In his only excursion out west, Joseph L. Mankiewicz transported his acidic wit and rather bleak vision of the innate kindness of man, traits that distinguished House of Strangers, No Way Out, and All About Eve, to a sweltering territorial prison in Arizona. There was a Crooked Man...(1970) is an under appreciated western chock full of distinguished players and brimming over with a cynicism that may have given Billy Wilder pause. Paris Pitman, Jr. (Kirk Douglas) possesses a pitch black soul that is skillfully camouflaged in an infectious charm. But, much like the two exposed eyes of a crocodile as it drifts just beneath the waters of a placid river, Pitman's true nature isn't revealed until it is too late for his victim. He doesn't exactly go out of his way to kill people, but he certainly isn't troubled very much when they are. He is, in a way, a trailblazer of sorts, clearing the path for corporate America, where any outrage is amenable as long as it advances the holy cause of self-interest. Written by Bonnie and Clyde screenwriters David Newman and Robert Benton.
