One-Eyed Jacks (1961) User Reviews

Colorful Western with stunning acting , intense drama and marvelously photographed

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 2 May 2012]

In Sonora, Mexico in 1880 , Rio (Marlon Brando , the character of Rio originally was based on Billy the Kid), his pal Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) and a third man, Doc (Hank Worden) are robbing a bank. As the bandits escape from the town with a loot . The bandits flee but the Mexican mounted police trail the bunch to the mountains . The mounted police follow and trap the bandits atop a desert hill (Death Valley that bears remarkable resemblance to Almeria desert where were filmed lots of Spaghetti) , with one of their horses shot . Their only option is for one of them to ride their single horse to a little post down the canyon and return with two fresh mounts . But Dad double-crosses him and flees . Rio is detained and locked in Sonora Prison but five years later he breaks out . Then Rio seeks vengeance against his former friend Dad who lives now as a sheriff married to a Mexican woman (Katy Jurado) and an adopted daughter (Pina Pellicer who sadly committed suicide a few years later) .

Riveting Western with psychological tones is stunningly performed , richly photographed and well directed , though overlong . Marlon Brando took over the reigns of filmmaking by first and only time . Very good performances from main duo : Brando as an obstinate revenger and Karl Malden who steals the show as his double-dealing former partner . Superb support interpretations from Ben Johnson , Timothy Carey , and Slim Pickens , Katy Jurado , both of whom a few years later played as an intimate couple in ¨Pat Garret and Billy the Kid¨. Lively and adequate musical score by Hugo Friedhofer . Striking cinematography by Charles Lang , being Paramount's last release in VistaVision and filmed on location in California , the following places : Cypress Point, Pebble Beach,Death Valley National Park, Monterey Peninsula,Pebble Beach, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, Seventeen Mile Drive, Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA.

Marlon Brando's inexperience behind the camera was obvious on set , he took the direction from Stanley Kubrick, who originally was slated to direct the film. He shot six times the amount of footage normally used for a film at the time , he was indecisive in his only filmmaking effort and ran extremely overlong in getting the film finished , in spite of the problems , the film resulted to be visually striking and with interesting character study . Marlon Brando's first cut of the film was allegedly five hours long. He was reportedly unhappy with the final product, despite its box-office success , Paramount eventually took the film away from him and re-cut it as Marlon Brando's original cut of the movie was over five hours long . Rating : Better than average despite troubles during filming and the result is a terrific outing in this Western genre .

Quirky -- Very Quirky.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 25 December 2013]

This is the only film that Marlon Brando directed. It's easy to understand why no producers would let him get near a camera afterward. It's expensive to expose film, and while Brando the director would argue with Karl Malden the actor, the cameras would roll philosophically along, exposing the rehearsals, the arguments, the conversations about the weather, the new styles in men's clothing, and the conundrum of mind/body dualism. It cost a fortune -- and the result is a long, colorful Western with a conventional revenge plot.

By "conventional", I mean that the usual fallacies apply. Whose gun is faster than whose? A clip on the jaw or a whack on the head renders a man unconscious for as long as the plot requires. A dozen men galloping after two fleeing bandits fire their pistols wildly although they're a quarter of a mile behind their quarry.

It's not a BAD movie. It's just hard to assess. The location shooting around the Monterey Peninsula in California is rich in texture and exquisite, as is the location itself -- or was, before it turned into Disneyland. Hugo Friedhofer's romantic score is appealing if overused. Brando must have had the cast improvising all over the place and in every instance it seems obvious and awkward. You'll notice the scenes when they come around.

The story, briefly, is that Brando is betrayed by his fellow bank robber, Malden, in Mexico. After five years in the Sonoran pen, Brando escapes and seeks revenge on Malden, who has now become civilized and is a popular sheriff with a nice Mexican wife and stepdaughter in Monterey. They shake hands, both faking. Brando spitefully seduces and impregnates the stepdaughter, Pina Pellicer. And when the opportunity presents itself, with the townspeople behind him, Malden reveals his barbaric side, bull whips Brando, and smashes his gun hand. A final shootout resolves some of the issues, but not all.

It's far from Brando's best performance. He says little, glowers a lot, and blinks reflexively. When he's facing someone down, his feet are in the first ballet position, and when he walks he puts one foot in front of the other. He must leave not two parallel sets of footprints but a single trail of two prints, one on top of the other.

And when you get right down to it, he's a pretty rotten guy. He lies to most of the people he meets, and for the worst of reasons. In the last scene, he rides off romantically into the white dunes of Monterey, leaving behind a winsome young Mexican girl whom he has knocked up out of spite for someone else. And this in a culture where there are only two kinds of women -- Madonnas, who bring their hymens to the party, and whores, for whom anything goes. "I'm off to Oregon but I'll be back for you some day -- maybe, if I find it convenient. So long, baby."

Slim Pickens gives a good performance as Lon, "you tub of guts," "you gob of spit." But the best performances are turned in by Karl Malden and his family -- Katy Jurado as the wife, and Pina Pellicer as the slender and beautiful stepdaughter. Much of their dialog is in Spanish. (Both actresses were from Mexico City.) Pellicer, in particular, is bewitching.

The movie may have wasted a lot of money but it's by no means a complete waste of time. You'll have to judge for yourself.

While the characters occasionally do things that don't make a lot of sense, it's a good western.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 27 October 2011]

First off, this was a horrible quality DVD--all fuzzy and washed out and greatly in need of restoration. Fortunately, a Blu-Ray version is being released in a little over a week.

This is an unusual Marlon Brando film because in addition to starring, he directed the movie. However, according to IMDb, the studio was shocked when he delivered a five-hour plus film and drastically edited it. The finished edited version is a slowly unfolding film--so in hindsight it's probably good the film was edited. I just can't imagine the film strung out to five hours.

The film begins with Brando and his two partners robbing a bank in Mexico. Soon, the law arrives and kills one of them. The two survivors (Brando and Karl Malden) escape into the desert. They are pinned down and Malden leaves to get horses so they can escape. However, Malden appeared to have just run off and left his friend to the authorities--and Brando is sent to prison. Five years later, he escapes and is looking for Malden to exact revenge. Ironically, however, Malden has re-written himself--and is a sheriff. Now this makes for a rather interesting reunion! What's even more interesting is that Malden seems to have Brando fooled--and Malden treats him like a friend. At Malden's home, Brando then falls in love with Malden's step-daughter (Pina Pellicer). Now what is going to happen? While I could tell you more, I don't want to spoil it--but there is A LOT more to this film than this.

Generally, this is a very good western. My one criticism is that both Malden and Brando play men who just aren't all that bright. They both have great opportunities to end their rivalry once and for all---yet let their enemy escape. In real life, I just can't see this happening--especially when one vows to the other "...one day I'll kill you"---and yet the other guy lets him escape!! Any sane person would have just shot him in the face and be done with it! Also, the relationship between Brando and Pellicer seemed a bit unlikely, as they fall madly in love but their motivation seems a bit lacking.

Now these are minor complaints. Otherwise, it's a good film--one of the better westerns of the era. Good acting (particularly by Malden) and an interesting plot make this one worth seeing.

By the way, at the end of the film, while Brando is in jail, there's a dog in there with him. I wonder what HIS crime was (I mean the dog)? Also, I saw this film with my wife and she hated the original ending that I read from the SPOILER on IMDb's trivia--I think it sounded great! But, the studio thought this downbeat ending would irritate audiences--and it probably would have--though it would have given the film a nice twist.

Overlooked little gem

[valkilmersbrain · 21 July 2001]

I found this film quite remarkable on many levels. For one, it was the debut for Brando as director (and his only film direction since). Reportedly, it was taken after Kubrick left due to altercations. Well, this time, Brando has one foot in front of the camera, as well as one behind it. He does a great, solid job. In fact, this film never looked awkward or misguided -- it felt like an intelligent western helmed by an Anthony Mann or Raoul Walsh. To further boost the professional polish of the film, there is cinematographer Charles Lang (Magnificent Seven, How the West Was Won).

Within this polished piece of work, the muscle of the film is found in the wonderful character study. Here, the characters, like in many great stories, are complex, dark, tempermental. Although the film is about the hero's(or anti-hero's) thirst for revenge on a man who done him wrong, there's a romance in the film that is truly tender and fateful.

The magnet in this film would have to be Brando. (Karl Malden is great too). Brando's understated performance is of the subtle type, using his famous darting eyes to penetrate the characters and the viewer. He's one of my favorite all-time actors.

As with all great films, One-Eyed Jacks is a quiet masterpiece, displaying what every good film needs: great script, powerful acting, layered characterization, and be technically-sound.

One time directing effort

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 13 May 2018]

It is unusual to see a beach and ocean scene in a western but maybe it took a first time director to incorporate these elements in a western set in Monterey, California.

One-Eyed Jacks is Marlon Brando's only film as a director. He was reportedly unhappy with the production company trimming the film down in post production. In turn they were also not happy that the film went over budget.

Brando plays Rio who hangs out with 'Dad' Longworth (Karl Malden) in Mexico. When they are trapped in the desert, surrounded by the Mexican police, Dad makes off with his liberty and the gold while Rio ends up in prison.

Five years later Rio escapes and arrives in a Monterey town where Dad is the sheriff. He has settled down with a wife and step daughter. Rio is looking for revenge despite saying the past is the past.

Rio and his gang want to rob a bank and Rio takes the opportunity to seduce the stepdaughter. After Rio shoots a bully in a bar in self defence, Dad publicly whips Rio and breaks his shooting hand.

There is an Oedipal relationship between Rio and 'Dad.' However both go about at a leisurely pace in taking their revenge. Dad knows he has done wrong by not coming for Rio. He now has a lot to lose after making a respectable life for himself. Rio remains a rogue, constantly lying, always fibbing to the ladies. I could not for a moment believe in his relationship with the step daughter after his mendacity.

The film benefits from nice cinematography, it was one of the last movies made in Vista Vision, it captures the desert landscape really well. Given Brando's view of American history, he does not have a misty eyed view of a golden age of the west. His vision is of liars, cynics and cheaters.

Dad and Rio are rogues, it is just that Dad is hiding it underneath the veneer of respectability. When goaded by Rio, Dad shows his true face.

The problem is that the film is too long even after being cut down by the production company. The story meanders too much in a leisurely way. Brando was astute enough to have those familiar western faces such as Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson and Elisha Cook jr in the picture.

One of the best westerns ever made

[tc-118 · 9/10 · 17 August 2007]

Although this movie probably suffered as a result of cost overruns/studio shenanigans, I would certainly put it in my top 20 westerns, probably knocking at the top 10. This is the only western I've ever seen that takes place in Monterey. I would *JUMP* at the chance to see Brando's 5 hour version. Ben Johnson and Slim Pickens were excellent as was the whole cast. When Brando gets fired up; watch out !

Brando's first effort as a director was excellent. Too bad he lost his taste for it; I don't think we got as much mileage out of his fine talent as we should have in later years.

One Eyed Jacks

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 16 October 2018]

Malden betrays fellow bank robber Brando who escapes from prison, looking for revenge, but when he finds him, things are not that straight forward.

Sweeping, impressive western ostensibly just about revenge, but, bringing in sub plots and myriad support characters who hold their own, this is much more than that.

Brando is very Brando, all mumbling and supressed rage, but a solid lead nonetheless. It is though the other characters such as Pickens and Johnson who hold you attention, with particularly impressive performances from Malden and Pellicer.

I've seen this a couple of times and the picture quality is not great which it is a shame - often very good looking. Definitely one for restoration.

A superb Western and an excellent Oedpial drama

[guy_lazarus · 10/10 · 8 December 2002]

One-Eyed Jacks not only is a superb Western, one of my all-time favorites, it is also an excellent Oedipal drama that moves beyond the bounds of genre into the mytho-poetic. Brando and Karl Malden both turn in outstanding performances, and the supporting cast, featuring Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson and Katy Jurado, is wonderful.

Incidentally, the featured user comment "The Lost Eye, The Lost Ear" by tedg is erroneous: Stanley Kubrick was fired from the picture, tentatively titled "A Burst of Vermillion," BEFORE he was called on by Kirk Douglas, who had an option on his services as part of the contract for "Paths of Glory," to replace the fired Anthony Mann on "Spartacus." Kubrick, who had increasingly become fed up with the snail-pace progress on developing the script due to Marlon Brando's eccentric work methods, had wanted to cast Spencer Tracy in the role of Dad Longworth, but Brando was adamant about Karl Malden filling the role. According to one account, a frustrated Kubrick has asked Brando: "Marlon, I don't know what this picture is about."

"It's about the $400,000 I've paid Karl Malden."

Kubrick, according to the account, said he could not work under those conditions and quit the picture. (Another account holds that Brando overheard Kubrick tell one of the producers that they'd have to keep Brando away from the script if they were ever to make the shooting date. Brando then fired him.) Officially, the press release said that Kubrick had resigned in order to work on "Lolita," the then infamous Nabokov novel he and his producer partner James Harris (also under contract to Kirk Douglas) had recently acquired.

"One-Eyed Jacks" began shooting in late 1958 (whereas "Spartacus" began shooting in early 1959) and went months over schedule and millions over budget, being shot in the expensive VistaVision process that cost 50 cents a foot in late 1950s prices. Brando reportedly shot hundreds of thousands of feet of footage as he sought inspiration for both himself and his actors, particularly the emotionally fragile Pina Pellicer, the young Mexican actress who had just set out on her tragically abbreviated career. It is said that Karl Malden always calls his beautiful Los Angeles home "The House That 'One-Eyed Jacks' Built" due to the small fortune in over-time he made from the film.

Incidentally, Sam Peckinpah wrote the first draft of the screenplay, based on the novel "The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones," a fictionalized retelling of the life of Billy the Kid. Later, Peckinpah would incorporate similar material such as the jailhouse scenes into his retelling of the Billy the Kid legend, "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid." In a PLAYBOY interview, Peckinpah explained that he was fired by Brando as Peckinpah had written Rio, the protagonist, as a killer as Billy the Kid was a killer in real-life and Brando would not play such a character.

The film took over a year to edit after principal photography ended in 1959. Eventually, the studio took the film away from Brando and recut it to their own tastes. Brando reportedly did not object, becoming fed-up with editing after spending so much time trying to perfect his film. He did complain, after the fact, that the studio cut took away the moral ambiguity he sought for his character. Brando said that all the characters in the film but Dad Longworth, the ostensible heavy, are two faced -- "one-eyed jacks," with one face on top, the public face, and another face that is hidden. Although Rio accuses Dad of being a "one-eyed jack," to Brando, Dad was the only one who was honest in the film.

In Brando's cut, Dad's last shot meant for Rio hits his step-daughter Louisa instead, killing her and thus leaving Rio with nothing in the end. The studio used the alternative ending where Rio and Louisa have an emotional parting at the beach, and Rio promises to return to her.

In a development that seemingly foreshadows his future personal life, Brando had an affair on-set with Pina Pellicer, who later committed suicide. Their scenes together are quite affecting as they are emotionally true.

Marlon Brando one and only directing job

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 15 February 2014]

It's 1880 in Sonara, Mexico. Rio (Marlon Brando) is a bank robber on the run from the authorities. His partner Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) double-crosses him and escapes leaving Rio behind. Rio is captured but he escapes from Sonora prison 5 years later. He hunts down Dad who is now a sheriff in California.

This is most notable for being Marlon Brando's one and only directing effort. It's a simple western with some competent scenes. However there are a lot of amateurish camera work too. There's a reason Brando never became a director. Eventually he lost his overly long movie to be recut by the studio.

The movie as it is cut by the studio is a slow disjointed western. It's not anything original or special. Karl Malden and Marlon Brando are both great actors in their prime. Neither characters are simple and the movie is compelling enough to watch. Mostly just to see what these great actors are going to do. There is a couple of nice performances from Pina Pellicer and Katy Jurado.

Very tough, realistic and softly romantic...

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 9/10 · 7 February 2002]

'One-Eyed Jacks' might be considered the most self-consciously Western of the sixties, and possibly of all time... It contains undoubted visual attributes, gorgeous photographic sequences of an immense sandy desert, and panoramas of the spectacular California coast... Not often does one get to see the sea in a Western... Another of the film's great assets is its beautiful music...

'One-Eyed Jacks' is slow, but very tough, realistic and softly romantic... The picture has excitement and violence...

Brando summons all the reserve of anger, inner ambivalence, and emotional complexity in his nature... As a cowboy, he is tough, cunning, soft-spoken, sentimental, vicious, and occasionally masochistic... He plumbs dark reserves of desolation and revenge with an inner ferocity that had always been a part of him but had never before emerged full-force... As a director, he is meticulous, with a keen eye for spectacular outdoor cinematography, and an instinctive sense for the visual expression of inner conflicts...

Karl Malden, whose surface friendliness and affability usually concealed either weakness or malice or both, is excellent as the ambitious, determined outlaw, and the volatile, treacherous, arrogant sheriff whose last poisonous spill: "You'll get a fair trial, and then I'm gonna hang you, personally.'

'One-Eyed Jacks is largely a story of vengeance... The film begins with two American outlaws operating in Mexico... Rio (Brando), a happy-go-lucky man who considers himself a Don Juan, and Dad Longworth (Karl Malden), a crooked man looking for the opportunity to settle down...

They raid banks with real ease and spend their leisure time drinking and courting women... Rio appears as a somewhat cultured bandit with a weakness for aristocratic young ladies... He gives one of them his most "precious" possession, his mother's ring...

The Mexican police trail the pair and almost catch them at their lovemaking, but Rio and Dad fight their way out to the desert... The mounted police follow and the bandits are eventually trapped in the hills with one of their horses shot... Rio determines to stay... Dad promises to return with a fresh horse, but, tempted by two sacks of gold, he never come back...

Rio is captured and spends five years of his life in a brutal Mexican prison, until he makes an escape, with the company of a friend called Modesto (Larry Duran).

The embittered Rio is now a man bent on revenge... He learns in one Cantina that his ex-partner is the sheriff of a town called Monterey, and has taken himself a Mexican wife with a teen-age daughter... So he goes to visit him...

A guilt-ridden Dad finds Rio pleasant and apparently willing to forget past differences... He presents his family, and invites Rio to stay for supper...

Rio is in league with two bandits, Bob Amory (Ben Johnson) and Harvey Johnson (Sam Gilman), and they have come to Monterey to steal a bank... They grow impatient, but Rio assures them of his intention not only to rob the bank but to kill the sheriff as well...

Obviously, Longworth is not completely convinced about his friend, and becomes uneasy when Rio and his step-daughter show a romantic interest in one another... He well remembers Rio's past amorous adventures and he has no wish for anything that will delay Rio in Monterey...

The town engages in a fiesta, with the bank not planning to open for several days... While the respected sheriff joins the townspeople in their festivities, Rio seduces the tender Louisa...

The next morning, in a saloon, Rio approaches a drunk mistreating one of the house girls and knocks the man down... The drunk reaches for a shotgun and tries to shoot Rio in the back... But Modesto (as Bronson in 'Jubal') helps save Rio from the blast... The resultant outbursts Longworth to put his grisly double-cross into effect...

He takes Rio into the street and arrests him with the help of his deputies... He ties him to a horse rail, flogs him with a whip, smashes his right hand with a rifle butt, puts him on his horse and drives him out of town...

Rio retreats to a small fishing village on the coast with his partners and nurses himself back to health... Louisa visits him at his place to tell him she is in love... Rio's eyes are full of hate against her step father... He is entirely blind in his determination for revenge... Louisa wants him to forget, to leave his dark past for a brighter future... She leaves without mentioning she is expecting a baby...

For over a period of six weeks Rio practices with his gun in an intent to regain the use of his hand... Amory and Johnson grow impatient, and decide to make their own move... From here the action is carefully builds towards an explosion...

A carefully chosen supporting cast augmented the proceedings in fine style:

• Katy Jurado repeats her role of the loving and understanding mother...

• Ben Johnson plays the unscrupulous cowardly thief who avoids Brando's fury...

• The gentle Pina Pellicer does her earnest best to temper the intensities of her man...

• Slim Pickens plays the revolting deputy intimidated by an empty Derringer..

Brando's 'One-Eyed Jacks' comes on as taught and tight, acted with deep feeling and intense concentration... Brando and Malden play largely a stylistic battle...

Hamlet Rides The Range

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 March 2008]

In the only film that Marlon Brando ever directed, One Eyed Jacks, he and Karl Malden play a pair of amiable bank robbers who are operating south of the border. During a robbery the rest of the gang is killed and Brando's horse is shot from under him. With the Federales closing in there's no way one horse could carry them both as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid later found out. Malden elects to go for fresh mounts, only Malden doesn't come back. The Federales capture Brando and he's off to do a stretch in a Mexican prison.

Fast forward several years and Brando busts out of prison and goes north of the border. He and his fellow escapee Larry Duran fall in with robbers Ben Johnson and Sam Gilman. Johnson brings Brando an irresistible proposition. A bank in Monterey, California that he says will be easy to rob. And the best part, Karl Malden has gone respectable and is the sheriff there.

Malden's not only respectable, he's a married guy now, married to Katy Jurado and stepfather to the wide eyed Pina Pellicer. A good line of talk and the sight of Pellicer ease Brando's resolve for revenge.

In this stylistic western that is good, but doesn't quite make it to classic standards, Brando has managed to bring Hamlet out west. It took Hamlet the whole play to finally settle with his intended target and it takes Brando just about as long. His character Rio moves in fits and starts like Hamlet, gets sidetracked a few times as well like the melancholy Dane. Hamlet's target is his stepfather who killed his real father and usurped the throne and it's no coincident that Malden's character is named Dad.

Brando wisely cast his film with folks from previous westerns who look quite at home on the range if he sometimes doesn't. My best moment is Brando outwitting that lout of a deputy Malden has, Slim Pickens to affect a jail break.

Marlon Brando's legion of fans should find One Eyed Jacks acceptable and other western aficionados will like it as well.

Betrayal and redemption in old California

[NewEnglandPat · 8/10 · 30 March 2003]

Revenge and payback are the central theme in this film and is what keeps a cowboy going in his obsession to track down a former partner in crime. Marlon Brando stars and directs this fine drama as the flawed Rio searches for his erstwhile pal who sold him out to a posse several years earlier. Most of the film's characters are unsavory types and the peace officers aren't much better. This picture has the great natural beauty of the Monterrey peninsula and Death Valley, and Karl Malden and Ben Johnson, among others, do superb work. Brando looks a tad overweight in his tight-fitting Mexican cowboy outfits. The film has plenty of drama and excitement and is accompanied by a wonderful music score by Hugo Friedhofer. Although some critics panned this film, it has legions of devotees.

One-Eyed Jacks Is No Masterpiece; An Average Film At Best

[jvincent1 · 6/10 · 10 August 2006]

From what I've read, Brando and Kubrick disagreed on script contents, and Brando, being the heavyweight at the time, gave Kubrick the ol' heave-ho. Whatever Kubrick's version was to be, it had to be superior to the film's final product which can be summed: Love conquers all. All the characters are exaggerated almost to the point of absurdity. This is most likely the product of Brando's inexperience as a director. The film lacks any genuine sense of realism and so, there is no amount of intensity to Brando's (Rio) plight. When he's jailed, a day way from being hung, you know it's not going to happen. Great supporting actors of the Western genre such as Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens and Kathy Jurado are essentially wasted. What's good about it? The cinematography is excellent. Cowboys riding horses against the backdrop of the California coastline is an unusual setting, and camera man Charles Lang uses it to maximum effect. I read that the musical score is considered great, but I just didn't notice it. When you compare this Western to the works of John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, Sam Peckinpah, and Sergio Leone, it's just not in that class. Yes, it's a pretty good movie, but not in the same ballpark as the works of the aforementioned masters of the cowboy movie.

Flashes of greatness standing out in chopped messy Western.

[hitchcockthelegend · 5/10 · 4 March 2008]

I was never that smitten with this film many years ago on my first viewing, but now, with the advent of time, I like to think I view films with newer and wiser perspectives. Sadly I can't say that One- Eyed Jacks has left me anything other than frustrated and cold with disappointment.

Marlon Brando took over directing duties from Stanley Kubrick after the two giants fell out about the direction the picture was taking, this let Brando loose to shoot for 6 months on a film meant to be wrapped in two. Now this may be the main problem to me because the film is painfully devoid of major fleshing out of the characters, scenes are not expanded and there are obvious gaps due to mass editing cuts. It reads on the screen that our protagonist gets sentenced to 5 years in jail, two seconds later we see a bearded haggard man escaping prison chained to another inmate, next shot he is clean shaved and it seems we have missed some important chat between the two escapists. On it goes throughout the picture, I'm sure that the final elongated cut (rumoured to be between 4 & 6 hours) would have been a joyous experience, but as it is we get a cut down 141 minutes of film that rather outstays it's welcome. And to get through it you really need to believe in patience being a virtue.

Brando of course holds court and is never less than interesting, and at times he sizzles and dominates the screen in the way that Marlon was want to do. But the whole performance has the reek of over indulgence about it. Making it more about the actor than the actual narrative. Along side him, Karl Malden is solid and gruff as the villain of the piece, but Katy Jurado is badly underused and seems like an afterthought to be an important character. Sadly, too, Pina Pellicer struggles to convince in her only American film, but naturally that is not important in the context that she was to take her own life at the woefully young age of 29 (depending on what site you believe as regards age at death). The bright spot here is the cinematography from Charles Lang Jr at the various sites in California, it is simply gorgeous, check out the coastline shots and take it all in. I personally feel that this film is one that Brando fans choose to ignore the major flaws with. His name some how making the end product seem better than it actually is. In its longest form I'm sure it "could have been a contender" in the great Western stakes, as it is it remains average and something of an unfulfilling disappointment. 5/10

Brando's directorial debut - marvelous, albeit flawed

[MovieAddict2016 · 26 November 2004]

From IMDb trivia:

Marlon Brando's first cut of the film was allegedly 5 hours long. He was reportedely unhappy with the final product, despite its box-office success. "Now, it's a good picture for them [Paramount]," he said upon its release, "but it's not the picture I made... now the characters in the film are black-and-white, not gray-and-human as I planned them."

Hand it to Brando to be dissatisfied with a film because he didn't manage to make it as long as he wanted to. Regardless of what Brando thought, this is a really fine Western and a unique one, too - it seems fresh and "new," like a Cool Man's West or something. Having Brando (when he was still looking fairly trim) in the lead role certainly gives it a certain glamor and the story itself - and execution - is great.

Overall I wish Brando had made another film after this but to the best of my knowledge this is really the only true film he ever made. If he was just trying to prove he could direct, he did - even if the film has its flaws, it's far from bad. In fact, it's very, very good - and extremely entertaining.

4.5/5

One Eyed Jacks Hardly Ace In The Pack, Yet Still One To Watch

[pmb85 · 7/10 · 13 September 2003]

As a ravishing Marlon Brando fan i was delighted to stumble across the DVD version of his first (and thus far only) attempt at directing, for a measly £5.00, which is about 1/4 of a regular priced disc. I was of course slightly apprehensive about getting it for this price because theres a reason it must be priced so low. Thankfully a lot of this can be given to the fact there are no extras, not even scene selection, and the picture and sound is not as crisp as you would hope in this day and age. Aside from the quality of the disc the film is actually reasonably good. By no means is this as good as a Sergio Leone western, but never the less it will pass a good saturday afternoon.

The film is famous for the director changing before production (originally Kubrick but i dont need to tell you that i think ever review mentains this), and for the 5 hour running time which was practically halved by Paramount, which did upset Sir Marlon (thankfully its not 5 hours as that would be pretty torturous). However few i've met have actually seen it, and this is down to the fact that its never on TV and the DVD sucks and is quite rare. Brando didnt direct again and the film has become famous for this one fact, otherwise it may just have been another of his 1960's drivel that noone really remembers like 'A Countess from Hong Kong'.

Admittedly the 60's were a dry patch for Brando before the glorious comeback which i need not remind you of, and the man on screen is not quite the man of 10 years prior or 10 years after. Hes less explosive, he almost seems like dare i say, a regular actor, he seems tired and as a result this will not be remembered as one of his great performances. Though this doesnt mean its bad, some of the expressions he makes are as good as ever, its just not a remarkable performance which he's of course capable of, and notable for. Karl Malden on the other had is excellent, i've developed a liking for this guy after his great performances in 'Streetcar' and his even better one in 'Waterfront' both with Brando, but in 'Jacks' the partnership is less good than before.

This may be down the the average storyline, its very ordinary and you kind of know whats going to happen anyway. However its not boring as theres enough action to keep you interested, even if the love story wasnt well developed at all. The cinematography is excellent, oscar nominated i add, deservedly so. Brando does a decent job in the chair, though hes hardly the guy he is the other side of the lens. I think it would be very interesting to see the way the method acting worked while he was working the camara. Perhaps the directing duties helped distract his performance in some way, this is not to say its a bad one, just not a great one.

Despite the flaws the film does satisfy you, and its certainly above average. Brando fans will be satisfied and its notably one of his 'better' 60's films, though that doesnt speak the world does it. I dont doubt that Brando could have improved on this as a director, and for his first picture it does in part impress you. However i feel that if it wasnt remembered for the director this film may have just easily been forgotten for being regulation, which it probably is to be fair, even if it is entertaining. Not to say theres that much wrong with this film, its not special, its not bad and its not one of the great westerns from the time, but a passable one.

If you like westerns and Brando then you'll possibly enjoy it, as i did, but you'll possibly not remember it in a years time. Marlon Brando is possibly the greatest actor to have lived, and has far more up his sleave than this (though its true to say he has much worse).

I'm not going to tell you that you 'must' rush out now and buy this film, and to put off your next breath while you search every shop in town just to give it a peek. But what i will say is that if you can find it for £5.00 in your local video store then its definately worth the gamble, just dont expect to hit the 'Jack'-pot.

***/*****

Marlon Brando's only directional effort is a masterpiece and one of the best and ORIGINAL westerns

[ed56 · 10/10 · 29 December 2004]

Originally a project for Stanley Kubrick and then went into the hands of Brando, this is not your everyday Cowboy yarn. It's very surprising that the direction so well crafted and flawless for a first time director. The film is a kind of "Old friends turns true enemies" (obvious that this film was the inspiration for Sam Peckinpah western "Pat Garret and Billy the kid" but Brando's is much much better.) with Brando as the Betrayed Rio and Karl Malden in his most nasty. Also film features the lovely actress Pina Pellicer as Brando love interest. The scenery is a real eye candy and the score is wonderful. It's unacceptable that such a classic known by so few people these days. Watch this underrated classic - you won't be disappointed. I rate this a 10/10.Recommended

Marlon Brando Does A Western

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 10 July 2013]

Running from the law after a bank robbery in Mexico, Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) finds an opportunity to take the stolen gold and leave his partner Rio (Marlon Brando) to be captured. Years later, Rio escapes from the prison where he has been since, and hunts down Dad for revenge. Dad is now a respectable sheriff in California, and has been living in fear of Rio's return.

What would this film have been like in the hands of Stanley Kubrick? Sadly, we will never know. But I would love to hear more about this, how far along it got before Kubrick backed out. Did he touch the script, cast any of the actors? Or was it mostly just talk?

Marlon Brando's cut is said to be five hours. I am sure some people want that to be released. I, for one, am not sure I need to see the whole thing. However, this is definitely a film in need of some cleaning up. Good editions might exist, but the one I watched was not one of them. Where is our Criterion special edition?

"You ain't getting no older than tomorrow".

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 13 November 2010]

"One-Eyed Jacks" has a ubiquitous presence in all those movie bargain bins at places like Wal-Mart, which is one of the reasons it's taken so long for me to get around to it. I guess I had this preconceived notion that it just wouldn't be that good. It turns out this is one of those greatly under-rated Westerns that fans of the genre turn to not so much for the action, but for the psychological and emotional angles that play out over the course of the story. It also has the unusual distinction of Marlon Brando playing both sides of the camera as star and director.

One of the first interesting elements you're likely to pick up on is the setting for most of the story. It's not every day you're going to catch breakers crashing up on a rocky coastline in a Western, but Monterey is where outlaw Rio (Brando) comes gunning for former partner Dad Longworth (Karl Malden), five years after Dad left him to fend for himself attempting to outrun a rurale posse. The conflict is given more resonance when Longworth's adopted daughter (Pina Pellicer) falls hard for Rio, putting her squarely in the middle of Rio's plan for revenge.

If you pay attention, you'll catch one of Brando's mannerisms that became a part of the Don Corleone/Godfather persona, the brushing back-hand gesture in front of his face in an early scene. It's interesting how actors will re-use a signature move like that in their films, some more so than others, like Bogart with his facial grimace. For me, it's one of the pleasures to be derived from being an avid film fan.

As effectively as the story is told, the one thing that doesn't work in the picture is the scene where Rio tries to bluff Deputy Lon Dedrick (Slim Pickens) with the derringer. To top it off, Lon even explains why it wouldn't work - the worst that could happen is that he catches a non-fatal bullet. That, along with the awkward shooting angle for Rio if Lon were to bolt back down the steps should have made it a no-brainer for Lon to do just that. So what does Lon do? - he opens the cell door setting up Rio's escape. Dumb move. By the way, did you notice how the cell bars moved when Rio yanked on them right after Lon pulled Louisa away? Maybe he could have escaped without the key after all.

Brando Directs!

[JasparLamarCrabb · 6/10 · 19 March 2006]

Not bad at all. This fast moving, beautifully photographed western was Marlon Brando's only directing effort and he clearly learned a lot from the likes of Elia Kazan. The emphasis is on character, not necessarily action. This is a very rare non-Peckinpah western to have a flawed hero. Brando is on the lam after being betrayed by one-time com-padre Karl Malden. Malden is excellent as "Dad," a rotten man who now wears a badge. The movie is surprisingly devoid of any self-indulgence and Brando makes good use of the Northern California locations. He also had the good sense to cast the likes of Ben Johnson, Timothy Carey, Slim Pickens and the great Katy Jurado, who's terrific as Malden's wife.

A Great Director Manque?

[JamesHitchcock · 8/10 · 21 January 2004]

Possible Spoilers

In the only film that he directed, Marlon Brando stars as Rio, a bandit who is betrayed by his partner, Dad Longworth, and spends several years in a Mexican jail. Escaping, Rio vows revenge and tracks Longworth down to a California seaside town, where he has become the sheriff and, seemingly, a reformed character. Rio's quest for vengeance, however, is complicated when he falls in love with Louisa, Longworth's stepdaughter from his marriage to a Mexican woman. Further complications are caused by the fact that Rio is in league with two other outlaws to carry out a bank robbery. As one might expect, the movie ends with much violence and a bloody shootout.

The above plot summary might suggest that this is a run-of-the-mill revenge Western. That would not be a fair impression. My summary is in fact very much telescoped- the actual plot is a complex one. Although elements of the plot may be drawn from the commonplace book of stock Western clichés, there is much about the film that lifts it above the commonplace. There is some fine acting from Brando himself, who brings his characteristic intensity to Rio, from Karl Malden as Longworth, and particularly from the young Mexican actress Pina Pellicer as Louisa. Pellicer was not a classical beauty, but she gives Louisa, caught between love for Rio and loyalty to her stepfather, a fragile, tragic quality which is one of the most attractive things about this film.

The other thing which lifts the film out of the ordinary is Brando's eye for beauty. Despite the name of the genre, most Westerns are not actually set at the westernmost edge of the North American continent- in most, the action takes place considerably further east, and I have even seen the term used to describe films about east-coast states. (Shenandoah, set in Virginia, is an example). One-Eyed Jacks is unusual in its seaside setting, and Brando makes full use of the magnificent Californian coastal scenery to produce what is visually one of the most striking Westerns ever.

Although the film can be slow in places, its length allows Brando to build up his characters more fully and effectively than would have been possible in a shorter, faster-paced film. This is one of the new type of longer, epic, character-driven Westerns that were becoming popular in the fifties rather than the shorter action-driven Westerns that had previously held sway. Other examples of this new breed of Western were Anthony Mann's The Naked Spur and William Wyler's The Big Country. Those are two particularly fine films made by two great directors, but Brando's film can bear comparison with them. On the evidence of One-Eyed Jacks it seems a pity that he did not persist with his career as a director. 8/10.

"You may be a one eyed jack around here, but I've seen the other side of your face."

[elvircorhodzic · 6/10 · 10 May 2017]

ONE-EYED JACKS is a western, which is based on a conflict between the brutality of the Wild West and an intense romance.

The three outlaws successfully rob bank in Sonora, Mexico. However, Mexican rurales track them and catch them celebrating in a cantina. The two outlaws manage to escape. One of the outlaws has, during an exciting chase, betrayed his partner and ran away with their gold. The second outlaw is arrested and transported to prison by way of a jacalito where he learns first hand of betrayal from an owner. He spends five hard years in a Sonora prison, before he escapes with his new partner. He decides to find his old friend. However, the betrayer has used their wealth to become the sheriff of Monterey, California. The fugitive plans a revenge, but he falls in love with a lovely sheriff's stepdaughter...

This is an unlikely illusion, which runs between insecurity and greed. Mr. Brando has, despite the fact that the main protagonist is an outlaw (an antagonist), exaggerated with melodramas in this film. This is an important flaw. The conflict between the two antagonists emphasizes anti western style as sub-genre. This is a positive aspect, which causes a cold tension in this story. The duel between the two of them is very realistic. A romance, with a lot of charm, is a quite tasty and unobtrusive. Simply, Mr. Brando was not experienced enough to connect all the positive aspects in a single unit.

The scenery, together with the photography is excellent, although not corresponded to the mood in this film. I can not be sure, maybe it's just a game between different contrast.

Marlon Brando as Rio is a dominant and very interesting character, who has a frequent and somewhat inappropriately explosion of his feelings. He shows the complexity of an outlaw. Karl Malden as Dad Longworth is a villain, who is rotten to the core. Katy Jurado as Maria Longworth is not got enough space. Her character is not fully developed. Pina Pellicer as Louisa is a charming voice of reason, which is very quickly thrown into the fire.

This is a very ambitious experiment by an inexperienced director.

a must see for Brando fans

[Tashtago · 10/10 · 28 October 2004]

This film is essential viewing for Brando fans. Brando directs for the only time . Working from a script that is in part based on the legend of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Brando interweaves themes of betrayal, revenge and hypocrisy into something strangely hypnotic and real. Particularly effective in this respect is the scene with Karl Malden and Brando on the outskirts of Monterey where the two sit reminiscing amusingly about their past together and the viewer is left wondering if at any moment the two of them might end up blowing each others heads off. The other key to this film is setting it on the west coast of California thereby giving it a feel and rhythm that is unique to the western genre. All in all a greatly neglected treasure.

Jack of all trades

[elgee · 7/10 · 22 November 1999]

Whatever the problems were in making this Movie, certainly they didn't interfere with the out-come, One Eyed Jacks is a great Western. During it's production there seemed to be some running over budget, and others( notably Marlon Brando ) running out of patience, with percieved ideas about where the Movie was heading, particularly in the film's early stages. But the end result is the one we are interested in, and we're not let down by all who took part in it, in particular Brando, who along with many other chores gives us a fine portrayal of Johnny Rio, the betrayed and vengeful bank robber. Karl Malden as always presents us with an equally fine performance as Dad Longworth, who as Rio's friend betrays him then spends the next five years looking over his shoulder. Along with some spectacular cinematography by Charles Lang, the film has it's fair share of action also, as we see Rio's short fuse explode losing his cool with Bob Amory, played by the ever reliable Ben Johnson, and Lon Dedrick, played brilliantly by Slim Pickens. I particularly like the scene when Rio breaks out of his cell after bluffing Dedrick with an empty Derringer. The interaction between them is fantastic, and they didn't hold anything back either with Dedrick getting a smart kick up the backside after he was jammed in the back by Rio forcing him on his knees. The film bogs down a little in the middle stages when the relationship between Rio and Louisa, played by Pina Pellicer, begins to blossom. There seems to be too many shots of Brando giving us dialogue that could have been condensed into something a touch sharper and perhaps a little shorter also. Notwithstanding that however, One Eyed Jacks is a great Western, decorated with the presence of stars Brando and Malden, and one also where we could be forgiven for asking.......just who was the Director?...........Who cares.

Fails to Justify Its Long Runtime

[PartTimeCritic · 4/10 · 1 March 2023]

One-Eyed Jacks (1961): A 36-year-old Brando plays Rio, a bank robber who after a Mexican robbery turned sideways is betrayed by his partner Dad Longworth, played by Karl Malden. After five years in a Sonoran Desert, Rio breaks out and looks for revenge on Dad. He connects with a few other gun hands who tell him the whereabouts of Longworth - he's the Sheriff of Monterey. They head up there to rob the bank in his town and for Rio to get revenge. This near 2.5 hour film, directed by Marlon Brando (his own only directorial feature), tries to fit in a lot of character development and romantic entanglements between this swift opening act and what we all know is eventually coming. Unfortunately, this attempt at showing the depth and greys of gunfighters doesn't engage, it mostly drags. Karl Malden's Longworth does get a couple of moments to really stand out, presaging the kind of character we'd find in someone like Gene Hackman's Little Bill. The ultimate shootout is a bit underwhelming and the quick ending afterwards feels like studio interference to shorten the film. A notable film, but a miss.