After the Comic:
Well, Sidney and Tony finally learned that pulling in opposite directions only gets you muddy. A little cooperation got them across that ditch and straight to my lunch counter.
Then they discovered one more thing they could split: the bill!
I believe there’s a good lesson underneath that sandwich joke. You don’t have to come from the same background to help each other. Sometimes getting somewhere starts with letting go of your prejudice—and admitting the other fellow might have something worth listening to.
My comic gives that idea a funny ending. The Defiant Ones takes it into much tougher territory.
A few things you might not know about the movie:
There’s a Little Rascals connection! Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer appears as Angus. Yes, the familiar Our Gang youngster grew up and landed a role in this serious drama.
That river scene involved real discomfort. Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis filmed in California’s cold Kern River while shackled together, wearing rubber diving suits beneath their costumes. Stuntmen caught them downstream after the current carried them along. I think I’ll keep my adventures at the lunch counter!
One writer had to use another name. Blacklisted screenwriter Nedrick Young was credited as Nathan E. Douglas. His proper writing credit was officially restored by the Writers Guild in 1996.
Both leading men earned Oscar nominations. Poitier and Curtis were nominated for Best Actor, and the film won Oscars for its original screenplay and black-and-white cinematography.
Now settle in for the approximately 21-minute shortened version in my Bootleg Comic Theater player. It’s a condensed presentation, so some scenes and buildup from the complete feature are left out.
Enjoy the movie—and remember: you’re stronger when you pull together.
Especially when somebody hands you the check!
—BJ
Press Play for the BJ introduction, followed by the movie.
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