Joe Kidd (1972)

Director:

John Sturges

Writer:

Elmore Leonard (written by)

Release Date:

14 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Western

Tagline:

If you're looking for trouble - - - he's JOE KIDD

Plot:

An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader.

Plot Keywords:

Landowner | Mexican | Land | Bounty Hunter | Shotgun

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Joe Kidd
Robert Duvall	...	Frank Harlan
John Saxon	...	Luis Chama
Don Stroud	...	Lamarr Simms
Stella Garcia	...	Helen Sanchez
James Wainwright	...	Olin Mingo
Paul Koslo	...	Roy Gannon
Gregory Walcott	...	Sinola County Sheriff Bob Mitchell
Dick Van Patten	...	Hotel manager
Lynne Marta	...	Elma
John Carter	...	Judge
Pepe Hern	...	Priest
Joaquín Martínez	...	Manolo (as Joaquin Martinez)
Ron Soble	...	Ramon
Pepe Callahan	...	Naco

Also Known As:

Sinola (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:15 (1987) | UK:AA (1972) | Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Writer Elmore Leonard certainly did know something about classic firearms. From Frank Harlan's Custom Savage 99 (1899), Olin Mingo's Remington-Keene sporter (1880) in .45-70, Lamarr Simms Mauser C-96 (1896) broomhandle and Joe's Cased Ross Rifle sporter model M-10 (1910) in .280 Ross. Leonard took special care to ensure all weapons (even the optics) were period accurate for that movie, being set in pre-statehood New Mexico territory (1912).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where Joe Kidd is approaching town after having joined up with Luis Chama, he sends one of Chama's men to ride into town first to test if the area is covered by gunmen. As he's riding into town you can see a vehicle driving across the frame in the distance.

Quotes:

Joe Kidd: [With Lamar pointing a gun at him] Lamar, I gotta dollar here says I can break your neck 'for you get that rig moved a half inch.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Drive-in Movie Memories (2001)

Classic Clint....

Clint was already a veteran of many westerns by the time he made "Joe Kidd" and, though many don't find it among his best, it shows Clint as the Joe of the title doing what he does best.

As a ne'er-do-well who ends up siding with Luis Chama (Saxon), a wanted Mexican bandito, Kidd does battle with a group of bounty hunters (led by a suitably villainous Duvall) out for Chama's blood.

"Joe Kidd" is leisurely but not uninteresting; after all, any film written by Elmore Leonard has interesting points (just look at his later work). And when I saw Clint eye that train, I knew something was going to happen (you'll have to see that one yourself).

Overall, "Joe Kidd" may not be as big as "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" or as profound as "Unforgiven", but it's a good film nonetheless and bears watching. If just for that classic Eastwood squint.

Eight stars. And for future reference, never upset a man holding a pot of stew.