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.
Review of The Lonely Man
