SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Anthony Perkins had yet to find his feet when he made "The Lonely Man" in 1957, cast as former outlaw Jack Palance's son, but he's remarkably assured nevertheless. It's a so-so western from a mediocre director, Henry Levin, with Palance the lonely man of the title, wanting to go straight but finding both the law and his former partners doing all they can to see that he doesn't. A first class supporting cast, (Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Claude Akins) ensure that it's never less than watchable and it's very handsomely photographed in black and white VistaVision by Lionel Lindon. It's a pity the script never really develops the characters beyond the one-dimensional and now it is very seldom shown.

I looked at all the comments made for this film, but I feel I need to mention what's good about it. The acting and characters are first-rate and there are several familiar faces. The black and white cinematography is the best I've ever seen in a western...The location is wonderful--all in all the best looking western ever!!!! These things alone make it worth watching... I agree that the plot has lots of holes and needs some explaining at times, and answers to many questions are never given... But give this film a try...it's still very good!

It is not clear just what the creators of this film had in mind. It does have some worthwhile sequences of the actors riding on horse back chasing wild horses. What that had to do with the rest of the film is not at all clear.The relation between the son (played oddly by Tony Perkins (Psycho)) and the former lover of his father (the father is decently acted by Jack Palance) was a film disaster. Obviously the creators wanted to go in the direction of a romantic triangle (younger woman falls for older man's son) but the attraction is completely nonsensical because the son is sullen, rude, and distinctly un-heroic throughout the whole film. No woman tough enough to live on her own in an isolated mountain ranch would fall for such a useless man.The end scene is also absurd as the son helps his dying father shoot the bad guy dead in what has to be the stupidest possible fashion. This is NOT one of the better westerns filmed in the 1950s.I will say one thing for it, those actors sure could ride horses. I wonder where it was filmed? Wyoming?

Jack Palance and Anthony Perkins give decent performances in this boring western that is filled with meaningless dialog and unbelievable situations. Location in Long Pine California brings some realism even in black and white but I still can not recommend The Lonely Man.