JohnHowardReid Director: KURT NEUMANN. Screenplay: Karl Kamb, Robert Hardy Andrews. Story: Robert Hardy Andrews. Photographed in Technicolor by Charles Van Enger. Film editor: Frank Gross. Art directors: Bernard Herzbrun, Emrich Nicholson. Set decorators: Russell A. Gausman, Oliver Emert. Costumes: Rosemary Odell. Make-up: Bud Westmore, Jack Kevan. Hair styles: Joan St Oegger, Ann Locker. Production manager: Dewey Starkey. Music composed by Frank Skinner, directed by Milton Schwarzwald. Camera operator: Lloyd Ward. Set continuity: Connie Earle. Stunts: Fred Carson. Technicolor color consultant: William Fritzsche. Grip: Fred Buckley. Gaffer: Ross Saxon. Assistant director: Joe Kenny. Sound recording: Leslie I. Carey, Robert Pritchard. Associate producer: George C. Bethelon. Producer: Paul Short. Copyright 17 March 1950 (in notice: 1949) by Universal Pictures Co., Inc. U.S. release: 19 March 1950. Australian release: 22 June 1950. 7,032 feet. 78 minutes. U.K. release title: TEXAS KID, OUTLAW. COMMENT: The story is a familiar one, but thanks to an involving and engaging script, it is just as thrilling today as when first presented. Appealing performances from the entire cast also help, and so does direction way above the norm from Kurt Neumann. Production values, including location lensing and a spectacular climax, also prove a considerable asset.

dougdoepke The real attraction here is war hero Audie Murphy in one of his first starring roles. Naturally, the Western format best fit his military background and acting inexperience, so its no surprise that his movie career was built on a succession of similar B-oaters. Nonetheless, there would have been no Hollywood career, I believe, without his boyish good looks that had hardly faded at the point of his untimely death (1971). True, he was small, hardly imposing in the usual Hollywood style. But he could work up a cold-eyed stare with the best of them, and coming from that baby face, the contrast was especially startling. It's that disconnect between the boyish appearance and the intimidating manner that's so unusual.The movie itself is unexceptional, supposedly based on historical fact; however, Hollywood has its own set of history books, particularly when it comes to Billy the Kid. The producers fortunately had the good sense to back up the inexperienced Murphy (he would loosen up with practice) with a strong supporting cast—Dekker, Geer, Strudwick, Barrat. On the other hand, there may be too much malt shop in Gale Storm for a Western, but visually she matches up well with Murphy. Anyway, there's enough Technicolor scenery, big shootouts, and even a slippery villain, to keep matinée fans like me happy.

rooster_davis I have a lot of respect for Audie Murphy, the most decorated US solder of WW II. However I have to admit that what I find most memorable about him are his acting roles, particularly in Westerns. He always played a deceptively young-looking gunfighter and had the real-life moves to back him up on camera. One excellent example is early in the film Duel at Silver Springs where he shoots the gun out of Lee Marvin's hand while sitting at a saloon card table - he was lightning fast on the draw. I like Murphy here as Billy the Kid because he's still young-looking enough to be reasonably convincing. There is another movie called Billy the Kid from 1941 with Robert Taylor in the title role and he doesn't look anything like a kid - shortly after I started watching that one I switched it off. Taylor was over 30 years old and looked possibly even older than that. (On the other hand the opening scenes of To Hell and Back have Murphy at age 31 playing himself as a military inductee of 18, and to me, that also did not work.) Here, Murphy at 25 or so still looks young enough to pull off the role of a "kid".Anyhow, back to this movie, it's one of the versions of Billy the Kid I enjoy watching because Murphy plays his part convincingly. And it has the added bonus of having been shot in Technicolor, making it easy on the eyes too.

bob the moo Brought up on the wrong side of the tracks, William Bonney (aka Billy the Kid) is taken in by a kind rancher, Jameson, who is targeted by rival landowners who have key people in their pockets. When Mr Jameson is murdered Billy seeks revenge and, along with other men, is sworn in to bring the men to justice. However when some arrests turn into killings, Billy is cut off from the law and becomes a criminal in the eyes of the law. As his reputation grows the law put Sheriff Pat Garrett onto his trail.Having seen a few Audie Murphy westerns recently I was interested to try and see a few more to get a flavour of who he was as an actor. I watched this film unaware (aside from the clue in the title) that it was another telling of the story of Billy the Kid. As such it is an inherently weak film – especially with time, as we have all seen elements of this story told in a variety of different ways. This recognisable story means that it is too familiar for such a basic film to work with, rather it ends up being duller and feeling rather plodding as a result. This isn't helped by the fact that this film could have had any story in it and it still would have been delivered as any other B-movie western would have been. The script doesn't add anything to the basic story and, if you know the story then there is nothing really different here to justify watching it. The action is the usual fare and will please those expecting a B-movie western but nothing more. The cast is also run of the mill and just what you would expect. Murphy looks good and is reliable but he is far from being a good actor and he delivers the same performance I have seen him give in films that are all the same if you turn the sound down. The support cast are also par for the course and nobody really excels themselves; only Billy's new employer (Alexander) is an interesting character and gives a few good moments for Dekker to work with.Overall this is a very ordinary film that will be passable entertainment for those looking for a basic B-movie western that just fits in with genre tradition rather than trying to do anything special or different. The story is too familiar to really hold the interest and the script, performances, action and direction are all just about par for the course for this type of thing.