BILLY THE KID

US, 1941, 95 minutes, Colour.
Robert Taylor, Brian Donleavy, Ian Hunter, Mary Howard, Gene Lockhart, Henry O'Neill.
Directed by David Miller.

William Bonney became one of the most celebrated American outlaws of the 19th century west. His nemesis was Pat Garrett. Billy the Kid has been portrayed in a great number of films, starting with Johnny Mack Brown in the silent era and followed by Robert Taylor in 1941 in a beautifully photographed colour western where Taylor was dressed all in black and his foe, Pat Garrett, was renamed Jim Sherwood and portrayed by Brian Donleavy.

Later Billy the Kids include Michael J. Pollard in Dirty Little Billy and Bob Dylan in Sam Peckinpah's Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.

Audiences are familiar with the stories of the outlaws like Billy the Kid and the James brothers. However, in looking at their careers, audiences are transported back into a lawless west, the role of gunfighters, the need for law and order, the impact of the law of the gun and how the outlaws became folk heroes in the 19th century, which continued on into the films of the 20th century. This film was made just at the outbreak of America's entry into World War II, which shifted the perspective on American heroism. At the same time 20th Century Fox produced Jesse James with Tyrone Power and The Return of Frank James with Henry Fonda.

1. An interesting and entertaining western? A western of the early '40s? The style of westerns at the time? The legends of the outlaws of the west? Their heritage? Questions about what might have been had they lived in other circumstances? "His hour in defiance of advancing civilisation"? Later reassessment of outlaws like Billy the Kid?

2. M.G.M. production values? Colour photography - locations and studio work? The atmosphere of the time with westerns about Jesse James and Frank James etc.? The choice of romantic lead Robert Taylor for the central role? The songs and the score?

3. Audience interest in Billy the Kid? The legend and the captions? The American outlaws? Law and justice in the frontier? Billy the Kid in reality? His reputation? The hero - anti-hero?

4. The film presenting Billy as hero? Explanation of his background, character, opportunities? Law and justice? Yet subsequent history seeing him as mad and off-key? Decisions, shrewdness, stupidity? His motives? His hurt? His being happy to die? The film as valid myth-making?

5. The conventional aspects of the plot: the western town, the outlaws, cattle, justice. corruption, humanity, vengeance, the showdown? Popular ingredients? Yet the problem of the hero/outlaw? Justice and its having to be seen to be done?

6. Robert Taylor's image: age, the opening, Pedro, the bar, Hickey, the rustling and the moral dilemmas, Jim? The lecture by Keating? The encounter with Edith? His going and returning? Ward's support? The possibilities and choices facing him? Death and vengeance? The clash with Jim? Betrayal? The shooting? His being allowed to die? The importance of the memory of the death of his father? Keating as the father-figure? Blame, justice?

7. The sketch of Jim - the older man. friend, father-figure? Relationship with Keating? The confrontation? Help, love, seeming to betray? The brother-figure? The death of Billy - his right hand?

8. Keating as the English gentleman in the west? Edith? Cattle questions? Hickey and the confrontation? Keating's beliefs and his lecture? The shooting? Acting as Billy's father? Support? The death and its effect?

9. Hickey and the smooth villains of the west?

10. Paterson, his death and the reaction of his wife?

11. The popular ingredients of the cattlemen, the rustling, money, violent confrontations? The posse?

12. The place of this western in the development of the Hollywood genre? The film as presenting heroic figures in the atmosphere of the early 1940s?