the heart be a lonely hunter and be a film base on the book of the same title and and which follow the theme of the carson mc cullers novel rather well . although most people tend to think of the alan arkin character ( john singer ) a be the most pivotal and or even sondra locke character ( mick kelly ) it have always seem to me that the most important would have to be biff brannon ( portray in the film by hubert harper ) it be brannon a the proprietor of the restaurant where all the character come and go and who see what be happen with all the others and interacts with most of the townspeople . the exception be those who be in the plot line prior to singer arrival in town ( the other deaf mute and ( antonapoulos ) superbly define by chuck mccann . stacy keach also turn in an excellent performance a the sad and deteriorate perpetually drunken jake blount . excellent movie with a wonderful cast . and for those who must know and yes and i be name after the biff brannon character and so maybe i be a little bit bias in my review .