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The Left Handed Gun
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The Left Handed Gun (1958)

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User Rating: 6.5/10 (774 votes)
Photos (see all 9 | slideshow)

Overview

Director:
Arthur Penn
Writers:
Leslie Stevens (screenplay)
Gore Vidal (play)
Release Date:
26 September 1958 (France) more
Tagline:
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"... more
Plot:
After his employer is murdered by rival cattlemen, a troubled and uneducated young cowboy vows revenge on the murderers, full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
Penn gives you a glimpse of things to come in his first film more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
Robert Foulk ... Sheriff Brady
Anne Barton ... Mrs. Hill
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jo Summers ... Bride
George Bell ... Deputy (uncredited)
Joe Bell ... Peddler (uncredited)
Orlando Beltran ... Mexican farmer (uncredited)
George Berkeley ... (uncredited)
Lane Chandler ... Townsman on street with Mason (uncredited)
Mary Lou Clifford ... Gypsy woman (uncredited)
Stephen Coit ... Photographer (uncredited)
Cecil Combs ... Deputy (uncredited)
Jess Franco ... Young Gypsy man (uncredited)
Terry Frost ... Angry townsman (uncredited)
Robert Griffin ... Morton (uncredited)

Norman Leavitt ... General store clerk (uncredited)
Eve McVeagh ... Mrs. McSween (uncredited)
Tina Menard ... Mexican woman (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan ... Soldier (uncredited)
Tessie Murray ... Gypsy woman (uncredited)
Joseph V. Perry ... Clerk (uncredited)
Stephanie Pond-Smith ... (uncredited)
Henry Rowland ... Man on street with deputy (uncredited)
Oreste Seragnoli ... Priest (uncredited)
Morgan Shaan ... Man in crowd (uncredited)
Dan Sheridan ... Bucky (uncredited)
Fred Sherman ... Clerk (uncredited)
Jorge Treviño ... Ramírez (uncredited)
Glen Turnbull ... Sergeant (uncredited)
Ernesto Zambrano ... Old Gypsy man (uncredited)
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Directed by
Arthur Penn 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Leslie Stevens  screenplay
Gore Vidal  play

Produced by
Fred Coe .... producer
 
Original Music by
Alexander Courage 
 
Cinematography by
J. Peverell Marley (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted 
 
Art Direction by
Art Loel 
 
Set Decoration by
William L. Kuehl 
 
Costume Design by
Marjorie Best 
 
Makeup Department
Gordon Bau .... makeup supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders .... assistant director (as Russ Saunders)
Jack Voglin .... first assistant director (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Earl Crain Sr. .... sound
 
Stunts
Boyd 'Red' Morgan .... stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Alexander Courage .... composer: ballad
 
Crew believed to be complete



Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
UK:102 min | Germany:99 min | USA:102 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Spanish
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (certificate #18709) | West Germany:16 (nf) | Australia:M | UK:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15
MOVIEmeter: ?
^ 18% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
James Dean was signed to play Billy the Kid in this picture but the role was given to Paul Newman after Dean's death. It was the second role Newman inherited from Dean (who had also been signed to star in Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)). more
Goofs:
The film is about western outlaw Billy the Kid, who was in fact right-handed. more
Quotes:
Pat Garrett: You see I work up a sweat - to mind my own business. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful:-
Penn gives you a glimpse of things to come in his first film, 17 August 2000
6/10
Author: Deacon from Damascus, MD

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.

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