It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Jack Palance looks kind of odd with that mustache he wore for The Lonely Man. Still he's not the psychotic Palance we've seen in many of his films. He's the world weary gunfighter who's looking to get out of the business. But the notorious King Fisher played by Neville Brand who nearly died from a gunfight with Palance is looking to settle old accounts with Palance.Of course King Fisher in fact was a real notorious gunman who operated in Texas. Brand gives a nice performance, but this is most definitely not King Fisher's story.Anthony Perkins who specialized in playing callow youths in the Fifties is Palance's son along for the ride unwillingly because Palance left his mother way back when who is dead now. Perkins just has no other place to go.In fact Palance has one very good reason for leaving gunfighting which I will not reveal. His only hope is that he can move as far as he can.Palance and Perkins do strike a nice balance as the world weary father and his rebellious and a bit stupid son. There's also a nice supporting cast with people like Lee Van Cleef, Elisha Cook,Jr. and Robert Middleton and Claude Akins. All tried and true cinema villains though they're not all villains here.A downer of a film,still nicely done.

Anthony Perkins had yet to find his feet when he made "The Lonely Man" in 1957, cast as former outlaw Jack Palance's son, but he's remarkably assured nevertheless. It's a so-so western from a mediocre director, Henry Levin, with Palance the lonely man of the title, wanting to go straight but finding both the law and his former partners doing all they can to see that he doesn't. A first class supporting cast, (Neville Brand, Robert Middleton, Lee Van Cleef, Claude Akins) ensure that it's never less than watchable and it's very handsomely photographed in black and white VistaVision by Lionel Lindon. It's a pity the script never really develops the characters beyond the one-dimensional and now it is very seldom shown.

Since childhood I've found the actors playing the bad guys more interesting than the main characters,at least till about 1970 or so.Many that I viewed in the 1950's didn't last long in a movie or TV program because they were an early victim to the star.Some eventually went on to make names for their selves but for the most part I liked them more when playing minor roles.Some of those minor role villains are in this movie and I found them very entertaining.There's Neville Brand playing King Fisher,a good performer but sometimes a little bit to scary even for me when dealing out punishment.Others like Faro (Lee Van Cleef),Sundown Whipple(John Doucette) and Blackburn(Claude Akins) are in top menacing form.While not a household name another quality performer is Robert Middleton playing Ben Ryerson.Whether playing a politician or a mob boss he gives a quality performance.In this movie he's a bit grubby looking but handy with both a gun and a knife.Then there's Willie (Elisha Cook Jr) one of Fisher's men.He usually bursts into a room big eyed bearing news but has to grab a quick drink before speaking.So much to my delight the cast includes a rouge's gallery of personal favorites,almost like a dream come true.For those who like the good guys the movie leans more towards a nightmare.Jack Palance plays Jacob Wade the main character.As usual he has the look of a strong tough looking man.His performance is better than usual but that just means it's not as stiff as usual.The story lacks a bit of direction also.Those two points are forgotten because of Anthony Perkins who plays Jacob Wade's son Riley.His part lacks direction or maybe a director as it seems like he or someone else wants to sabotage this movie.First off he's too old and big to be playing the part of the son.When he does show some sign of a emotion it's fitting more for someone at least 10 years younger than him.To the simple statement that his mother(deceased) was a fine woman he responds blandly"talk about my mother again and I'll kill you",really off the wall.Elaine Aiken gives a good performance and is nice looking.In another comment it was basically said her character with it's good qualities has no reason to be interested romantically in the wimpy Perkins character,that's hitting the nail on the head.So this movie was just about what I expected,the minor roles out shining the main characters.One of the main characters looked like a good friend must of gave them the part.

It is not clear just what the creators of this film had in mind. It does have some worthwhile sequences of the actors riding on horse back chasing wild horses. What that had to do with the rest of the film is not at all clear.The relation between the son (played oddly by Tony Perkins (Psycho)) and the former lover of his father (the father is decently acted by Jack Palance) was a film disaster. Obviously the creators wanted to go in the direction of a romantic triangle (younger woman falls for older man's son) but the attraction is completely nonsensical because the son is sullen, rude, and distinctly un-heroic throughout the whole film. No woman tough enough to live on her own in an isolated mountain ranch would fall for such a useless man.The end scene is also absurd as the son helps his dying father shoot the bad guy dead in what has to be the stupidest possible fashion. This is NOT one of the better westerns filmed in the 1950s.I will say one thing for it, those actors sure could ride horses. I wonder where it was filmed? Wyoming?