Outlaw Blues (1977) User Reviews

Filmed while I was UT. Some friends and I were extras.

[drk1996 · 5/10 · 20 June 2005]

Outlaw Blues was a OK film. Not great, but not the worst ever made. I was a student at the University of Texas at Austin when it was filmed. A friend and I were extras in the movie. The scene when Peter Fonda was in the record store and he was being mobbed was filmed at Dobie Mall, a high rise private dorm with a shopping center on the first two floors. Two friends and I were going to Dobie Mall to buy some film and we saw the movie crew outside, setting up for the shoot. They had closed the mall part of the building, so we just stood on the street and watched. After a while, a man (looked like a director type) walked up and asked how long we would be standing there? One of my friends got smart and said "You can't make us leave, this is a public street." The director type said he was looking for two more extras for the scene. The same friend then asked, "How much will you pay us?" The director said there was no pay and he only needed two guys. The director looked at my other friend and I and asked if we would do it? We jumped at the chance, leaving the other friend standing on the street with a stupid look on his face. We were taken aside and told when the cop came out of the mall chasing Fonda and Susan St James, to get in his way and hold him up. They told us to grab him and just kind of hold him back. We ran through it a couple of times and then they shot the scene. The cop ran out through the crowd, we grabbed him and that was it. From the time we were approached until it was over it was only about thirty minutes. After it was over, we were told "thanks" and they closed the set and left. When the movie came out, we went and waited for our scene. After all of that, all that was showing in the movie was my shoulder and arm. My friends ribbed my about it, but I know it was me. I still have the shirt I wore in the scene. I know it wasn't much of a screen presence, but I was in a movie, even if it was just my arm and shoulder. When it is on TV, it is fun to watch and see Austin the was it was then, how the places looked then, see some other people I knew in college that were in the film, and of course, my shoulder and arm.

Down-home country music movie

[lightninboy · 7/10 · 16 May 2005]

This is a little-seen movie, which is too bad. It may not be great, but it's worth showing now and then. CMT should show it. Maybe they do. Outlaw Blues is a good title for this movie. Austin, Texas, is the Texas Nashville, and was a stomping grounds of Waylon and Willie, who were on the 1976 album Wanted!: The Outlaws. I never saw the beginning of the movie, but it seems that Bobby Ogden is released from prison, a country music star (Garland Dupree, I guess) steals a song that Bobby wrote and makes it a hit without compensation, and Tina Waters becomes Bobby's manager. Ogden and Waters seek vengeance. It seems they were being chased, and they rode a motorcycle through a wedding reception. And a truck carrying watermelons swerves and dumps watermelons on the street. Bobby is a wanted man. He is to record an album, so he and Waters record it in a Purina Feeds store. But someone tells the cops, and they have to break away in a feed truck. Then they're in a Glastron boat (Glastron boats were made in Austin, Texas) on a lake heading for a dam. Will Bobby get killed here? Will he and Waters sneak off to Mexico? Will Bobby go back to prison? Will his album be a success?

Enjoyable comedy would make perfect late-night TV fare...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 12 June 2008]

Unambitious, unassuming gem from the undervalued pile of movies over at Warner Bros. Director Richard T. Heffron and talented screenwriter B.W.L. Norton concoct an easy-going scenario full of rascally characters and lively action in tale of a luckless musician, recently paroled yet back in trouble after assaulting a country-western singer who stole his song. In the lead, Peter Fonda isn't his usual hole-in-the-screen self (Heffron helps him loosen up and be a bit more likable), while Susan Saint James is very fresh and funny as a music business insider who turns the convict into an anti-hero. Scruffy, charming picture was probably the perfect drive-in entry; it should play even better on the tube. *** from ****

nice fun

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 1 June 2019]

Everybody likes singing troubadour prisoner Bobby Ogden (Peter Fonda). When performer Garland Dupree (James T. Callahan) comes to sing in the prison, Bobby is invited to sing his song. Soon after, Garland had stolen the song and it becomes a big hit. Bobby is released from prison and confronts Garland. Garland is accidentally shot with the police chief's gun. Bobby goes on the run. A film crew captures the incident. Backup singer Tina Waters (Susan Saint James) happens to have proof of Garland stealing the song.

It's terribly convenient for Bobby to be hiding out in Tina's boathouse. It needs to somehow figure out that part of the plot. A little rearranging could make it make more sense. Peter Fonda is pretty good and the chemistry with Susan Saint James is great. I really love the record store scene. It follows that up with the solid country bar scene. Instead of the simple fugitive chase action, it does run into a muddle. It needs to end in a different way. Nevertheless, it's a fun little movie.

Stand Your Ground - A Texas Lullaby

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 7 November 2021]

I fun drinking game while watching this movie would be to take a drink every time someone in law enforcements fires their gun and misses. Over 100 shots are fired in this movie and only 3 are hits. 2 of them is when someone shoots himself twice. Not to mention, law enforcement is firing at an unarmed suspect. Granted, Outlaw Blues is not trying to be political at all. Instead, the goal of this movie was to promote the true grit of country music. Instead, the movie is panned as a moral free romp without any redeeming qualities in the movie's society. The protagonists somewhat win the day but in the end, none of the villain's are given their due. The corrupt music industry along with the political driven unethical police chief as well as the has-been country music star are all the blame by creating the scenario and exacerbating the problem. Nobody learns anything as most of the characters in this Texas depiction of a fairy tale are not good, but in fact bad. For 1977, I am sure this movie had a small audience, but for today's audience, it is going to be hard to find any moral or meaning outside of the fun chase scenes and witty banter. Nothing more to offer on a boring Wednesday night.

Variations on release date

[ckjarrett · 26 September 2004]

I wish IMDb would allow for some TEXT/COMMENTARY about release dates because it is not as clear-cut as they would like it to be sometimes. Many pictures from this era were released regionally, and it was not a matter of 1500 prints nationwide all at one time. 1500 prints in the late 1970s was a HUGE saturation. Nowadays 3500 prints is common! Big epics of the 1960s and blockbusters like GOLDFINGER were released with 400 prints or fewer! JAWS was about 450 prints.

Anyway, in the case of Outlaw Blues, the first dates were in the South and Southwest US, starting July 1, 1977; it opened in New York City on July 15; and in the midwest the release was July 22.

Outlaws, Guns, And Country Music

[boblipton · 6/10 · 1 June 2019]

When recently released convict Peter Fonda shoots James T. Callahan for stealing his song, Susan St. James sees a chance to make a buck. No one will pay her a dime, so she teams up with Fonda to go on a crime-publicity spree.

It's a very 1970s movie, with Fonda playing his counter-culture shtick to the hilt. There are lots of banjos in the score, corrupt sheriffs up for re-election, as well as the usual Football nationalism that made up the movies' post-1960s ideas of Texas. Fonda May have begun his career in beach movies and being a young doctor, but after EASY RIDER, Fonda had a star persona he didn't shake until the 1990s.

Hide and run away the everlasting life of a parolee stolen singer against the system!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 18 September 2023]

A cool convict country singer Bobby Ogden (Peter Fonda) wrote a gorgeous song at Huntsville prison, when the kitschy country star Garland Dupree (James T. Callahan), reaches for a concert for the convicts, Bobby asking to Warden an opportunity to display his song at sound check stage whereof played marvelous the song titled Outlaw Blues, about to get a parole after serving six years Bobby is warned by the inmates that Garland Dupree stolen his song and it's broadcasting on radio, baffled over it Bobby finally release and headed to Austin to solve this matter, finding him at studio recording, Bobby requires a fair explanation over Garland stolen his song, prompt denied by the haughty and bad tempered singer, they start a fight where the wimp Garland draw your gun hitting his own foot, all this have been recorded live and then broadcasting on TV, Bobby gets out of there with the policemen at your neck.

He enters randomly in Tina's car (Susan Saint James) stashes in the trunk he gets rid of the police, hidden later at Tina's house without her notice, meanwhile she seeing on TV all about the matter at studio recording, then Tina envisages a chance to manage Bobby due she was on Huntsville when he played his song, he looking the owner of record label Hatch (Michael Lerner), sadly no deal back on the house Tina is surprised by Bobby living there, soon they sealed a deal and both starting a campaign on the local radios and record stores as well, gathering a massive public support, thus the show-off Sheriff Buzz Cavenaugh (John Crawford) a closest friend of Garland and running for mayor on Austin he puts all police force on the heels of Bobby wherever he stays chasing him by cars, motorcycles or even by speedboats.

Intense chase actions and strongly humor oriented the movie is a fine entertainment for all ages, also greatest country songs spreading along the picture, the highlight goes into the two funny characters the unlucky Garland hitting his foot twice and the Sheriff always been overtaken by Booby, said that the plot is a slight contrived and disjointed.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1983 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 6.5.

Outlaw Blues

[rusanne1 · 10/10 · 12 November 2006]

Outlaw Blues has always been one of my favorites. I enjoy it every time I watch it. Peter Fonda and Susan St. James made a very believable couple. I just wish they had made more movies together. The fact that Peter Fonda was willing to put his "song" out there for the world to critique makes him more of a man to me. This movie was made during a time in my life when there was much less stress and it never fails to bring me back to those carefree days. And for that I thank them both. They have both been favorites of mine for years and seem to be genuine (real people) and that is very rare in their profession. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to sing my praises.

A fun 70's drive-in romp

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 8 June 2007]

The always happening Peter Fonda is his usual mellow and coolly engaging self as soulful aspiring country and western singer/songwriter Bobby Ogden. While serving time in the joint Bobby pens a mournful ballad about the hardships of penitentiary life, only to have said song stolen by arrogant, hot-headed country music superstar Garland Dupree (played to obnoxiously blustery perfection by James Callahan), who in turn makes a hit out of Bobby's tune and palms it off as his own composition. Shortly after getting sprung from the hoosegow Bobby confronts Dupree about the theft of his song. Dupree denies the charges. Bobby and Dupree get into a fight, which ends with Dupree taking a bullet in the foot and Bobby going on the run. Brash, shrewd background singer Tina Waters (an appealingly spunky Susan St. James in her first major film role), smelling a golden opportunity, hooks up with Bobby and turns him into a bona fide populist outlaw hero by sneaking him into bars and radio stations so he can belt out his number to the adoring enraptured masses.

Richard T. Heffron's smooth direction keeps the narrative barreling along at a nice peppy clip. B.W.L. Norton's sharp, witty script has a ball showing how the media can turn a fugitive into a celebrity, knocking pompous authority figures off their pedestals (for example, Dupree gets exposed as an egocentric jack-ass), and celebrating America's abiding affection for beat-the-system nonconformist anti-establishment types. Fonda and St. James display a pleasant, relaxed chemistry which gives the film an ingratiating charm. Michael Lerner as a sleazy music label agent, John Crawford as a hard-nosed police chief, and Matt Clark as one of Bobby's jailbird buddies contribute solid supporting performances. Jules Brenner's handsome, polished cinematography, prolific B-flick composer Charles Bernstein's jubilant, banjo-plucking, fiddle-picking hillbilly score, some sensationally sassy dialogue, a few lively chase sequences, and the unlikely sight of Peter Fonda warbling country songs in a hoarse, pained, croaking tenor (Pete's excruciatingly raspy theme song and another tune were actually released together as a two-sided 45 with Pete's picture on the sleeve; I'm sure copies of this honey sell for at least $350 bucks a pop on E-Bay) round off this delightfully breezy and spirited Southern-friend couple on the run drive-in action romp.

as a Texan, I liked it...

[terr-bo · 16 April 2003]

This is definitely a drive-in flick, and I saw it at the drive-in here in Houston in the late 70's.

I've been listening to the soundtrack of "The Harder They Come" and it occurred to me that there are similarities in this drive-flick and the reggae cult classic. The heroes are on the run, and are recording artists (talented in Jimmy Cliff's case, supposedly "talented" in Fonda's case).

Well, I had my say.