Episode 325: One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Published: June 1, 2017, 1 p.m.

Special Guest: Toby Roan
Guest Co-Hosts: Paul Zimmerman, Jamey Duvall


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.

Buy One-Eyed Jacks on Blu-Ray

Buy The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones by Charles Neider

Visit 50 Westerns from the '50s

Hear more of Jamie Duvall at Movie Geeks United!

Read My Dinners with Demme by Paul Zimmerman