[.ca] Outlaw (Full Screen) (ISBN 6305436320)

From Amazon.com:
A fast-paced, entertaining lark of a film, The Outlaw is known today mostly for the buoyant performance of Jane Russell, whose career was engineered by the film's director, Howard Hughes, otherwise infamous for his reclusive millionaire ways. But more than that, the film boasts a set of finely tuned performances in the retelling of the story of Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel), whose burgeoning friendship with Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) arouses an intense hatred in Sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell, arguably the greatest character actor who ever lived). As Rio, Doc Holliday's girl, Jane Russell creates an irrepressible presence that lends an ample foundation to the story when her affections for Billy cleave his relationship with Doc. There are enough psychosexual rumblings to go around that the pace never sags. The makers of this disc, Master Movies, have included Japanese subtitles, for those so inclined. And they've been considerate enough to windowbox the opening and closing credits and titles, which often get cut off on the sides when viewed on TV. The print they used is 116 minutes, though some sources list the original length of the film, before it underwent several years of censorship, at 121 minutes. So there may be five titillating minutes of footage waiting to be restored that you might never get to see. Not even if you cross your heart. --Jim Gay

Not bad, but certainly not history, for those in doubt:
This was the famous Howard Hughes's attempt to break into Hollywood. He's the guy who built The Hughes Took Company into an empire, flew air racers, built the "Spruce Goose", Hughes Air West, and a bunch of other accomplishments. He died a recluse who was obsessed with germs. He was the stuff that fables are made of. Jane Russell was one of his accomplishments. The movie took seven years, they say, to be released--after it was completed. Hughes directed it. The male lead, Jack Beutel, who played Billy the Kid, was under contract to Hughes, where he languished. Hughes paid him, month after month, but never used him in any other film. He is somewhat reminiscent, in looks, of Audey Murphy (the most decorated soldier in WWII, who played himself in a film.) He reminds me of Murphy. The film depicted a highly fictional relationship between Doc Holliday and Billy (The Kid) Bonney, which is the product of the writer's fevered imagination. Although they were contemporaries, there is no evidence that they ever met. The Kid was a product of the Lincoln County wars (New Mexico), while Holliday was an acquaintance of Wyatt Earp, who came West from Dodge City, Kansas, to Tombstone, Arizona. Probably Earp nor Holliday ever met Garrett or Billy in their lives. Holliday is played by Walter Huston in the film. The part of Pat Garrett (who actually killed the Kid, and wrote Billy's life story from stories he told him around the camp fire and things they experienced together--a copy of which I have, and have reviewed here) was played by Thomas Mitchell, who, although he played the part impeccably, was perhaps the most dubious job of casting in the film. The contender for that honor would have to be Huston as Holliday. Both highly unlikely candidates for those parts if you are at all interested in historical accuracy or even slight physical resemblance. In short, this has no resemblance to historical fact, although that is no drawback to the story's entertainment value. The only cast member to gain from the film would have to be Jane Russell, who played a few more parts before her career petered out. Nothing of consequence, I think. Huston and Mitchell were already made, and Beutel withered on the vine. Hughes' days as a director were definitely numbered. Joseph (Joe) Pierre author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance and other books

It's Billy, you fool:
Why this movie isn't one of the top five gay/camp movies of all time I do not know. Jane Russell is window dressing for a barely sublimated love triangle of Pat Garrett, Doc Holiday, and Billy the Kid. Before Billy's horse is tied securely Doc invites Billy to spend the night with him in the Lincoln hotel. By then end of the movie Pat has killed Doc in a rage of jealousy over Billy. In between, Billy and Pat both pick the horse over Jane, and Billy ties her up s & m style, then cuts her down. Reviewers knock the acting here, but it's not bad considering the plot is totally surreal. Who could understand what was going on. Did Howard Hughes??? More likely, this movie is a gazillionaire's home movie fantasy. With all his work on the Spruce Goose, Mr. Hughes had little time in his life for Freud or Jung. Truely amazing and worth more than one watch.

Outlandish:
This is a truly strange, hilarious film. Everyone should see it once. I finally got round to watching this very fuzzy, shaky, old dvd. It didn't cost much. What is the story about? Well, the way I see it, Pat Garrett is in love with Doc Holliday, but Doc Holliday is in love with Billy the Kid. Nobody loves Jane Russell, who hates Billy in the beginning, but changes her mind after a tussle in the hay, and later gets a chance to cut Billy's clothes off. Women are just fickle that way. Billy has difficulty walking, since he is made of wood, but he really loves Doc Holliday's horse. Finally Pat shoots Doc, then Billy chains Pat to a pillar and rides off with Jane Russell tight behind him. Billy has the horse, so he's happy. We never get to know what happened to Jane Russell's auntie. The dialogue is weird: it's delivered at one monotonous, unchanging pace throughout --- slow. Nevertheless, I couldn't help laughing out loud several times. The plotting is fantastic: nothing is remotely credible from beginning to end. Jane Russell has two expressions, and I don't mean the right one and the left one. It is extremely enjoyable to witness the film's absolutely total political incorrectness from start to finish. Doc and Billy smoke all the time. The women sure know their place, and as for the Indians --- well, they just get lost. For a real puzzle, try to figure out the submerged psychology which must be down there somewhere. It seems to improve when you watch it twice.

Get Outta Town!.......:
This review refers to the Classic Western DVD edition(Platinum Disc Corp) of "The Outlaw"(1943)..... If you are looking for something with a good script, good dialouge, good acting or at the very least historical accuracy in a western, fahget about it. This is not the one! What you will get is some classic actors in a fun western,that is a little on the risque side for the early fourties and it might make you smile if nothing else. The film, which has trouble deciding on whether it is a comedy or a drama stars such greats as Walter Huston, Thomas Mitchell, and Jane Russell's breasts(in their breakthrough role which led to all those great Playtex bra commercials).It was directed by Howard Hawks and Howard Hughes, who apparently had a thing for Jane Russell at the time. The story involves a love triangle between Doc Holliday(Huston), Billy the Kid(a very cute Jack Buetel) and the voluptuous "Rio"(Russell).Doc has come to town to find his stolen horse, "Red" the strawberry roan(who by the way steals the show in this one),meets up with Billy, and immediatly the two form a unique friendship to the chagrin of Sherriff Pat Garrett(Mitchell).Billy gets in some trouble, and is shot by the bumbling sherriff and is taken to Rio's place by Doc to heal. Rio who already has it in for Billy for shooting her brother, seems to overcome that little problem when the Florence Nightingale effect takes over. But here's the problem....she was Doc's girl first. Who will get the girl? More importantly.. Who will get the horse? Will Garrett catch up with these outlaws? Just want to check it out for yourself? I often see it on the Turner Classics Movie Station. If you're a die hard western fanatic, you will get a kick out of this film.This 1943 black and white film looks surprisingly good on this DVD(you will notice the film's age occassionaly). Although you'll need to crank the sound up a bit, it is clear and distinguable at all times.There are filmographies of the stars and a fun little quiz about the film(naturally I aced it!) All that's left to say is.... Aw Shucks Ma'am....Laurie

"Don't, Billy!":
This movie regularly appears on local PBS stations struggling with a cash-strapped budget. Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) is a friend of Sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell). When Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel) rides into town, Doc spends time schmoozing with the Kid, and Garrett gets upset. Jane Russell's 44s show up with Jane right behind them. Doc and Billy vie for her love, when they are not arguing over a strawberry roan horse. I kept waiting for a logical plot to materialize. I was still waiting when the movie ended. This film tells us of the vision of Howard Hughes. Mainly that Hughes wanted to feature the natural assets of a young Jane Russell. He succeeded, points taken. Speaking of the white hills of Arizona, there is a weak attempt to tell a gunfighter vs. gunfighter story. There is even some Western-type action. At one point, Indians on the warpath suddenly appear and then proceed to get lost in a cloud of dust. Only in Hollywood. Howard Hawks assisted with the director task, but he just told the camera guy to focus on Jane's cleavage and left the set. Wearing a low-cut top, she leans over the neck of a galloping horse, and the camera angle is full frontal. This is not Shakespeare. The movie had a notorious reputation in its day. Obviously, standards have changed. This is only slightly adult material. Be careful of the "so bad, it's good" label. Sometimes, we overuse it. There is no accounting for taste. ;-)