The story of There Was a Crooked Man...
There Was a Crooked Man... opens on a man who could charm a coyote out of a chicken. Kirk Douglas plays Pa Crook, a ruthless and endlessly resourceful criminal who finds himself locked away in a remote Arizona prison — not exactly where someone of his talents wants to be. The setup is simple enough: he's got money hidden somewhere, and he's convinced his cellmates that if they help him escape, they'll share in the spoils. What unfolds isn't just a straightforward prison break, but a portrait of manipulation, greed, and the strange bonds that form between men trapped behind bars. The film's genius is that it doesn't take itself too seriously. There's genuine menace here, sure, but also a winking awareness that everyone involved knows they're playing a game — they're just not sure who's winning.
Behind the making of There Was a Crooked Man...
There Was a Crooked Man... represents a curious detour in the career of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, a filmmaker best known for sophisticated dramas and sharp dialogue-driven narratives. This was his only venture into the Western genre, and he brought his particular sensibility to what could have been a routine heist picture. The screenplay came from David Newman and Robert Benton, the writing team who'd just made their splash with Bonnie and Clyde — so they understood how to blend violence with dark humor and create morally ambiguous characters audiences couldn't quite look away from. The supporting cast reads like a who's who of 1970s character actors: Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith, and John Randolph all inhabit the prison with the kind of lived-in authenticity that comes from real pros who'd spent decades in Hollywood. Charles Strouse provided the score, and cinematographer Harry Stradling Jr. shot it all with the kind of visual clarity that made the Arizona landscape feel both beautiful and isolating. The film opened to a respectable reception and has maintained a solid IMDb rating of 6.8, suggesting it's found an audience that appreciates its particular blend of Western convention and subversive humor — even if it didn't quite become the classic some might have hoped for.
What makes There Was a Crooked Man... stand out
What's striking about this film is how it refuses to let you settle into a comfortable moral position. Douglas's Pa Crook is likable — genuinely likable — even as he's lying, manipulating, and using everyone around him for his own ends. That's the real trick of the performance: he's not a tragic antihero brooding in his cell, he's a salesman, a con man who gets energized by the game itself. The ensemble cast around him creates this fascinating ecosystem of desperation and self-interest, where every conversation is a negotiation and every alliance is temporary. I keep coming back to how Mankiewicz handles the prison setting — it's not a hellhole or a character-building crucible, it's more like a stage where these men perform their various needs and schemes. The dialogue crackles with the kind of wordplay and verbal sparring you'd expect from a director who'd spent his career crafting witty exchanges. There's a scene where Crook talks his way through a situation that could've turned violent, and you realize the real weapon here isn't a gun — it's the ability to say exactly what someone wants to hear. That's the film's central insight, and it's played for both comedy and genuine tension. If you're looking for a Western that deconstructs the genre while still delivering on the basic promise of adventure and suspense, Movie OTT tracks where you can find it across streaming platforms.
Where to stream There Was a Crooked Man... online
There Was a Crooked Man... is available on major OTT services, making it relatively easy to track down if you're in the mood for a 1970s Western with a twist. The exact platform availability shifts depending on your region and subscription status, but the Where to Watch widget at the top of this page shows you current options. Movie OTT keeps that information updated so you don't have to hunt through five different apps wondering if the title's still there. Given the film's runtime of 123 minutes, you're looking at a solid evening's entertainment — the kind of movie that rewards your attention without demanding you take notes or have a film theory degree to understand what's happening.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who directed There Was a Crooked Man...?
Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed the film in 1970. It was his only Western, a notable departure from the sophisticated dramas he was known for throughout his career.
Q: Is There Was a Crooked Man... based on a true story?
No, it's an original screenplay written by David Newman and Robert Benton, the team behind Bonnie and Clyde. The story of Pa Crook and his prison escape scheme is fictional.
Q: What's the runtime of There Was a Crooked Man...?
The film runs 123 minutes, giving you plenty of time to get invested in the characters and their schemes.
Q: Who stars in There Was a Crooked Man...?
Kirk Douglas leads the cast as Pa Crook, with strong supporting performances from Hume Cronyn, Warren Oates, Burgess Meredith, and John Randolph, among others.
Q: What genre is There Was a Crooked Man...?
It's a Western, though one that blends heist elements and dark comedy rather than sticking to traditional Western formulas. The film subverts genre expectations while still delivering on the promise of adventure.
Final thoughts on There Was a Crooked Man...
There Was a Crooked Man... doesn't get mentioned in the same breath as the great Westerns, but that might be exactly why it's worth your time. It's a film that knows what it is — a clever, entertaining story about flawed people doing questionable things — and it executes that vision with style and wit. If you're tired of Westerns that take themselves too seriously, or if you just want to watch Kirk Douglas work his charm on a room full of desperate men, this one's worth seeking out. Movie OTT makes it simple to find where it's streaming in your area.
