The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

A no account outlaw establishes his own particular brand of law and order and builds a town on the edges of civilization in this farcical western. With the aid of an old law text and ... See full summary »

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

John Milius (original screenplay), C.L. Sonnichsen (book)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Roy Jenson, Gary Combs

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Judge Roy Bean
Roy Jenson	...	Outlaw
Gary Combs	...	Outlaw
Fred Brookfield	...	Outlaw
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Outlaw (as Ben Dobbins)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Outlaw (as Dick Farnsworth)
Leroy Johnson	...	Outlaw (as LeRoy Johnson)
Fred Krone	...	Outlaw
Terry Leonard	...	Outlaw
Dean Smith	...	Outlaw
Margo Epper	...	Whore
Jeannie Epper	...	Whore
Stephanie Epper	...	Whore
Victoria Principal	...	Maria Elena
Barbara J. Longo	...	Fat Lady

Storyline

A no account outlaw establishes his own particular brand of law and order and builds a town on the edges of civilization in this farcical western. With the aid of an old law text and unpredictable notions Roy Bean distinguishes between lawbreakers and lawgivers by way of his pistols.

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Plot Keywords:

law | law and order | pistol | brothel | judge | 

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Taglines:

Maybe This Isn't The Way It Was - It's The Way It Should Have Been!

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

El juez del patíbulo

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 105 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steve Kanaly and Victoria Principal who both debuted in this film also starred together in the Dallas television series. Don Starr, who played the theatre manager, also appeared regularly throughout the series as oil baron Jordan Lee.

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Goofs

When Judge Roy Bean speaks to Grizzly Adams, he holds his gun over his leg and in front of his chest, in turns with the changes of the camera angle.

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Quotes

Rev. Mr. LaSalle: That was the first and last time I saw Judge Roy Bean. I never got back to that country and died of dysentery in old Mexico. I haven't seen him since, so he probably went to Hell.

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Connections

Edited into La classe américaine (1993)

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Soundtracks

"Marmalade, Molasses and Honey"
Lyrics by Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman
Music by Maurice Jarre
Sung by Andy Williams

User Reviews

A timeless treasure by one of Hollywood's greatest directors

The late 60's and early 70's produced several great comedic westerns i.e. Cheyenne Social Club, Dirty Dingus McGee, Great Scout, The Rounders, Evil Roy Slade, Support Your Local etc. The list goes on and on. Those movies were all great, but pretty much one dimensional and set the tone for some collective disappointment over the content of Judge Roy Bean. There are some great hilarious moments in this film and I never really got it until recently. It's actually a love story, and a comedy as well as John Huston's own statement about the retreating old west. If you view it in that context you'll be very impressed. If you're looking for pure comedy you may find that it drags in moments. However, this is the last time you'll get to see Paul Newman with that devilish Eddie Felson/Ben Quick light in his eyes, he was made for the part as a self-appointed and self-styled Judge/philosopher that dispenses justice to just about everyone that wanders through his town whether they deserve it or not. And Judge Bean also showcases IMO the best villian of all time in Bad Bob, a murderous long haired psychotic albino come to lay ole' Beano to rest. Victoria Principal is so cute you just want to, well you'll see. Anyway, it's very funny but it is a love story. I found that rather distraction 30 years ago but I didn't get it. Well worth a watch. 9/10