The Outlaw

Although Howard Hughes' 1941 RKO production, THE OUTLAW, is primarily remembered as being notorious for bringing sex to the western, it's still a largely underrated film. When watched with an honest eye, this is really one of the most offbeat, absorbing westerns of its time. Due to censorship problems, the film wasn't released until 1943 and ballyhooed as an "adult" western that focused on the ample charms of its star, Jane Russell. The story centers around the relationships between four people: Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel), Doc Holiday (Walter Huston), Sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) and Rio McDonald (Jane Russell). Basically, the plotline has Holiday trying to get back his horse which was stolen by the Kid. In the process, friendships are made and broken and loyalties are tested. This was the screen debut for Buetel and Russell, and they both deliver engaging performances in what remains their most memorable film. Veteran character actors Huston and Mitchell are likewise excellent, as usual. There's a great chemistry between all of them, and although Hughes got the onscreen credit, at least some of the direction has to be attributed to an uncredited Howard Hawks, who had a special knack for "buddy" movies. The script by Jules Furtham is sprinkled with wry humor, and the photography by the great Greg Toland is exceptional. While the sexual innuendo is tame by today's standards, THE OUTLAW can be better appreciated for its intimate character study and its romanticized depiction of the Old West and the legend of Billy the Kid. Even so, it must be acknowledged that Jane Russell still sizzles the screen, and figures prominently (pun intended) as a catalyst for the ups and downs in the relationship between Buetel and Huston. That cuckoo clock showdown between the two of them is one of my favorite scenes in a western. Legend Films' Two-Disc Special Edition of THE OUTLAW finally does the film justice with both a restored and enhanced black and white version as well as a colorized one. I've gone through several copies from different distributors, and this edition from Legend is by far the best. Of course, I prefer the original black and white which is outstanding here, but I have to say the color is pretty darn good, and gives the movie a vintage, '40s Technicolor look. The second disc is the movie again with a picture-in-picture video commentary by Jane Russell and Terry Moore in which they relate insights and anecdotes about Howard Hughes, Howard Hawks, Jack Buetel, Walter Huston, Thomas Mitchell and the making of the film. THE OUTLAW is a great classic, and this very affordable DVD set fin ally gives us the most complete, pristine presentation available on home video. Highly recommended. UPDATE: March 7, 2018 If you are a fan of THE OUTLAW (as I am), then you will definitely want to pick up the excellent new Blu-ray from Kino Lorber. While the transfer is not exactly pristine, the improvement over the above DVD is noticeable enough, displaying a pleasing, filmic look without any DNR scrubbing. Greg Toland's rich, deep focus cinematography benefits from the HD boost, and one can better appreciate finer details in the image. The audio commentary by Troy Howarth is quite informative regarding the film's production and huge promotional campaign. The original trailer is also included.