The Lost Man

For the Australian novel, see The Lost Man (novel).
The Lost Man
Directed byRobert Alan Aurthur
Screenplay byRobert Alan Aurthur
Based onOdd Man Out
by F.L. Green
Produced byEdward Muhl
Melville Tucker
StarringSidney Poitier
Joanna Shimkus
Al Freeman Jr.
Michael Tolan
CinematographyGerald Perry Finnerman
Edited byEdward Mann
Music byQuincy Jones
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • June 25, 1969 (1969-06-25) (New York City)
  • July 11, 1969 (1969-07-11) (United States)
Running time
122 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.85 million (US/ Canada rentals)[1]

The Lost Man is a 1969 American crime film, written and directed by Robert Alan Aurthur, loosely based on British author F.L. Green's 1945 novel Odd Man Out, which was previously made into a 1947 film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason.

Plot

Former US Army lieutenant Jason Higgs (Sidney Poitier), after becoming a black militant during the 1960s Black Revolutionary Movement, is wounded as he pulls a payroll heist to help imprisoned brothers, and has to hide from the police. Social worker Cathy Ellis (Joanna Shimkus) falls in love with Higgs while helping him elude capture.

Cast

Critical response

New York Times critic Vincent Canby called the film "Poitier's attempt to recognize the existence and root causes of black militancy without making anyone — white or black — feel too guilty or hopeless."[2] Roger Ebert wrote that "Poitier has seldom been stronger or more human." but criticized the film for "a tendency to smooth corners and tinker with the plot."[3]

Musical score and soundtrack

The Lost Man
Soundtrack album by
Quincy Jones
Released1969
Recorded1969
GenreFilm score
Length33:54
LabelUni
UNI 73060
ProducerQuincy Jones, Stanley Wilson
Quincy Jones chronology
The Italian Job
(1969) 		The Lost Man
(1969) 		Walking in Space
(1969)

The film score was composed by Quincy Jones and conducted by Stanley Wilson, and the soundtrack album was released on the Uni label in 1969.[4][5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[6]

Allmusic's Brandon Burke said the soundtrack had "In the strict sense of the word, The Lost Man was not a blaxploitation film, but its soundtrack (arranged by Quincy Jones) might lead you to think otherwise. ... Jones takes the sparse, groove-oriented route heard on the J.J. Johnson scores for Cleopatra Jones and Across 110th Street. This is most evident on downtempo numbers like the sultry "Sweet Soul Sister" (featuring Nate Turner & the Mirettes) and the opening theme. "Main Squeeze," however, is a funk bomb if ever there was one and, thankfully, its bass-driven motif runs throughout the LP. Recommended if you can find it".[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Quincy Jones except where noted

  1. "The Lost Man (Main Title)" (Lyrics by Dick Cooper, Ernie Shelby) – 2:35
  2. "Sweet Soul Sister" (Lyrics by Cooper, Shelby) – 2:48
  3. "Slum Creeper" – 3:22
  4. "Rap, Run It on Down" (Lyrics by Cooper, Shelby) – 2:31
  5. "He Says He Loves Me" (Lyrics by Diane Hilderbrand, Cooper, Shelby) – 3:45
  6. "Main Squeeze" – 2:48
  7. "Try, Try, Try" (Lyrics by Cooper, Shelby) – 2:46
  8. "Need to Be Needed" – 4:46
  9. "Up Against the Wall" – 4:20
  10. "He'll Wash You Whiter than Snow" (Cora Martin) – 2:15
  11. "End Title" – 1:58

Personnel

See also

References

  1. ^ "Big Rental Films of 1969", Variety, 7 January 1970 p 15
  2. ^ Canby, Vincent (June 26, 1969). "The Lost Man (1969) 'The Lost Man' Opens Here:Poitier in Lead Role as a Black Militant Four Other Films Also Start Local Runs". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 27, 1969). "The Lost Man (1969)".
  4. ^ Soundtrack Collector: album entry accessed January 29, 2018
  5. ^ Edwards, D., Eyries, P. & Callahan, M. Universal City Records [UNI] Album Discography, accessed January 29, 2018
  6. ^ a b Burke, Brandon. The Lost Man (Original Soundtrack) – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved January 29, 2018.