The Outlaw (1943)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Fantastic!

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Tensions between Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett and Doc Holliday reach boiling point as they vie for the affections of a voluptuous young woman in this western drama from Howard Hughes. The film is best known for being banned upon initial release due to the size of Jane Russell's bust, and many have denigrated it over the years, citing its historical inaccuracy, the admittedly poor music choices and Jack Buetel's bland performance as the Kid. All things considered though, 'The Outlaw' is a surprisingly decent motion picture. Russell brings a lot of zest and charisma to her role, cleavage aside, and the film is excellently visualised by the dynamite combination of Gregg Toland and Lucien Ballard. Interesting shots include Russell throwing a pitchfork towards the camera and gradual zooms in towards her eyes and lips at pivotal points. Academy Award winners Thomas Mitchell and Walter Huston also give it their all as Garrett and Holliday respectively, even if the script does not give them that much to do (it is more geared towards Buetel romancing Russell than Buetel squaring off with his co-stars). Whatever the case, this is a film worth a look for more than just Russell's bust.

If Nothing else, the Controversy, Hub-Bub, and Ballyhoo make this a Must See for Film Buffs. It sat on the Shelf for Years and when finally Released the Running Times were Erratic and Unpredictable, depending on the Location, and with that came more Controversy. It is Not Without Many Interesting Elements and is certainly one of the most Off-Beat Movies ever. Some of the Stuff Works, but the Film's Entirety Suffers mightily from a Horrible Musical Soundtrack and the Pacing is Glacial.The Acting is Not Bad, from Veterans Walter Huston and Thomas Mitchell, and Tenderfoots Jack Buetel and Jane Russell. When Things Erupt in the Western Tradition, like Stand-Offs and Showdowns, Posses and Indians the Film Picks Up and the Violence is Shown in some Interesting Ways.But the relentlessly Tiresome Dialog Scenes just go On and On with Pauses and more Pauses, Talk and more Talk, many times Saying the Same Thing Over and Over.The Movie is Long, way, way too Long. It Unreels Forever until it reaches the Two Hour Mark and it does Try the Patience. Gregg Toland's Cinematography has some Edginess and although the Movie is Studio Bound it does have a Strange and Otherworldly, Surreal Appeal. The Movie's Strengths are Overwhelmed by its Weakness and Overall it is Recommended for its Place as a Misanthropic Misfire that is Quite a Sight.The Film's Reputation as a Sex-Western is Evident and Jane Russell's Cleavage does get a lot of Screen Time and Steamy Implications Abound. Many also Find it Homo-Erotic and there is a Case to be made. Note...Beware Public Domain Prints that can be pretty shabby.

Newly appointed sheriff Pat Garrett is pleased when his old friend Doc Holliday arrives in Lincoln, New Mexico on the stage. Doc is trailing his stolen horse, and it is discovered in the possession of Billy the Kid. In a surprising turnaround, Billy and Doc become friends. This causes the friendship between Doc and Pat to cool. The odd relationship between Doc and Billy grows stranger when Doc hides Billy at his girl, Rio's, place after Billy is shot. She falls for Billy, although he treats her very badly. Interaction between these four is played out against an Indian attack before a final showdown reduces the group's number.Howard Hughes at his bra inventing finest.Jane Russel could never ever act. She had two assets.The movie is famous for them. And they go on and on for 2 hours in what could have been a 90 minute movie.That's about it.

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.