ones is a 1958 American drama film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer. The film was adapted by Harold Jacob Smith from the story by Nedrick Young, originally credited as Nathan E. Douglas. It stars Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier as two escaped prisoners, one white and one black, who are shackled together and who must co-operate in order to survive.
The Defiant Ones premiered on June 29, 1958 at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival, where Poitier won the Silver Bear for Best Actor. Upon its release in the U.S. on September 27, the film was highly regarded by film critics. 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.