The Defiant Ones

Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier are handcuffed together as white and Black escaped convicts in the South in this classic liberal adventure from Stanley Kramer. Their plight is an all-too-obvious metaphor for American race relations. Though the political lesson drives the movie, the action is also effective as the odd couple flees from their oppressors. This is an engrossing depiction of racial tensions and an oppressive penal system. Both Poitier and Curtis give memorable performances. Curtis's portrayal of a bigoted uneducated Southern "cracker" is probably the best performance and role of his career. This was the film that established Poitier as a star.