Billy the Kid Returns (1938)

After Pat Garrett kills Billy the Kid, Billy's look-alike Roy Rogers arrives and is mistaken for him. Although a murderer, Billy was on the side of the homesteaders against the large ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Kane

Writer:

Jack Natteford (original screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Rogers, Smiley Burnette, Lynne Roberts

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Roy Rogers	...	Roy Rogers / Billy the Kid
Smiley Burnette	...	Frog Millhouse
Lynne Roberts	...	Ellen Moore (as Mary Hart)
Morgan Wallace	...	J. B. Morganson
Fred Kohler	...	Matson (as Fred Kohler Sr.)
Wade Boteler	...	Sheriff Pat Garrett
Edwin Stanley	...	Nathaniel Moore
Horace Murphy	...	Mr. Miller - Homesteader
Joseph Crehan	...	U.S. Marshal Dave Conway
Robert Emmett Keane	...	Mr. Page

Storyline

After Pat Garrett kills Billy the Kid, Billy's look-alike Roy Rogers arrives and is mistaken for him. Although a murderer, Billy was on the side of the homesteaders against the large ranchers. As Billy's death is unknown, Roy gets Garrett to let him pose as Billy to continue the fight, but without the killing.

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Plot Keywords:

song | trail | homesteader | billy the kid | death | 

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Taglines:

MARSHAL of LAW...MASTER of MEN...he fights for right and the girl he loves! (original poster)

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Genres:

Comedy | Music | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 September 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

Billy the Kid kehrt zurück

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

53 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An LA Times print ad dated 9/5/1938 shows that this film had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Orpheum Theater on that date on a double bill with I'll Give a Million, with a personal appearance by Roy Rogers, "Acclaimed the Screen's Greatest Find of the Year, Singing the Songs of the West ... The Songs You Love Best!"

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Connections

Featured in Legends of the West (1992)

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Soundtracks

"When the Sun is Setting on the Prairie"
Written by Eddie Cherkose and Alberto Colombo
Sing by Roy Rogers

User Reviews

Entertaining Spin on History

Billy the Kid Returns (1938)

*** (out of 4)

Pat Garrett kills Billy the Kid (Roy Rogers) but in another town a lookalike named Roy Rogers shows up and is mistaken as the real person. Rogers agrees to pretend to be Billy the Kid so that he can uncover a group of bad guys trying to steal land from the poor. This here was one of Rogers earliest films and as many reviewers pointed out at the time, there's really no question that crowds would enjoy his brand of singing and acting and it was clear that his personality jumped right off the screen and he was perfect for this type of character. He has to play pretty much two different roles here and I thought Rogers did a very good job with each of them. This includes playing a bad guy with no heart in Billy and the good guy who cares about those around him. Smiley Burnette gets the role of the sidekick and he too is charming in the film and adds some nice humor. Lynne Roberts plays the love interest and nearly steals each scene that she's in. She's plays the hard-working daughter of a hard-working store owner who just knows that Rogers isn't a bad guy. She's quite attractive to look at but she also gives a performance that comes across quite soft and charming. There's plenty of action to be had here and the majority of the gunfights are good, well-staged and entertaining. I'd also say that the cinematography is much better than you'd expect from this type of low-budget Western. Just check out the early scenes inside the house that is on fire. There's a shot of Billy the Kid firing guns with the fire and smoke behind him and it's a very good looking shot. Fans of Rogers will certainly find this to be one of his better films even if it's certainly not worth viewing as any type of history lesson on the real Billy the Kid.