The Outlaw
Tags: revenge, murder

Plot synopsis:
In 1880, in Lincoln, New Mexico, newly appointed sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) is pleased to see his old comrade Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) arriving on the stage coach.Doc Holliday has had his horse Red stolen and has a hunch the horse may be in Lincoln.In town, they get a lead that a horse fitting Doc's description is tied up by the dentist's office. As they head that way, Pat has to deal with a gun waving drunk at the saloon. Pat's technique is to smile and feign friendship with one hand and punch him with the other. This is a recurrent habit with Pat, throughout the rest of the film.The horse is in the possession of William Bonney, who says he bought it and is determined to keep it, despite Doc's claim that it was stolen. At the time William Bonney, known as Billy the Kid, was the most famous gunslinger of the southwest, wanted dead or alive. Billy was said to be charming, attractive and a favorite with girls.Billy (Jack Buetel) is both good looking and polite, Doc is experienced and careful, so a gunfight is avoided despite each being inflexible, as each admires the other's reputation.This does not sit well with sheriff Pat, who is unhappy that his youth is gone without having done anything notable. He was hoping to arrest Billy or take credit for having shot him dead. Frustrated, Pat orders both of them to leave Lincoln by afternoon the next day.Doc and Billy proceed together to the saloon, a classic establishment for drinking and gambling and confrontations.At the saloon, a young tough requests to talk with Billy privately, offering to help in setting a trap to assassinate Doc, but his intention is to kill Billy. Billy recognizes the deceit in the nick of time and shoots the young tough dead, in self defense.Billy and Doc calmly continue drinking and playing poker. Doc wins more money than the horse was worth, so he is even in that respect. In a surprising turnaround, Billy and Doc become friends.As Billy has practically no money left, Doc invites Billy to bunk with him for the night if he doesn't have a girl. Billy declines, choosing instead to bed down in the barn, in front of his horse.A few moments after Billy takes the gun belt off his waist, a shadow is seen at a dark corner of the barn, and shots are fired towards Billy. Billy takes off his spurs, throws them, drawing shots, makes other noises, drawing other shots, and after the sixth shot he jumps on the shadow and overpowers someone. Billy realizes that he has overpowered and subdued a female, and he warns "Quit struggling, lady or the rest of your dress will get ripped" as he has his way with her, in the dark shadow. When things have calmed down, we get a clear look at bosomy and sultry Rio McDonald (Jane Russell) in the hay. Billy asks why, she explains that Billy killed her brother in a gunfight. He talks back calmly to her, saying he is sorry it happened but he had not sought the quarrel, and then it was kill or die. Rio makes no fuss or comment about being subdued and getting her dress ripped.In the morning as Billy leaves the barn, he is surrounded by a group of boys fascinated by his reputation, and he shows off by shooting a hole lengthwise through a wooden stick.Back at the saloon, he is again with his new friend Doc when Pat and a squad of deputies arrive wanting to arrest Billy for the previous day's killing, even though it most likely was self defense, as the other man's gun was on the floor. Doc takes Billy's side against his old friend Pat. In a confrontation, Pat wounds Billy by a flesh wound on the thigh, but Doc arranges things so they both are able to escape on horseback leaving the deputies behind. Seeing that Doc and Billy have become comrades as Pat and Doc were in the past, a tremendous jealousy arises in sheriff Pat, and his former friendship with Doc is over.As Billy's wound needs tending, Doc takes him to hide in the isolated house where his putative girl friend Rio lives with her aunt. There, Doc asks Rio to take care of Billy, giving precise instructions as to how to care for the wound, while he continues running to throw Pat Garrett and his deputies off track.Very reluctantly, pouting, Rio agrees to hide Billy and tend to his wound. After seeing Billy weak and helpless, and in her power, the sultry Rio finds herself attracted by Billy's good looks. On multiple occasions the aunt wants to turn Billy in, but Rio nixes the idea or thwarts her plans.After having watched over Billy in bed for a time, Rio decides to kiss him. Slowly, she gets up from a chair, the camera takes the point of view of Billy's eyes, Rio approaches, flaunting her bosoms, the romantic music gets louder and louder, we see her face in slowly increasing magnification, finally mostly her lips, her lips parting in the throes of desire, just about to touch the mouth of the semi-delirious Billy [and half the men in the 1946 audience probably experience an orgasm]A man comes to the door who seems to be an old acquaintance of the aunt, and Rio energetically blocks his entrance to maintain Billy's whereabouts secret. The scene hints that the aunt might be in the habit of entertaining gentlemen for a fee.A few days later, Billy has the chills, and no amount of blankets will keep him warm. Rio has been warned that if this happens, he must be kept warm or he will likely die. She starts undressing, tells the aunt to leave the room and announces with assurance, "I'll warm him up." Her ministrations must be powerful, for his fever leaves him that night, and he regains consciousness the next day, plus his appetite.While Billy heals, Doc has been playing hide and seek with sheriff Garrett and deputies in the rock canyons, with many felled by rifle fire from heights. After weeks, Doc comes back to Rio's house, planning to flee the area together with Billy and escape Garrett's jurisdiction.New tensions develop as Doc realizes that Rio has become Billy's girl friend, and they argue again as to who owns the horse Red. Doc insists that Billy can't take both Rio and the horse from him, bringing up the old question of whether a man needs his horse more than his girl, or vice versa.Doc offers Rio to keep the horse, and Billy chooses the horse over Rio, so either man values Rio less than the horse. With that settled, Rio remains in the house, theoretically as Doc's girl, and both men leave on horseback. However, on the first night that they camp out, Doc sneaks out with his old horse Red, leaving Billy alone.Having thus been betrayed by Doc, Billy returns to the house to claim Rio. He finds Rio in the bedroom, glares at her, she looks back in some fear. Billy tells Rio he wants her this time to keep her eyes open and look at him in the eyes while he does it, and approaches her as the image fades to black.With Rio under his control, Billy retraces his steps intending to leave Rio with Doc and take back his horse, but Garrett has tracked both Doc and Billy while they were distracted by the horse versus Rio disputes, and by playing one against the other he surprises, disarms and handcuffs both of them, and starts to lead them back to town.At the first ridge, they see smoke signals indicating Indian war groups are active in any of the two directions they might take, and understand they will most likely be captured. To improve their chances, Garrett frees both men and rearms them. Warlike Indians in large numbers approach. Billy knows a trick that helps them escape: They lasso Joshua trees and drag them as they gallop, creating huge clouds of obscuring dust. During this galloping chase, we get to stare hard at Rio's bouncing cleavage for minutes, while in the background is a lot of dust, through which dozens of Indians can be glimpsed riding and hollering. In a narrow twisting canyon, when the Indian groups are totally blinded by the dust, the four manage to escape.The four make it to an isolated house where all the plot threads are resolved after complex confrontations resulting from the ways in which Doc, Billy, and Pat have all deceived and double crossed each other and continue their manipulative tricks to the end. Pat shrieks to Doc as he realizes the other two have shoved him into irrelevance, "You're not going with him! Everything was fine between us till he came along!"Doc Holliday feels old and sick and wants to die, but wants to die shot by Billy, whom he has sort of adopted as a worthy successor. Pat Garrett wants a bit of fame for having captured or killed Billy. Billy wants to live and be free.Billy and Rio get to smolder intensely in one more scene of towering sexuality, as Billy needs to calm down and Rio is overwhelmed by a desire to help him achieve total relaxation.Doc challenges Billy to a duel, expecting to lose, but Billy refuses to draw although Doc tries extreme measures to provoke him, grazing first his hand, then his ears, with bullets. In the end, Doc is shot by Pat. After Doc is buried, Pat suggests a deal to Billy, that he should take Doc's two guns in exchange for Billy's two guns, that way Pat could claim to have shot Billy, and Billy would be thought dead and could continue free
with no one looking for him. He assures Billy that the guns are loaded.Billy tries on Doc's gun belt, handles and twirls the guns, comparing them to his own, and agrees, but he senses a trick, and exchanges holsters only, not the guns. So when Pat tries to murder Billy, the gun in his hand does not fire, as the firing pins had been removed! Billy is in full control!They set up a tomb marker over Doc's grave, reading HERE LIES WILLIAM BONNEY, 13 July 1881.Finally, Billy starts to ride off, stops, then turns in his saddle to look back at Rio. She hesitates, unsure of what he means, then smiles and jumps on the back of Billy's horse and they ride away together.

Review: Vintage alone gives the film status.There's nothing wrong with anecdotal (vignette) - points-of-view movies, but in "The Outlaw", it was like watching one of those lumbering, exasperating silent films: where the actors stand across from each other, and each speaks their lines as if orchestrated by an off-stage conductor.
Best known as the film debut of a very bosomy Jane Russell, the movie actually describes a completely fictionalized friendship between Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel) and Doc Holliday (Walter Huston).
Walter Huston's Doc Holliday (or Halliday -- I've seen it spelled both ways in regard to this picture) is CLEARLY the stud, Billy is a petulant young hustler who piques his interest (despite his having stolen the older man's cherished horse!), and Thomas Mitchell's Pat Garrett (Doc's "oldestfriend") seethes with jealousy throughout until he degenerates into the very apotheosis of a passed over, frantic, shrieking old queen.
This western depicts the relationships between Billy the Kid(Jack Buetel),Doc Holliday(Walter Huston) and Sheriff Pat Garrett(Thomas Mitchell).
Mr. Hughes or someone took over direction and gave us the finished product which is a mess but a lot of fun just the same.The build-up of Jane Russell (no pun intended) was one of the great publicity moves in film history.
LOL.THE OUTLAW is no one's idea of a good movie, but it's worth checking out (even if you only see part of it)for Russell's auspicious, bodacious debut and moments, here and there, when the story actually works..
The only interest the other characters (none other than Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday) serve is watching how often their eyes stray to Russell's bust when they're in a scene with her.Unexpectedly comic moment: in a shootout, one man refuses to draw, so the other shoots a big hole in his hand and out of his ears and he doesn't even react, as if he didn't feel it.
And to think some people describe the likes of Jay-Lo or Abi Titmuss as the most beautiful woman who has ever lived Unfortunately Ms Russell is the only thing THE OUTLAW is remembered for , which is by no means a bad thing since this is an absolutely terrible movie .
Maybe that's why the musical score has a comedy soundtrack complete with a WAH WAH WAH WAH sound that belongs in a three stooges feature ?I would have happily given THE OUTLAW one out of ten but because of the presence of Russell we're treated to something of a movie landmark - We're treated to on screen sex .
I bought this film recently for my husband,as he is a big Jane Russell fan,i thought id give it a look.I must admit she was a very beautiful woman i can understand why men loved her,but in this film she is totally wasted,Howard Hughes has cast her like a real bimbo,unlike her later parts as the tough intelligent,wise talking,calamity Jane in the Bob hope films,for these roles she should be best remembered.The whole time i was watching this film i couldn't wait for it to end,it seemed to drag on not making any point at all,the story had a very weak plot and was really over dramatised,especially with the music,which would have been very suitable for a romantic silent film.Everything about this film was wrong,the acting ,the script,music score,you name it.The only reason I'm giving this film 2 out of 10 is because i feel very sorry for Jane to be starring in this very chauvinist mess..
Let's see, there's the triangle of a literally limp-wristed Doc (Hughes shows us this about five times to make sure everyone gets it), an sputtering old rejected Pat, and an energetic hot young buck (Billy) who also has time for Jane Russell.
Jane Russell nurses Jack Buetel back to health - but, that's not all.I've watched the film three times.
I loved the saloon - reading the visible graffiti on the walls, never knowing who was going to shoot who, when, why...When Mr. Buetel and Ms. Russell tumble in the hay, I recognized the scene from a dozen subsequent westerns; yet, it seemed suspenseful the way Mr. Hughes shot it here.
********** The Outlaw (2/5/43) Howard Hughes ~ Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Walter Huston, Thomas Mitchell.
This famous western deals about the most noted gunslinger of the southwest ,William Bonney, a juvenile tough, a teenager wanted dead or alive throughout the west.This is a fiction story of the strange teen-age desperado known to legend as Billy the Kid.Billy was said to be sympathetic,attractive and favourite with girls,particulars represented by the protagonist(Jack Buetel).He'll confront against Sheriff Pat Garret(Thomas Mitchell) and Doc Holliday(Walter Huston) and is enamored by a wonderful girl(Jane Russell).The film isn't based on real events,it's invented story by the screenwriter Jules Furthman with ironic dialogs and a plot with little sense.Thus isn't appeared Tunstall,Chisum ,nor others personages ,neither deeds (Lincoln county war or getaway from gaol)of the Billy Kid life.It's only notorious character Pat Garret who has an important role and Doc Holliday who didn't have none real relation with him.The picture is produced by RKO(Radio Pictures Inc) and Howard Hughes.Howard Hawks began the filming in 1941 and he shot scenes with the cameraman Lucien Ballard but had complications with Hughes and he took the direction contracting to excellent photographer Gregg Toland(Citizen Kane).However the censorship made him modify numerous takes shots.Finally at last,after a three years delay ,public saw a daring production exactly as it was filmed not a scene cut.The picture would obtain myth as erotic Western.Thus is by Jane Russell,she appears moody,mean, magnificent and terrific,too startling to describe,Russell was an authentic sensation for the epoch,she keeps her best attributes in the bosom.Today all the fuss seem totally wrongly.
The Outlaw tells the story of Billy the kid's supposed friendship (and arguments) with Doc Holliday, his battles with weaselly Pat Garrett, and his romantic entanglement with a big-chested girl who nurses him back to health after being gut-shot by the dastardly sheriff.A once scandalous adult western, this is decidedly less scandalous by today's standards.
It's notoriety simultaneously launched Jane Russell's career as a sex symbol and hurt her career as an actress.The overblown hype surrounding Jane's breasts, the film's reputation for being a vanity project for billionaire Howard Hughes, and the high expectations attached to anything directed by Howard Hawks weighs heavily on ones enjoyment of The Outlaw, but this is essentially just a long 1940's style B-western.When viewed through that prism it's fairly decent, if unspectacular entertainment with good performances by the stars.
Maybe what was most outrageous about this movie was Hughes' shameless promotion of Russell, because there was not even a token attempt at subtlety or discretion.If you're still reading to this point, you've no doubt noticed we've stopped talking about Billy the Kid.
this thing is all over the place.it's disjointed,and there doesn't seem to be a point to a lot of it.probably most largely remembered as Jane Russel's first movie role,even though she didn't have that big a part.anyway,this thing just goes on and on and on.there were times i was sure it was over,and it could have been,but it kept going.it also plays fast and loose with history,as far as i know.Doc Holiday,Pat Garret and Billy the Kid are all in this one.i don't just mean they're in the same movie.
In this fanciful tale, audiences are treated to a make believe story wherein we have two western legends 'Billy the Kid' aka, William Bonny (Jack Beutel) and 'Doc Holiday' aka, John Henry Holiday (Walter Huston) arriving in Lincoln, New Mexico and becoming fast friends.
You would think then that the movie would be centered around Russell, but no, Hughes apparently (and unfortunately) attempted a legit Western.The movie tells the story of Billy the Kid and his numerous encounters with Doc Holliday and Pat Garrett, as well as his romance with Russell.
The Outlaw runs a painfully long two hours and I don't remember much of the plot except that it had a lot to do with honor, a horse, and shooting or not shooting each other.Jack Buetel, as Billy the Kid, was an attractive male counterpart to Jane Russell but both were new actors and could barely do more than smoulder, though smoulder well they did.
It had a spectacular Jane Russel, sexy and beautiful, Jack Buetel was very well cast as Billy The Kid, and it had two great actors Walter Huston and Thomas Mitchell.
The character acting by Walter Huston, Thomas Mitchell, Jane Russell, and Jack Buetel may never have been equalled in any of their other endeavours, except perhaps Mr Huston (the 'Missionary's puritanical wife' being chillingly played by the indefatigable Beulah Bondi) in 1932's RAIN, with Joan Crawford in one of the best of debut[sic?] performances.
Hughes' passion for film making led him to make six pictures, including HELL'S ANGELS (1930) and SCARFACE (1932); and culminating with THE OUTLAW in 1938, an excptionally pivotal year -- the final watershed of an era which saw the old West become civilised, but before it had been forgotten in real-life experience and its denizens all passed away.
Thomas Mitchell , Jane Russell & Walter Houston must have been bored to death and probably complained to Hughes about a rather mixed up script.Billy the Kid played by Jack Buetel needed more acting guidance.
The film is damaged further by a musical score that is passable at best, intrusive and annoying at worst; the best example of this being the horrible comic effects during the scene where Doc and Billy debate the merits of Rio versus Doc's horse.The cast all fell second to Russell's breasts during production and marketing of the film and, with the impact of that double-act reduced with time, it just leaves them to at least be able to be watched without distraction.
A notorious sensation when it first opened in 1943 , reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes' western THE OUTLAW is noted today as the vehicle that launched the movie career of Jane Russell, whose sporadic film vocation was capped by modeling the "Cross Your Heart " bra on television and in print adds.
Naive Version of the Legend of Billy the Kid. In the Nineteenth Century, in the town of Lincoln, New Mexico, the sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) welcomes his old friend, Doc Holliday (Walter Huston), who has had his horse Red stolen by a stranger while coming to the town.
It's also a buddy movie with friendship and camaraderie: the central conflict comes about when Doc Holiday takes to Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett feels cast aside, and it's interesting to watch the changing dynamics and friendship and respect even among those trying to kill each other..
When notorious outlaw Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) arrives in town, he is greeted with open arms by local sheriff and best friend Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell).
Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) has a falling out with Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) after he sides with Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel).
Reliable Hollywood veterans Walter Huston, playing Doc Holliday, and Thomas Mitchell who plays Sheriff Pat Garrett come off better than Buetel and Russell.
When it comes to 1943's "The Outlaw" (produced and directed by Howard Hughes) - Would it be at all fair of me to say that (from a straight man's perspective) this film's only truly notable asset was, indeed, Jane Russell's "38D-24-36" measurements, and not her acting abilities?Yep. As shallow and sexist as that may sound, it's pretty much the truth.
'Cause as far as even coming close to being a marginally satisfying Western, "The Outlaw" just did not deliver the goods (regardless that its main character was the famed outlaw, Billy, the Kid).I mean, let's face it - "The Outlaw" was (and always will be) all about Jane's breasts.
Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. The Outlaw was the second and the last film directed by legendary Hollywood producer and founder of RKO Pictures Howard Hughes.
The only other Western I can think of off the top of my head that paints a picture like that is High Noon (another absolute classic).Walter Huston (Doc Holliday) does carry this film, however.
Remembering that The Outlaw was a product of its time (the early 1940s) when the censor board (headlined by the vicious Will Hays) was as-tough-as-nails on any Hollywood, mainstream picture that dared to push the limits of violence and sexual content - It took director Howard Hughes nearly 2 years of wrangling with the likes of Hays to finally get The Outlaw released in American theaters.And, now, looking back at this film, 72 years later, one really does end up asking themselves what the heck all of the fuss was about.But, with that said - I know one thing for certain - All of the legal battling that Hughes got involved in over The Outlaw's release sure provided some great publicity for his picture.As I understand it, curious spectators (especially the guys) were lined up right around the block for this Western-dud whose only selling point was the accentuation of Jane Russell's 38D bust-line.
Another review mentions Walter Huston being far too old to play the character of Doc Holliday (historically speaking), but what about the 58-year-old actor's on-screen relationship with the 19-year-old Jane Russell (morally speaking)?
As you can tell from the movie, or the publicity photos, she didn't need any help.In case anyone's paying attention to the story, it's about Doc Holliday's relationship with Billy the Kid. It's ironic that Walter Huston was one of the go-to actors in old Hollywood to play a straight-laced, honorable character, when he gave wonderful performances in roles that allowed him to let his hair down.
In The Outlaw, Walter plays Doc Holliday, starting the movie off perturbed about his stolen horse and on the side of the local sheriff, Thomas Mitchell.
Tensions between Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett and Doc Holliday reach boiling point as they vie for the affections of a voluptuous young woman in this western drama from Howard Hughes.
The film is best known for being banned upon initial release due to the size of Jane Russell's bust, and many have denigrated it over the years, citing its historical inaccuracy, the admittedly poor music choices and Jack Buetel's bland performance as the Kid. All things considered though, 'The Outlaw' is a surprisingly decent motion picture.
Some of the Stuff Works, but the Film's Entirety Suffers mightily from a Horrible Musical Soundtrack and the Pacing is Glacial.The Acting is Not Bad, from Veterans Walter Huston and Thomas Mitchell, and Tenderfoots Jack Buetel and Jane Russell.
The Movie's Strengths are Overwhelmed by its Weakness and Overall it is Recommended for its Place as a Misanthropic Misfire that is Quite a Sight.The Film's Reputation as a Sex-Western is Evident and Jane Russell's Cleavage does get a lot of Screen Time and Steamy Implications Abound.
2nd Jane Russell was totally amazing in this, just her sheer beauty alone is worth watching this film, Walter Huston gives a strong performance as Doc Holliday, as the movie starts Doc comes back to see his old friend Pat Garret, and all is well till Billy the Kid comes to town , eventually Doc and Pat stray .
The plot, by Furthman, a regular collaborator of Hawks, has Buetel as Billy the Kid and Huston as Doc Holliday, quarreling over Russell and being trailed by Mitchell's Pat Garrett.
This certainly seems pretty blatant considering the movie code at the time.In a later scene, Rio is apparently going to give herself to Billy willingly, but the camera angle used has her about to give oral to the camera lens, until the scene is interrupted by the arrival of her aunt.Now unless there are scenes missing from the version I have the famous poster shot of Russell with her dress ripped and off the shoulder, doesn't appear in the film.Anyway, the movie is not as bad as some folks make it out to be, although it would have been interesting if Howard Hawks had been given free hand, without interference (and eventual credit taken) by Howard Hughes.
The story concerns gunfighter Doc Holliday (Walter Huston), outlaw Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel), and lawman Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell).
You'll get the gist of this film from the storyline on the main page, but about half-way through this awful movie, Rio (Jane Russell) says "I just can't believe it!" referring to what she'd just heard from Billy (Jack Buetel).Well ...
Not only did this film offend so many historical facts about 19th century south- west, it portrayed a homo-erotic trio between Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) and Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) that was reduced to the worst kind of camp comedy: utterly boring.I won't waste your time by commenting on the plot, except to say it was simply ridiculous.
i recently seen the outlaw,I've heard all the hype and stuff about it, all i can say is they must've been crazy to ban this film,so what Jane Russell shows a little cleavage,anyway this is a good western although its a fictional account of billy the kid( played by young jack beutel,) doc holiday(Walter Huston)pat Garrett(Thomas Mitchell)and Rio(Jane Russell)a feisty young girl.the late great Howard Hugh's produced this classic but had trouble distributing it,so it was released independently by rko radio pictures who also distributed king Kong and citizen Kane.
In all, just a complete mess regarding history.What's not a mess is Jane Russell's film debut as Rio McDonald, Doc's girlfriend turned Billy's lover.
As for the film itself, it is quite unconventional, there are some funny moments, the love scenes between Russell and Buetel are quite good, and the unusual music by Victor Young is interesting, it is an alright western.
Thomas Mitchell has his moments, especially at the end of the film with his outburst.Even with her voluptuous bosom, Jane Russell is often churlish.The film might have been better had it went into further detail about the great friendship that Doc Holliday and Billy the Kid had.