The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

John Milius (original screenplay)

Release Date:

18 December 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Western

Tagline:

If this story ain't true... it shoulda been

Plot:

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...

Plot Keywords:

Law | Law And Order | Outlaw | Judge | Justice

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

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
Fred Krone	...	Outlaw
Terry Leonard	...	Outlaw
Dean Smith	...	Outlaw
Margo Epper	...	Whore
Jeannie Epper	...	Whore
Stephanie Epper	...	Whore
Victoria Principal	...	Maria Elena, aka The Angel (Bean's woman)
Barbara J. Longo	...	Fat whore
Anthony Perkins	...	Rev. Mr. LaSalle
Frank Soto	...	Mexican leader
Ned Beatty	...	Tector Crites (Jackson gang / Narrator / Jersey Lily bartender)
Jim Burk	...	Big Bart Jackson (gang leader / Bean marshal)
Matt Clark	...	Nick the Grub (Jackson gang / Bean marshal)
Bill McKinney	...	Fermel Parlee (Jackson gang / Bean marshal)
Steve Kanaly	...	Whorehouse Lucky Jim (Jackson gang / Bean marshal)
Francesca Jarvis	...	Mrs. Jackson
Karen Carr	...	Mrs. Grub
Lee Meza	...	Mrs. Parlee
Dolores Clark	...	Mrs. Whorehouse Jim
Tab Hunter	...	Sam Dodd
Neil Summers	...	Snake River Rufus Krile
Jack Colvin	...	Pimp
John Huston	...	Grizzly Adams
Howard Morton	...	Photographist
Stacy Keach	...	Original Bad Bob the Albino
Billy Pearson	...	Billy (stationmaster)
Roddy McDowall	...	Frank Gass
Stan Barrett	...	Killer
Dean Casper	...	Hotel desk clerk
Don Starr	...	San Antonio Opera House manager
Alfred G. Bosnos	...	Opera House clerk
Anthony Zerbe	...	Opera House hustler who mugs Bean
John Hudkins	...	Man at Opera House stage door
David Sharpe	...	Doctor
Jacqueline Bisset	...	Rose Bean
Ava Gardner	...	Lily Langtry
Michael Sarrazin	...	Rose's husband
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ken Freehill	...	Bedfellow (uncredited)
Mark Headley	...	Billy The Kid (uncredited)
Duncan Inches	...	Man at Vinegaroon (uncredited)
Rusty Lee	...	Tuba player (uncredited)

Directed by
John Huston

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Milius		original screenplay

Produced by
Frank Caffey	....	associate producer
John Foreman	....	producer
Paul Newman	....	co-executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
Richard Moore

Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
Tambi Larsen

Set Decoration by
Robert R. Benton		(as Robert Benton)

Costume Design by
Edith Head

Makeup Department
Jim Markham	....	hair consultant: men (as James Markham)
Jane Shugrue	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Arthur S. Newman Jr.	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mickey McCardle	....	assistant director
Gene Marum	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert Schultz	....	property master

Sound Department
Larry Jost	....	sound (as Lawrence Jost)
Richard Portman	....	dubbing mixer
Keith Stafford	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Butler-Glouner	....	special photographic effects

Stunts
M. James Arnett	....	stunt coordinator (as James Arnett)
Stan Barrett	....	stunt coordinator
Fred Brookfield	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jim Burk	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Terry Leonard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
James Linn	....	wardrobe: men (as Jim Linn)
Yvonne Wood	....	associate wardrobe designer

Editorial Department
Richard Wahrman	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Maurice Jarre	....	conductor

Other crew
John Franco	....	script supervisor
Gladys Hill	....	assistant: John Huston
Annabelle King	....	assistant to producer
Ron Oxley	....	animal trainer
Willard B. Scott	....	title designer
Jack N. Young	....	location scout (uncredited)

Production Companies

• First Artists

Distributors

• National General Pictures (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Cinerama Releasing UK (1972) (UK) (theatrical)
• Tobis (1975) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Opção (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (19??) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)

Runtime:

120 min | West Germany:105 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Germany:12 (re-rating) (cut) | West Germany:16 (cut) | Singapore:PG | France:Unrated | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

First Artists

Trivia:

First film role for Victoria Principal.

Goofs:

Continuity: 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.

Quotes:

[Bean has just shot a man for shooting a picture of Lily Langtry]
Judge Roy Bean: Justifiable homicide.
[Goes through the man's pockets]
Judge Roy Bean: I fine this man, uh, $50 for disturbing the peace and $10 for lying around.
Nick the Grub (Jackson gang: [Bean has shot Bad Bob from ambush with a buffalo rifle] Damn, Judge! You shot him in the back!
Whorehouse Lucky Jim (Jackson gang: Appears like he shot him in the back and the front! Judge, you didn't give him no chance!
Judge Roy Bean: He'd didn't deserve a chance. If he wanted a chance; he should have gone somewhere else.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Sopranos: Live Free or Die (#6.6)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Marmalade, Molasses and Honey

Maybe Paul Newman's most underrated role!

What a movie! I think it's important to give a bit of back story on my viewing of this film before I comment on what I liked about it. I walked into this movie with absolutely no expectations. My father had rented this movie and as he often does with older movies acted like it was pure gold. Now my fathers taste in movies is radically different from mine and often I don't think the movies he really likes are anything more than just light hearted fun. There's nothing wrong with this of course, but I was expecting more of the same for this film.

Boy was I wrong.

Yes it is a fun movie, a very slapstick tongue in cheek event, but the movie reeks of intentional spoofing and jokes consisting of winks and nods. If I were to compare it's humor, or more aptly its character, I would have to say it reminds one of the set up from Arrested Development. It will take multiple viewings in order to fully appreciate everything, funny or not, that is taking place on screen at any one time.

Paul Newman is in rare form in this movie as he plays a character very NON Paul Newmanish. HE sports a beard throughout the movie which helps with the illusion but his gruff voice and vocabulary really stand out as a fine approach to a character.

This movie is very good, a real gem that has gone un seen by many.