The Outsider (1961)

That was an excellent one.

Great Film overall

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Clint Eastwood in Flags Of Our Fathers has probably given us the definitive version of the story of the flag raising on Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima. Three of the six were later killed in action before the the flag raising became a Marine Corps symbol. The other three came back to all kinds of publicity because they became media heroes. Probably you couldn't find three more ordinary guys than Jesse Bradley, Rene Gagnon, and Ira Hayes. The first two lived long lives in respectable obscurity after their 15 minutes of fame finally died down. Ira Hayes was unique in that he both survived and was a minority group member. When Branch Rickey decided it was time to integrate baseball Jackie Robinson was chosen after a very careful selection process. Ira Hayes was part of a group photograph of a flag raising during a lull in a great battle. Fame chose him and as we see in The Outsider, he wasn't ready to deal with it. Tony Curtis gives one of his best screen performances as Ira Hayes, the Pima Indian kid who mere chance at being in the photographer's lens when an immortal picture was snapped gave him fame he didn't want to deal with. How could he, really he was probably no better or worse than any of the other men and simply raising a flag during a lull of battle wasn't anything heroic. Hayes was acutely aware of this and felt himself unworthy to be the Jackie Robinson for the Pima Indians.Such a sad story that Tony Curtis brings to us on the big screen. How would we deal with fame if it was suddenly thrust upon us for no discernible reason? Something Ira Hayes asked until the day he died.Ira Hayes and Tony Curtis, himself a World War II veteran, wouldn't mind if this review was dedicated to all the men who served in the Marine Corps and fought for that volcanic island in the Pacific called Iwo Jima. Just another hero in the company of thousands of heroes, that's what Ira Hayes would have wanted.

This movie is an excellent (my judgement based on other research) portrayal of the life of Ira Hayes after Iwo Jima. Hayes gets selected as a hero then tries to live down what he feels is a farce of advertising. It has been recently remade as "Flags Of Our Fathers" aptly named since it's initials are FOOF a word used to describe a chair designed to be comfortable, the new version Flags of our Fathers is a feel good piece to make people feel good about heros and bashing war all in one neat package. Given a choice between the two The Outsider is far superior to it's more contemporary remake in all areas except the special effects.

A movie which speaks so much truth about the manner in which Heroes in the US are treated by the establishment.A man is utilised for his status and immediate appeal only to forgotten and downtrodden shortly after.The US has the ability ,like no where else, to allow heroes used for their immediacy to fall from grace so quickly while they move on to someone else. A performance by Curtis which is up there with all the other good movies he made about this time. Curtis had an appeal during this period for making good intelligent pictures before he reduced himself to almost a joke. A quality actor who for some reason became a virtual outcast by his contemporaries.Fame can do many things to people some not so good. The story of the Iwo Jima flag is legendary the spin and conivance that followed is such a blight on a society which we try to look up to but on many occasions feel sorry for.

I would love to see it. Just returned from the Doss, Texas reenactment/commemoration of the Battlle of Iwo Jima and Ira Hayes' name figures prominently in it's lore and legend. Tony Curtis should get an Oscar for his lifetime of work in the entertainment industry. His contributions have been huge and by all accounts his portrayal of Hayes is remarkable in its own right. Why has this movie been slighted all these years? And why is this movie so hard to find? Couldn't be because the director has had some troubles; Delbert Mann is Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury's age and was active in directing well into his seventies.... Heck, he directed "Marty" for TV and for the 1955 Academy Award-winning movie; so where is the recognition this film so obviously deserves?