Episode 325: One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

The Projection Booth Podcast

Based on Charles Neider's book The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones, One-Eyed Jacks (1961) tells the tale of Rio AKA The Kid, played by Marlon Brando, and Dad Longsworth, played by Karl Malden. The two are outlaws who take very different paths, the Kid being a "noble" criminal while Dad eventually becomes a servant of the law. We watch them spar in the coastal Californian city of Monterrey where the tumultuous water serves as a metaphor for the raging emotions inside each man.
The film was originally supposed to have been a powerhouse production with Sam Peckinpah writing the adaptation, Stanley Kubrick directing, and Brando as the star. But things don't always work out the way they're supposed to. Instead, this became the first and only film that Brando directed.
Jamey Duvall and Paul Zimmerman join Mike to discuss Brando, Westerns, and more. Special guest Toby Roan is the author of the upcoming A Million Feet Of Film: The Making Of One-Eyed Jacks.
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