Customer Reviews

The Outlaw

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There's no need to recap the plot's synopsis, therefore I'll focus the bulk of my observations on the DVD itself, since this is the information I look for in Amazon reviews of items of this type.
This review covers the edition released by The Roan Group. The disk does fulfill its promise of a 117 minute running time, including credits. A running time of two hours is cited in the trailer, but I don't know that I'd call this an accurate indication of the existence of a more complete version; 117 minutes is awfully close to 120. I don't see any evidence of the extras mentioned in Amazon's editorial, including the letterboxing of credits, although I had no trouble reading them all on my TV set. I suspect the reviewer is referring to a different release, although I can't imagine which one.
Roan mastered this release from what must have been a very high-quality print because it shows very few signs of age. The sound is fine--very clear with no need of volume cranking (often the case on older films, in my experience). The movie is an entertaining male-bonding romp with great performances all around and Miss Russell looks fabulous. Frankly, there wasn't a boring moment in the whole film--no complaints there. Another nice touch is its keep case; I'm really annoyed with the cheesy snap cases in which so many new releases are packaged.
The lack of extras, however, is very disappointing, even for a budget release. One has the option to view the trailer or the film by means of a barely visible prompt, PERIOD. There's no menu, so one can't navigate the specific chapters (although they're numbered on the back cover of the case), and there are no subtitles ("Japanese?"). There's NOTHING but the movie and the trailer. At least one can fast-forward and reverse; I understand that even that option's not available on some disks.
Despite this movie's being lots of fun, it rates fewer stars for being a little too bare-bones in this release. 3.5 stars would be perfect but since I can't assign halves, I decided to err on the side of generosity based on its being a really good transfer of an entertaining film. (Yeah, yeah--we all KNOW it's not historically accurate...so what?) A shame Roan didn't go the extra mile; so little more is needed.

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!)

also available here:The Outlaw

All that's left to say is.... Aw Shucks Ma'am....Laurie

For more Billy the Kid check out:Billy the Kid(with Val Kilmer as The Kid in this one

What can I say about "The Outlaw"? It's really, really silly and I really, really like it. The acting is bad, the music is worse, and the camera angles are downright hilarious. I'm not sure how much of the dialogue was intended to be funny, but I'm sure a lot of the bigger laughs were unintentional. Nevertheless, it's a goofy, friendly little movie that moves along at a brisk pace and is nothing if not entertaining.

The plot? Well, you see, Pat Garrett and Doc Holliday used to be best friends, that is until Billy the Kid rode into town, and now Doc spends all his time hanging out with Billy which makes Pat pretty darn jealous. There's also Rio (played by the scantily clad Jane Russell) who used to be Doc's girl before Billy stole her, although neither Doc nor Billy care much about that. They do argue a lot about who owns Doc's horse, but otherwise they're pretty tight, riding around together, humilating Pat, and just generally having a good time. All good things must come to an end, however, and after a couple of shootouts and almost shootouts our hero(?) rides off into the sunset, proud possesor of both the horse and the girl.

"The Outlaw" isn't a classic by anybody's standards (unless you count the classically silly "Gun Switching" scene), but it is fun in a weird kind of way. Gazillionare Howard Hughes tried for years to have it released while he battled the censors (unlike some other reviewers, I do think the film is pretty racy for its time) and there's still about five minutes missing. You can sometimes tell where footage was cut, such as a scene where Doc goes to hug Billy (really) and after a jump they're suddenly talking about something else. Uh huh.

Anyway, check this out if you're a fan of Jane Russell or over the top cheese. If you do see it, watch for my favorite part: Billy strings up Rio and leaves her for dead, has second thoughts, and comes back to find the sheriff waiting for him. "Why didn't you tip me off?" he irritably asks the still strung-up Rio. Great stuff.
GRADE: B+

An excellent western with all the elements and stars. Jane Russell was a sensation in more ways than one and caught public attention. The picture was condemned for it's then, controversial bedroom scene. Apart from that, the suspense and action was there. Some terrific shooting scenes, quite different for it's day. You will enjoy a great story line.

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. ;-)

Among the infinite versions of the legend of Billy the Kid, this one is by far the most extraordinary. And I say it for two reasons. The first one is that the film combines three essential elements always present in a good script: love, friendship and treason. Everything's fine between Doc Holliday and Pat Garrett, until Billy the Kid comes up. He steals Doc's horse and, despite of this, Doc becomes his friend and protector, which makes Pat swear to God we will catch both of them. Between the gunmen is the lovely Rio (Jane Russell, in an unforgettable performance), a character too sexy and too provocative for a mid-forties western. Her presence is a guarantee of a bizarre and unexpected love triangle. The second reason is, since this story is a legend, everything is possible, even changing the obvious ending. Maybe you'll get disappointed with the conclusion but certainly it will make you reflect upon the oldest dilemma of mankind: the good and the evil.

Sherriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) and Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) are simply the best of friends...until Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel) shows up in town and then steals both Doc Holliday's horse and his beautiful girlfriend "Rio" (played by lusty, busty, 19-year-old Jane Russell!). Holliday somehow forgives and befriends Billy the Kid (turning his back on his old friend Pat Garrett in the process) and together they get into trouble with the sherriff, who shoots Billy the Kid. Lucky for Billy, he's taken to Rio's house where she takes care of him (serving ALL his needs and desires!!!) and nurses him back to good health.

Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday are finally cornered by Sherriff Garrett, and one of the longest western showdowns in history (you wonder if the scene is EVER going to end) results in a tragic death which will change their lives (especially the dead guy!) forever. "The Outlaw", as other reviewers have already stated, suffers from a cheesy and contrived script, and the movie wonders uncomfortably between comedy and drama. And casting the dull, wooden-faced Jack Beutel as the legendary gunfighter Billy the Kid was a huge blunder. Oh well, at least there's Jane Russell's breasttaking, er, I mean breathtaking debut. This totally offbeat western is truly bad, but in a wonderful and entertaining way. Highly recommended!

Ok, so it's not a "film." It has interesting little twists that are enjoyable and surprising and has some good characters, too, like the tia. Jane doesn't really act so much as smolder, but that's all right. I liked Jack Buetel even though he wasn't much of an actor (looks like he was in one other western and then vanished from sight). Of course it isn't history anymore than it's art! So I guess the conclusion of this review is that you may need to bring more forgiveness to "The Outlaw" than you would normally bring, but I think it's worth the trouble.

Having recently seen the 2004 film THE AVIATOR about millionaire aircraft designer Howard Hughes, I was compelled to see THE OUTLAW, a major motion picture directed by Hughes in 1941. My interest was purely intellectual, mind you. It had nothing to do with the director's fixation on the cleavage and opulent ... well, you know ... of its 19-year old starlet, Jane Russell, which sparked a spirited battle between Hughes and the censors of the Production Code Administration, delayed the film's release until 1943 (and almost immediate withdrawal), and resulted in subsequent edits and re-releases in 1946 and 1950.

Hughes should have stuck with building airplanes.

THE OUTLAW may be a classic, but that doesn't prevent it from also being patently ridiculous. It brings together the outlaw/bad boy Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel), lawman Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell), and dentist/gambler/gunfighter Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) in New Mexico in the summer of 1881. Here, the Kid and Holliday get chummy despite quarreling over a horse and Doc's petulant girlfriend, Rio (Russell). In the meantime, Sheriff Pat becomes jealous that his heretofore good friend Holliday is spending so much time with the notorious outlaw Billy, whom Garrett would just as soon arrest or shoot dead for fame's sake. After being chased by the de rigueur band of hostile Native Americans, the four principals - six, if you count Jane's ... well, you know ... gather round for a final confrontation. Here, Garrett's attempt to disarm Billy is so dopey and so awkwardly choreographed with unbelievably bad dialogue that it virtually reduces this sagebrush drama to farce. It doesn't help that Buetel's the Kid occasionally comes across as a young and sweet tempered Jimmy Stewart - someone you'd be thrilled to have your teenage daughter marry.

Hollywood never shirks from playing fast and loose with historical fact. So, while viewing THE OUTLAW, one should keep in mind that:

1. Pat Garrett did indeed gun down Billy the Kid in July 1881.
2. There's no evidence that either Garrett or Billy ever met Doc Holliday.
3. Holliday died in his bed of tuberculosis in Glenwood Springs, CO on November 8, 1887.
4. Russell starred in the days before surgical augmentation of ... well, you know. Hers are the real deal.

After seeing this film, I was amazed that Hughes managed to squeeze perhaps 30 minutes of substance into 1 hour and 58 minutes, and that Jane's ... well, you know ... caused such a scandal in shots that were positively innocuous by today's standards. At one point, after Rio falls into a pond, Hughes declined the opportunity to display Russell in full-frontal, wet T-shirt glory. I was crushed, but believe in my heart that Howard considered the option for a brief moment at least.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't waste my time with this nonsense. I am, however, awarding two stars - one to each of Jane's ... well, you know.

"The Outlaw"
If you are looking for something with a good script, good dialouge, or at the very least historical accuracy in a western, fahgetaboutit. 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 will 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. From 1943, it's a black and white, and die hard western fans will get a kick out of this one.

[...]


All that's left to say is.... Aw Shucks Ma'am
Saddle Up and Happy Trails....Laurie