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The Left Handed Gun (1958)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
26 September 1958 (France) moreTagline:
This is William Bonney, a juvenile "tough" from the back-alleys of New York... a teenager wanted dead or alive throughout the West. This is the screen's first real story of the strange teen-age desperado known to legend as "Billy the Kid"... morePlot:
After his employer is murdered by rival cattlemen, a troubled and uneducated young cowboy vows revenge on the murderers, full summary | add synopsisNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Director Penn Hospitalised With Pneumonia (From WENN. 14 July 2009, 12:11 PM, PDT)
Talkin' Westerns with A.C. Lyles
(From The Hollywood Interview. 14 May 2009, 4:29 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Penn gives you a glimpse of things to come in his first film more (21 total)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Paul Newman | ... | Billy The Kid | |
| Lita Milan | ... | Celsa | |
| John Dehner | ... | Pat Garrett | |
| Hurd Hatfield | ... | Moultrie | |
| James Congdon | ... | Charlie Boudre | |
| James Best | ... | Tom Folliard | |
| Colin Keith-Johnston | ... | Tunstall | |
| John Dierkes | ... | McSween | |
| Robert Anderson | ... | Hill (as Bob Anderson) | |
| Wally Brown | ... | Deputy Moon | |
| Ainslie Pryor | ... | Joe Grant | |
| Martin Garralaga | ... | Saval | |
| Denver Pyle | ... | Ollinger | |
| Paul Smith | ... | Smith | |
| Nestor Paiva | ... | Pete Maxwell |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
102 minCountry:
USAColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)Certification:
Australia:M | USA:Approved (certificate #18709) | UK:PG | West Germany:16 (nf) | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:14A (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15Filming Locations:
Columbia/Warner Bros. Ranch - 411 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California, USAFun Stuff
Trivia:
Interestingly, the title of this movie promotes a common misconception that was proved untrue in 1986. Two almost identical tintypes of Billy the Kid were taken at the same time in 1880. The original of one tintype disappeared years ago. The second original tintype was preserved for years in the Sam Diedrick family and came to light only in 1986. Since tintypes are reversed images, the picture from the first tintype led to the myth of the left-handed gun. After the second tintype came to light, the reversed image was reversed to show the Kid as he actually posed, with a Winchester carbine in the left hand and his holstered Colt single-action on his right hip. See Utley, Robert M., Billy the Kid, A Short and Violent Life, University of Nebraska Press, 1989. Statement following page 110 alongside the picture of Billy the Kid. moreGoofs:
Factual errors: The film is about western outlaw Billy the Kid, who was in fact right-handed. moreFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (21 total)
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The director of Bonnie & Clyde and Little Big Man is off to a promising start with The Left Handed Gun, his first film. The film stars a young Paul Newman as Billy the Kid. Billy, working as a ranch hand, swears revenge on the four men who ambushed and killed his boss.
That's about it for plot. Newman plays Billy well, portraying a man bent on his mission. One senses that he means well, but his short temper and dark past always get the best of him, even during his friend's, Pat Garrett (John Dehner in a nice performance), wedding.
Unfortunately, Newman suffers from a weak supporting cast and little character development. I found it hard to believe that Billy could develop such a strong bond with his boss in such a short time (although the movie doesn't exactly specify how long). With the possible exception of Garrett, the remaining players are there to fill up the screen.
In short, I wasn't disappointed with this film, but if you want to view a great Western about a man driven by revenge, definitely see John Wayne in The Searchers.