judithh-1 "Billy the Kid" (1941) is an early example of the use of Technicolor. The film is visually outstanding. Cinematographers Leonard V. Skall and Leonard Smith received an Oscar nomination for their work on the film and should have won. From close-ups to panoramic views of Monument Valley, Kanab, Utah and other locations they used color, composition and especially light masterfully. Some scenes evoke the stillness of a Vermeer and others the chiaroscuro of Rembrandt. Near the end of the movie Billy is standing near the window of a tumbledown shack. The viewer is outside and can see his body fading into the shadows except for the upper part of his face, especially the intense blue eyes. There is a Caravaggio-like spotlight on the hand and gun the outlaw is pointing out the window.Historically, there is little resemblance between the film and the actual life of Billy the Kid. The general details of his background is correct but the names have all been changed, perhaps to head off the complaints of purists. There is no Pat Garrett, but rather a Jim Sherman (Brian Donlevy), no William Tunstall but an Eric Keating (Ian Hunter). The filmmakers obviously wanted to tell a good story without regard to historical accuracy.Robert Taylor was 30 when Billy the Kid was filmed. He's too old for the part but not by as much as some have made out. To seem younger, Taylor plays Billy as uncouth, uneducated and probably illiterate. The outlaw is incapable of understanding the consequences of his actions. He's always being bombarded by new ideas and new customs. There is a lighthearted scene where Billy is handed a teacup and saucer, objects obviously new to him. He picks the cup up as though it were a glass until he sees what Keating is doing. Billy holds the cup awkwardly by the handle until Keating turns away then he gulps the tea with his original hold.This was Robert Taylor in his element. He was a superb rider and did all of his own riding in this film, even in the long shots. Taylor also had the western swagger down pat and seems very comfortable in his cowboy costumes. In private life, he often wore jeans, boots and a Stetson. In the first and last parts of the film, Billy dresses all in black. In the middle he wears a blue shirt to indicate his changed lifestyle. Robert Taylor practiced left-handed drawing and shooting for weeks before the film and used the skill again in the film "Ride Vaquero" in 1953.Taylor and Donlevy are comfortable with one another, having worked together before in "This Is My Affair" in 1937. The easiness of their relationship makes Billy's (temporary) transformation into an honest cowboy believable. Mary Howard has a small role as Eric Keating's sister and makes the most of it. Ian Hunter is believable as rancher Keating.The villains, especially Hickey (Gene Lockhart) are suitably nasty. Henry O'Neill, a leading character actor, throws himself with gusto into the role of a newspaper publisher whose press is constantly being sabotaged.So whether you like a good story, a series of beautiful visuals or just like to look at Robert Taylor, this film is for you.

Johnboy1221 The best thing about this movie version of Billy The Kid is the color photography. Taylor looks good (he was in his prime at that time), but he's horribly miscast....too old to play the part. There's no Tunstall, no Pat Garrett....and both actors playing the changed parts are far too old. It reminds me of Howard Hughes' The Outlaw, except that the actor who played Billy in that film was much better cast (closer in age, but not much of an actor). There's lots of music, romance, and talk, talk, talk. In short, it becomes extremely boring after awhile. May be worth watching once, but hardly worth a second look. Despite the views of Arizona and Utah, most scenes are obviously shot on a sound stage.

classicsoncall Except for the title, this would have been as generic a Western as they come. With the title, virtually everything about it smacks of poetic license taken to the nth degree. Robert Taylor portrays the outlaw of Wild West legend, as other characters in the picture have their names changed while the story itself loosely assembles the history of the Lincoln County War and then just scatters it in all directions. Not only that, but Lincoln County itself has been relocated from the New Mexico Territory to Utah's Monument Valley, which actually is one of the film's redemptive efforts. The gorgeous Technicolor format shows off those rugged structures to maximum effect, even becoming part of the story when Billy's friend Pedro (Frank Puglia) is laid to rest at the base of the 'greatest tombstone in the world'.So if historical accuracy is your thing, you probably don't want to come near this one. For my money, the best portrayal of Billy the Kid remains Emilio Estevez's take on the character in 1988's "Young Guns", where he makes the kid an almost ego-maniacal figure, but with a certain charisma that makes you kind of overlook the fact that he was an outlaw. Here, Taylor goes for a straight on, no-nonsense characterization that's often conflicted as he attempts to choose sides between town boss Hickey (Gene Lockhart) and eventual benefactor Keating (Ian Hunter). Thrown in for good measure is the Pat Garrett stand-in, here called Jim Sherwood, a boyhood friend of Billy's from the old Silver City days, a tidbit the film keeps reminding you of over and over again.For old time Western fans, part of the attraction here is seeing who shows up as the story progresses. In particular, Lon Chaney Jr. and Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams meander in and out of a number of scenes, while lesser known veterans like Cy Kendall, Henry O'Neill, Dick Curtis and Grant Withers all appear in bit parts. Actress Mary Howard is written into the script as something of a question mark, the fiancée of Sherwood, but perhaps casting an eye for Taylor's Billy. Hmm, the story didn't go anywhere with that but you had to notice the tease.In short, if you don't take this too seriously, it's an OK picture for Robert Taylor fans, here appearing in his very first Western. He cuts an imposing figure as the man in black, but when you come right down to it, he's no kid, and each reference to Billy's nickname simply reminds us of that fact.

ma-cortes This early film follows the exciting life of Billy Bonney . This is an interesting but flawed Western . With Robert Taylor in title role , in one of his first movies , and Donlevy as his friend and later marshal , but the movie fails to gel overall . Robert Taylor as the title character gives a decent performance . Right-handed Robert Taylor spent weeks perfecting his ability to draw a gun with his left hand in preparation for this film . Brian Donlevy as an alike-Pat Garrett is good , and Ian Hunter who plays a look-alike to Tunstall ; although some acting seem badly dated today . Sweeping and glimmer cinematography by William L. Skall . Great musical score by David Snell , including Mexican songs almost make you forget the screenplay ain't so hot . The director David Miller creates some fine action scenes , he posteriorly directed a classic Western, 'Lonely are the brave' .Other known films about this legendary outlaw were the followings : 'Billy the Kid(1930)' by King Vidor with John Mack Brown and Wallace Beery; 'The left-handed gun (1958)' by Arthur Penn with Paul Newman; 'Pat Garret and Billy the Kid (1973)' by Sam Peckinpah; 'Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid' with Val Kilmer ; 'Young Guns(1988)' by Christopher Cain with Emilio Estevez ; and 'Young Guns 2(1990)' by Geoff Murphy.The picture was partially based on real events . The actual deeds are the followings : The most famous outlaw-gunslinger of the South-west , Billy the Kid was known by several names, but mostly as William Bonney . Believed have been born in New York City , Billy moved west with his family and eventually became a cowboy in Lincoln county, New Mexico, for cattleman J.H. Tunstall (in the movie similar role played by Ian Hunter) . In February 1878 Tunstall was killed by a cattle rival (played by Gene Lockhart) and this started the Lincoln County war, in which Billy played a leading part and was one of the group that shot dead Sheriff Brady . After his preceptor has been murdered he seeks vengeance for his death . He became an outlaw with a price on his head. Pat Garret(named in the film as Sherwood and played by Brian Donlevy), a former friend of the Kid, was elected sheriff of Lincoln County and set out to capture the young outlaw . He caught him and sentenced to be hanged. But Bill, although shackled hand and foot, managed to escape from jail by shooting dead the two deputies guarding him . Garrett went after him again and on 15 July 1881 tracked him at Fort Sumner, and there shot him dead by surprise in a darkened room.