"There Was A Crooked Man" is no masterpiece for sure. It is however, somewhat of a curiosity. Coming after the "gold standard" spaghetti westerns, this seems outdated right from the "git-go". The sophomoric script is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too repetitive and long. A fine cast wrestles at length with a story that is neither compelling or complex. Henry Fonda is subdued, even for him, and Kirk Douglas and his Cheshire cat grin becomes tiresome. The entire movie has a claustrophobic feel to it, because of the redundant prison locations. In short, "There Was A Crooked Man" is certainly a curious film, but ultimately forgettable. - MERK
Review of There Was a Crooked Man...
