Really Surprised!

Please don't spend money on this.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

At least wily old Walter Huston looks like he's having a good time burlesquing his character. That may be the only redeeming feature of this otherwise god-awful mess. Oh yes, there are at least two more redeeming features, and I like the way her tops sag lower and lower as time goes on. At least that kept me interested. Certainly nothing else did. There's no story to speak of, only a series of poorly written, sometimes pointless encounters.Some reviewers see a subtext about trust and friendship. Maybe so, but it looks more like a homo-erotic triangle that the makers (Hughes & co.) were having fun with, especially when the Tchaikovski love theme accompanies Pat's reconciliation with Doc. No need to belabor the limp pacing, the horrible scoring, the meandering script, or the inept Beutel. Actually, my sympathies lie with Russell whose uncertain presence sort of dangles as she tags along after the guys. But then, her best years lie ahead, unlike those of the guys. Then too, she's the only reason this rich man's plaything wasn't consigned to the dust bin long ago—a place where it so richly belongs.

Quite a fun movie - rather silly in the tradition of "Bringing Up Baby", but a delightful gem for people who have a sense of humor. This movie is less about action and more about gunmen playing a constant mental game of wits trying to fool and outsmart each other. Fastest hands or not, you quickly see that it's Billy's wits that keep him alive, and Jack Buetel does a fantastic job of portraying a Billy the Kid that-could-have-been. 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.

I don't know if Howard Hughes was gay like some commentators maintain. I do know he was bat-shiat crazy. So the constant betrayal and backstabbing and shifting alliances are easy to see coming from his frightened mind. As a technical worker Hughes was also an Asperger's sufferer, who values things more than human relationships and can't understand humans anyway. So we see a pouch of tobacco and a horse traded around as casually as they do Jane Russell. Did anyone mention Johnny Carson's introduction of her on his show? "Here they are, Jane Russell." What disturbed me was her voice over-- what do you call it-- Foley stage? She sounds like a 12-year-old. Its quite off-putting and makes the creepiness of Hollywood shine through.So the lack of human motivations and operations give this a one star. But even if Howard Hughes knew how human beings felt or operated, the musical score would get this a one-star. Good gosh, is veered between over-dramatic Hitchcock and the Three Stooges (wha whaa whaaaa). In between was what others have described as bad Tchaikovsky. As you would expect for the guy that gave us Citizen Kane, the cinematography was pretty good. I bet I would have liked this a lot better if I turned off the sound. Closed-captioning would be far preferable to the wooden delivery and bad score.Double triple spoiler-- I do love the effect when Doc shoots big chunks out of Billy's ears. We need more of this in-camera stuff, CGI is boring me to tears.Now that the film is ending, I think of that guy that said it only makes sense if Pat, Doc, and Billy are gay, and he may have a point. But let's face it, if any real 1940s homosexuals were behind this film, it would be 100 times better.Quadruple spoiler-- Its nice that Doc dies saying he don't want to die in bed, and Val Kilmer picks up the meme in Tombstone.As a movie this is execrable, but as an exploration into the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic Asperger suffer, it is a real treasure. I love how Hughes makes all the elements of a Jane Russell soft-core porno, since he has so little understanding of human beings he thinks that is the only reason we would watch this. Then again, maybe he was right.

Jack Buetel (September 5, 1915 – June 27, 1989) was an American film and television actor.Born in Dallas, Texas, Buetel moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930s with the intention of establishing a film career. Unable to find such work, he was employed as an insurance clerk when he was noticed by an agent who was impressed by his looks.Introduced to Howard Hughes, who was about to begin filming The Outlaw, Buetel was signed to play the lead role as Billy the Kid, with the previously signed David Bacon being dropped from the film. Hughes also signed another newcomer, Jane Russell, for the female lead, and realizing the inexperience of his two stars, also signed veteran actors Thomas Mitchell and Walter Huston.Buetel was signed to a standard seven-year contract at $150 per week and was assured by Hughes that he would become a major star. Filmed in late 1940 and early 1941, The Outlaw officially premiered in 1943 but was not widely seen until 1946. It was notable for suggesting the act of sexual intercourse, uncommon in mainstream movies of the era, and for allowing characters to "sin on film", without a suitable punishment also being depicted, in violation of the Production Code. Much of the publicity surrounding the release of the film focused on Jane Russell, and she established a solid film career, despite critics giving her performance in The Outlaw poor reviews.Buetel's performance was also highly criticised, and he languished with Hughes refusing to allow him to work. The director Howard Hawks tried to secure his services for the film Red River (1948), but after Hughes refused to allow Buetel to take part, Montgomery Clift was chosen and Clift went on to an active film career.In 1951 Buetel appeared in Best of the Badmen, his first film appearance in eleven years. Over the next few years he appeared in five more films, and made infrequent appearances on television. In 1956, he landed the role of 41-year-old Jeff Taggert in Edgar Buchanan's syndication western series, Judge Roy Bean. Others who appeared regularly in the 39-episode series, set in Langtry, Texas, were Jackie Loughery, X Brands, Tristram Coffin, Glenn Strange, and Lash La Rue. Buetel's last acting role was in a 1961 episode of Wagon Train. He also appeared as himself in the 1982 Night of 100 Stars television special.He died in Portland, Oregon, and was buried at Portland Memorial Park.The first time I saw this movie was in 1950 in a local cinema in Barcelona,(​​double session). in those days was something daring for a film the scenes between Jack Russell and Jean Beutel, although personally I was impressed mainly by the beauty of Jane Russell. I love the way the plot of the film, especially by the end of the story, unlike some other versions as to the truth of whether it was who killed Pat Garrett Billy the Kid. I prefer this ending for me was a surprise. It was a pity that Howard Hughes thus ruin the career of a good actor like Jack Beutel, but it also happened with other very good players, which ended up being ignored and forgotten. back to the movie I liked a lot. photography is excellent, the normal dialogs, the correct interpretation, since the lack of a good director and best screenplay had yielded better results. definitely a good movie.