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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Walter Noble Burns (book)
Wanda Tuchock (continuity)
more
Release Date:
18 October 1930 (USA) more
Tagline:
Cattle-thief, outlaw, 2-gun man, Don Juan - was this the youth who ruled the lawless west with a flame-tipped gun and iron courage? more
Plot:
In this version of the Billy the Kid legend, Billy, after shooting down land baron William Donovan's henchmen for killing Billy's boss... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Disappointing Early Talkie more (10 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Johnny Mack Brown | ... | William H. 'Billy the Kid' Bonney (as John Mack Brown) | |
| Wallace Beery | ... | Deputy Sheriff Pat Garrett | |
| Kay Johnson | ... | Claire Randall | |
| Karl Dane | ... | Swenson | |
| Wyndham Standing | ... | John W. 'Jack' Tunston | |
| Russell Simpson | ... | Angus McSween | |
| Blanche Friderici | ... | Mrs. McSween (as Blanche Frederici) | |
| Roscoe Ates | ... | Old Stuff (as Rosco Ates) | |
| Warner Richmond | ... | Bob Ballinger (as Warner P. Richmond) | |
| James A. Marcus | ... | Colonel William P. Donovan (as James Marcus) | |
| Nelson McDowell | ... | Track Hatfield | |
| Jack Carlyle | ... | Mr. Dick Brewer | |
| John Beck | ... | Butterworth | |
| Chris-Pin Martin | ... | Don Esteban Santiago (as Chris Martin) | |
| Marguerita Padula | ... | Nicky 'Pinky' Whoosiz |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
The Highwayman Rides (USA) (TV title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
98 min | USA:95 min (Turner library print)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
USA:Passed (National Board of Review)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The pistols carried by Johnny Mack Brown were the actual pistols that belonged to the real Billy the Kid. They were loaned to the studio for the picture by William S. Hart, who had them in his private collection. more
Movie Connections:
Version of Billy the Kid's Gun Justice (1940) more
Soundtrack:
Chopsticks more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (10 total)
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Billy the Kid (1930)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Extremely disappointing film from Vidor features Johnny Mack Brown as Billy the Kid and Wallace Beery as Pat Garrett. After his boss and friend is murdered, Billy swears vengeance on any man who helped kill him. Along with his friends, Billy sets out for revenge only to find himself trapped inside a building in a long stand off. It's funny that this film starts off with a message from the then governor of New Mexico talking about how great Billy the Kid was and how this film was "mostly" truthful. This film was famous for being shot 1.20:1 but also in the 70mm Realife widescreen format but sadly all known prints of this are now lost. The film was also shot with two endings and the one I viewed was beyond silly and goes against what the governor said. With that out of the way, I found this film pretty hard to get through so I'm somewhat shocked at how many great reviews this one has out there. Being an early talkie I was surprised at how good the film sounded and that included all the dialogue plus the various sound effects. What shocked me was how old fashioned the film looked because just seeing the "style" of this picture made me wonder how much Vidor really directed and if this full screen version was second thought to everyone on the set. The movie is incredibly ugly with mostly medium shots that really don't do anything for the film. The ugly and still fashion of the film really takes it toll on the action in the film because it makes it just as boring. Even worse are some of the performance that suffer because of this. I though Brown and Beery were both decent in their roles but certainly nothing to write home about. Kay Johnson was rather bland as the love interest but future FREAKS cast member Roscoe Ates steals the film as the comedy relief.