elevenangrymen Roy Bean, a notorious outlaw rides into a small town in west Texas, where the arm of the law does not reach. After he is beaten and robbed, Roy Bean retrieves his gun with the help of Maria Elena, a local who takes a liking to Bean. He then proceeds to shoot everyone, and take control of the town. When a local preacher stops by, Bean decides he is now a Judge, and they bury the dead men. Then Bean sets up a courthouse and hires a couple deputies, where he transforms the dusty town into a fully functioning town.Bean names the town Langtry, after the object of his dreams, eastern stage actress Lillie Langtry. Then one day, a man named Gass comes by, and asserts that he owns the land Bean is ruling over. Bean proceeds to put him in a cage with a bear and have Gass feed the bear beer. Bean decides to let Gass live, but this action has it's consequences. Gass begins to undermine Bean using the local female populace, and soon Bean finds himself in a tough spot.I'll make one thing clear, this is a strange film. It is eccentrically comedic in the first half, and very dramatic in the second. I know little about the real Judge Roy Bean, but I doubt his life was as strange as this film. In the paragraph, I made the plot sound almost like a thriller, which it definitely isn't. So what is it then? I truthfully have no idea. This film should not work, the comedic first half becomes dramatic in the second, and the film's pace is all over the place.It works though. Huston pulls a fast one on you, using the first half to get you to like the characters, and then making you root for them in the second. It's certainly strange, but the result is a flat out masterpiece. I don't mean masterpiece in the technical sense, the film has flaws. But somehow, I was completely oblivious to them. Perhaps it was the performances. Paul Newman turns in some of his best work ever as Roy Bean. The character sparkles with wit and determination. He makes you like this man so much that when the last twenty minutes come up, you are firmly on his side.He plays against type, but Newman does it with ease. It's an excellent performance. In supporting roles, Anthony Perkins, in his one scene as a priest is absolutely wonderful. His character is such a contrast to his role in Psycho, that soon that comparison leaves your mind as quickly as it came to it. There is a scene when he is talking to Newman about where to put a woman he wants to live with. Perkins uses the Bible to keep her from hearing what he is saying. I don't know why, but I found it hilarious.Also good is Victoria Principal. She doesn't match Newman, but she is still quite good. Ned Beatty turns in a good performance, to be fair he doesn't have much to do. John Huston and Stacey Keach both have one scene, and they make they best of it, turning in great comedic performances. Roddy McDowall plays the villain Frank Gass, and does it with ease. Jacqueline Bisset isn't as good as she was in Under the Volcano, but she was still good here.Finally, as the coveted Lillie Langtrey, Ava Gardener turns in a virtuoso performance. To be fair, she is only in one scene, but the build up she gets is off the charts, and she matches it deftly. You can tell Huston picked Gardener himself, he wrote her debut film The Killers in 1946. As the aging Langtry, she is perfect for the role. And she doesn't disappoint. The screenplay by John Milius is excellent, as it somehow manages to balance the eccentric first half with the more dramatic second. The score by Maurice Jarre is a big highlight, especially for me. I've always found that Huston has a lot of scores in his films that, for lack of a better word, are really quite awful. However, here the score is just excellent and the song that was written for the film also fits in well. The sets are beautiful and capture the legend of the west well.The cinematography is terrific, and the scene where Newman and Principal take a walk at sunset is almost as beautiful as anything in Days of Heaven. I found the films tone to be quite satirical. The film is an unabashed western, and it doesn't mind exploiting all the typical traits of the genre for comedic purposes. There are no gunfights, but there is a set up to one, and it fails hilariously.The direction by Huston sparkles with wit and humanity. By that I mean that despite all that occurs by the end you feel quite good indeed. I have often criticized him for being too laid back, but here the exact opposite occurs. The direction feels laid back, but in the way of a master cruising towards something he knows he'll achieve. However, that's not to say the film doesn't have flaws.It goes on for a little too long, Newman's obsession with Lillie Langtry is never explained and the character of Gass seems a little too patient.However if you are willing to overlook these flaws, as I was, you'll be in for a fun ride, straight through to the end.The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, 1972, Starring: Paul Newman, Victoria Principal and Ava Gardner, Directed by John Huston, 8.5/10 (A-)(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can view this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)

MartinHafer In "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean", the Judge (Paul Newman) hangs dozens of men and develops quite a reputation for his strange and violent form of justice. In reality, Bean WAS famous for his odd sentences and occasional disregard for the law, but only one man was ever actually hung by the judge! In many, many other ways, the film takes HUGE liberties with history--and the story of Bean is only a shadow of the real man. So if you are looking for a history lesson, look for some other film! Aside from the bad history, this film struck me as the product of a schizophrenic writer! Parts of the movie were quite funny--followed by LONG deadly serious parts. And, near the very end of the film it became a completely different film altogether--a terrible action pic. If not schizophrenic, it sure looked as if three different writers were given three portions of the film and never consulted with each other!! It's a real shame, as the first half (or so) of the film is quite good--fun, silly and engaging. The last half is maudlin, slow and, in parts, simply awful. The worst is when, completely out of the blue, Bean (who'd simply disappeared for much of the film--and the period was to have been 20 years) just suddenly shows up and behaves like Rambo!! Where did THIS come from and whose idea was this?! As a result, all the good of the first portion of the film is simply flushed away--and completely wasted. All in all, a thoroughly frustrating and wildly uneven film.A few notes about the film. Some of the comments early in the film about minorities (in the scene with Tab Hunter) are bound to offend--hold on to your seat! The film's director, John Huston, makes a small cameo as 'Grizzly' Adams--and it's a VERY odd cameo indeed. It's the first film of Victoria Principle--and she's oddly made up to look like a Mexican! Jacqueline Bisset is pretty much wasted in the film. Stacy Keach is almost unrecognizable as 'Bad Bob'--a funny portion of the film that, unfortunately, was too short and not enough.Also, after writing my review, I looked at the rest of the reviews. I was surprised how many of the folks gave this one a 10 considering how wildly uneven it was. Perhaps these votes were more votes for Newman--after all, he was an incredibly gifted actor--but the material in this film just didn't do him justice.

me-justaman Script: 7/10 - Alert, quick, witty, funny, some good lines and funny scenes. It is original and fantasist although it misses characterization for at least the main character: Even if the movie is a pleasure to watch, the viewer cannot fully comprehend and experience the reality of those characters for they stay shallow and schematic.The first 2 acts are very good, interesting and very fun to watch. The 3rd act, like in most movies, is a little disappointing and predictable. It leaves you with the usual feeling that something is missing to make the whole story complete and focused. But still, a very original and sympathetic script by the great John Milius whose whole carrier has somehow been a misfire.Direction: 8/10 - John Huston's direction is beautiful, never boring, technically sound, and often purely brilliant. It pastiches the western genre and you can see that the old dinosaur director John Huston has carefully and enthusiastically watched Sergio Leone's movies, and is capable of renewing his own game.Music: 7/10 - Maurice Jarre's score is not as worked out as in "Lawrence of Arabia" or "Dr Jivago", but still, simple, touching, personal, sweet and nostalgic: a pleasure.Cast: 8/10 - Paul Newman and Victoria Principal are great together, natural, touching, and all the secondary knives are very fun to watch. Only false note: IMO who plays Bad Bob, gives an over the top, hysterical performance that drag down the movie for the 3 minutes he appears on screen. John Huston also makes a mediocre appearance.Production: 6,8/10 - Not a lavish production at all, but the simple, beautiful scenery, costumes and sets, will give you this feeling of great old school cinema. The Production design is still a little theatrical and details miss authenticity... but is not Carlo Simi who wants! - Editing: 8/10 - Fluent, simple, discrete, light, and it makes sense at all times. Professional. Special mention for the opening titles: 10/10 – original, spirited and high in color. fabulous! - Subject: 8/10 - a great, original premise. It will remind you that there was a time where people were making original, creative, rich, great movies.Personality: 7/10 - agreeable, light hearted provocation. It still misses a little bit of societal statement to really touch you, but here is a very sympathetic movie that plays on the nostalgia for the far gone wild west and its myths. It also has John Milius's macho romantic spirit all over, but with the subtle direction of John Huston. Great! -Note in history of genre cinema: 6,9.Personal enjoyment of your reviewer: 9/10

moonspinner55 John Milius scripted this farcical western right out of film school. He appears to have been enamored of the "Butch Cassidy" style of western in which modern references and jokes leaven the bloodshed--and in director John Huston, Milius has found that movie partner who relishes the macho aesthetic while underlining everything with self-righteous seriousness (both Johns think alike). Paul Newman, once again playing outlaw, heads up a tiny desert community, appointing himself judge-jury-and-executioner. The western town grows in capacity over the years, and the life there is captured quite vividly, with outré humor and colorful characters who are a lot of fun initially. However, the apparent desire to be profound comes off as masochistic in these joshing circumstances, and as Roy Bean is eventually usurped by the town's growth and progress, one isn't sure how to accept the material. Huston and Milius are like pontificators with a joy buzzer. They've got a good movie here, though it's one that leaves a sour aftertaste behind. **1/2 from ****