There Was a Crooked Man...

There Was a Crooked Man...

Year: 1970

Runtime: 126 min

Language: English

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

ComedyWestern

In the harsh landscape of the Wild West, outlaw Paris Pitman Jr. is imprisoned following a failed robbery and violent confrontation. With his gang decimated, he attempts to bribe his way to freedom, but faces opposition from the steadfast Sheriff Lopeman. Driven by desperation, Paris devises a risky jailbreak, leading to a tense and exciting confrontation with the law.

Dark
Bleak ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Steady pacing
Moderate complexity

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Timeline & Setting – There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

Explore the full timeline and setting of There Was a Crooked Man... (1970). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1883

Set in the American West during 1883, the film inhabits a frontier era defined by rough justice, scarce resources, and outlaw activity. The action moves from a wealth-ridden ranch to prison walls and perilous desert terrain, reflecting the period's harsh realities. This era shapes the characters' choices, risks, and the pursuit of fortune.

Location

Lomax's ranch house, desert hideout, Bordello, Arizona Territory penitentiary

The story unfolds across distinct Western locations: the Lomax family home where the break-in occurs, a remote desert where the loot is buried in a rattlesnake nest, a frontier bordello that becomes a focal point for surveillance and manipulation, and a harsh penitentiary in the Arizona Territory where Pitman and his fellow inmates scheme and clash.

🏚️ Ranch 🏜️ Desert 💃 Bordello 🏛️ Prison

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:34

Main Characters – There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

Meet the key characters of There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Pitman

A cunning, ruthless inmate who orchestrates the plan to recover and share the buried loot. He relentlessly manipulates fellow prisoners, promising each a share of the money to secure his own escape. His charm hides a calculating mind that is willing to betray partners to reach freedom.

🎭 Manipulative 🧭 Ambitious 💰 Greed-driven

Lomax

A wealthy rancher whose fortune becomes the target of the initial robbery. He is later a regular at the bordello and is driven by desperation, slipping into a vulnerable frame as he contemplates his losses. His wealth and status are the catalysts that set the chain of events in motion.

🎭 Wealthy 🧭 Desperate 💔 Desolate

Woodward Lopeman

A reform-minded sheriff turned warden who abolishes hard labor and advocates for prisoner dignity. He recognizes Pitman's leadership potential and assigns him to oversee the prison dining hall, while quietly pursuing a harder path to stop the escape. His reforms clash with the inmates' schemes and ignite the riot.

🎭 Reformist 🧭 Authoritative ⚖️ Just

The Missouri Kid

One of Pitman's inmate allies, a legendary train robber with a hardened temperament. He participates in the riot and escape plan but is ultimately undone by the chaotic events and Pitman's manipulations.

🎭 Infamous 🗺️ Outlaw 🧭 Hardened

Mute Chinese inmate

A silent immigrant among the prison cohort, reputedly a dangerous maniac. He communicates through actions and remains a background figure in the escape dynamics, underscoring the film's theme of marginal figures within the system.

🎭 Silent 🧭 Immigrant 🪶 Quiet

Governor

The visiting governor observes the prison and its reforms, providing political context for Lopeman's changes and the prison riot. His arrival catalyzes some of the day-of-riot actions and the final reckoning.

🎭 Authority 🧭 Oversight ⚖️ Official

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:34

Major Themes – There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

Explore the central themes of There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💰 Greed

Greed drives the plot as Pitman and others chase a hidden fortune. The lure of wealth tests loyalties and pushes characters toward risky decisions. The pursuit of money creates betrayals and heightens the stakes, culminating in a costly twist.

🗝️ Escape

Escape is the engine of the narrative: a prison riot, shifting alliances among inmates, and a relentless pursuit to reach freedom. Pitman uses the opportunity of chaos to push toward an exit, while the warden does what he can to thwart the plan. The escape efforts drive the tension to a dramatic, ironic conclusion.

⚖️ Justice

The film probes justice within a flawed system: a reform-minded warden clashes with hardened criminals while trying to impose dignity and order. The ending questions what constitutes true justice as death, capture, and theft intertwine. It contrasts moral reform with the harsh realities of crime and punishment.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:34

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Gritty prison break films like There Was a Crooked Man...

Desperate inmates scheme for freedom in corrupt, unforgiving penitentiaries.If you enjoyed the desperate escape plans and corrupt prison system in There Was a Crooked Man..., you'll find similar tension in these movies. This list features stories of cunning inmates navigating brutal penitentiaries, where freedom is the ultimate prize and betrayal is always nearby.

claustrophobictensedesperategrittyunforgivingcynicalharsh

Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a clever but morally ambiguous inmate who masterminds a complex escape from a harsh prison. The plot builds methodically as alliances are formed and tested, leading to a climax where the plan is put into action, often with bleak or morally complex consequences.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their claustrophobic setting, the central theme of a desperate escape, and a cynical tone that questions the very concepts of justice and redemption within a corrupt system.

Cynical and bleak Westerns similar to There Was a Crooked Man...

Western stories where greed and moral ambiguity lead to grim conclusions.Fans of the moral ambiguity and bleak ending in There Was a Crooked Man... will appreciate these Westerns. Discover movies that deconstruct the genre's myths, featuring anti-heroes, themes of greed and corruption, and stories that conclude on a somber, unforgiving note.

grittycynicalharshunforgivingdesperatetense

Narrative Summary

The narrative journey follows an anti-hero's pursuit of wealth or freedom through morally dubious means, set against the unforgiving backdrop of the West. Their plans inevitably unravel due to their own flaws or a corrupt world, culminating in a defeat that highlights the futility of their ambitions.

Why These Movies?

They share a deconstruction of the traditional Western mythos, a dominant dark tone, themes of greed and corruption, and ultimately a bleak or bittersweet ending that leaves a heavy emotional impact.

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There Was a Crooked Man... Summary

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