Billy Two Hats (1974)

When someone gets killed during a bank robbery by Deans, half-breed Billy Two Hats and their partner, the robbers flee. Sheriff Gifford tracks the robbers, killing one of them and capturing... See full summary »

Director:

Ted Kotcheff

Writer:

Alan Sharp

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Desi Arnaz Jr., Jack Warden

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	Arch Deans
Desi Arnaz Jr.	...	Billy Two Hats
Jack Warden	...	Sheriff Henry Gifford
David Huddleston	...	Copeland, Saloon Owner
Sian Barbara Allen	...	Esther Spencer
John Pearce	...	Spencer
Dawn Little Sky	...	Copeland's Squaw
Vince St. Cyr	...	Indian Leader (as W. Vincent St. Cyr)
Henry Medicine Hat	...	Indian
Zeev Berlinsky	...	Indian (as Zev Berlinsky)
Antony Scott	...	Indian

Storyline

When someone gets killed during a bank robbery by Deans, half-breed Billy Two Hats and their partner, the robbers flee. Sheriff Gifford tracks the robbers, killing one of them and capturing Billy. Deans escapes, but during a successful plot to free Billy from the Sheriff, Deans is shot, leaving him unable to walk or ride a horse. Billy, not wanting to abandon his friend, builds an Indian cot to drag Deans behind the horse. With the Sheriff hot on their trail, Deans and Billy try to stay one step ahead of the many obstacles which threaten their lives and freedom.

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Plot Keywords:

half breed | native american | false accusation | friendship | american indian | 

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Taglines:

Against the Law Against the Odds Against the Land Itself

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Genres:

Romance | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1974 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Lady and the Outlaw

Filming Locations:

Israel

Company Credits

Production Co:

Algonquin

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contains a long scene with long-shot 'Buffalo Rifle', Sharps rifle and illustrates accuracy of it.

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Quotes

Sheriff Henry Gifford: Watching out for the old man, huh, breed? Well, he's not out there. He's down in Mexico leaning up against some cantina bar, puking up all that money you and him and your dead partner stole. Yeah, all that money. Four hundred twenty dollars. You had to kill somebody at that. I don't like no kind of law breaker, breed. But the kind I hate worse is a cheap one. And cheaper than you and your friend, they just don't come!

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Norman Jewison (1999)

User Reviews

Hats off - In hindsight

At the end of this movie, I wasn't sure that I'd enjoyed it. But as the day wore on, I found myself continually thinking about it. Often, I leave a movie thinking I've enjoyed it and never give it a second thought. I wasn't sure for a lot of the film exactly what the point is other than the relationship between Peck (An outlaw with Scottish descendancy) and Billy (A half-breed Native Indian). But actually, this is the point and the characters are what make this movie work. Gregory Peck could never be accused of being type cast and he gave a valiant attempt at pulling off a Scottish accent. A lot of the words he nailed but then the accent completely disappeared for run of the mill dialect. A little more direction and time and his language would have matched an otherwise strong performance. Billy seemed a straightforward character to start with but layer upon layer are revealed as the movie progresses including an explanation for an otherwise daft movie title and you really find a sense of his history and upbringing. The sheriff gave a worthy performance but I was particularly impressed with the Apache gang and the stuttering wife. The Apache were made all the more terrifying by their random nature and personality so far removed from stereotypical Apache. The guy with the white parasol was the best of the bunch. The parasol is mentioned but no reference is made to how he obtained this. Some things are best unsaid, had he massacred a previous wagon and removed this as a trophy from some poor unsuspecting traveller? The stuttering wife was beautifully played. Her husband's answer to this disability was to slap her round the face. To her and her guests, this was nothing more than abuse but the husband clearly thought he was 'Rattling her brain box' and helping her out. Her vulnerability, loneliness and desire for love were superbly portrayed and I wish her love for Billy had been explored more fully. The movie reached a stand-off climax and there is a moral about how we treat our dead at the end which again leaves you thinking. Give this movie a chance, you may well draw a different conclusion but it is a little gem worth giving a chance.