The Kid from Texas (1950)

In New Mexico, Billy the Kid is involved in the Lincoln County War, kills many rivals and eventually becomes a wanted fugitive.

Director:

Kurt Neumann

Writers:

Robert Hardy Andrews (screenplay), Robert Hardy Andrews (story)

Stars:

Audie Murphy, Gale Storm, Albert Dekker

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Audie Murphy	...	William Bonney ('Billy the Kid')
Gale Storm	...	Irene Kain
Albert Dekker	...	Alexander Kain
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Roger Jameson
Will Geer	...	O'Fallon
William Talman	...	Minninger
Martin Garralaga	...	Morales
Robert Barrat	...	General Lew Wallace (as Robert H. Barrat)
Walter Sande	...	Crowe
Frank Wilcox	...	Sheriff Pat Garrett
Dennis Hoey	...	Major Harper
Ray Teal	...	Sheriff Rand
Don Haggerty	...	Morgan
Paul Ford	...	Sheriff Copeland
John Phillips	...	Sid Curtis

Storyline

Billy the Kid becomes embroiled in Lincoln County, NM, land wars. When rancher who gave him a break is killed by rival henchman, Billy vows revenge. New employer takes advantage of his naivety to kill rivals, lets the Kid take rap. Kid takes to the hills with friends until caught. Escapes hanging but remains in area to be near employer's young wife with whom he's infatuated.

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Plot Keywords:

billy the kid | reference to god | reference to ecclesiastes | escape from jail | husband wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

21 Years Old! 21 Notches On His Guns!

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1 March 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Verfemt

Filming Locations:

Idyllwild, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is "the last picture show" in Larry McMurtry's novel "The Last Picture Show." Sonny and Duane don't stay for the whole movie, as it doesn't hold their interest and they are distracted by memories. (In Peter Bogdanovich's film adaptation "The Last Picture Show," the last picture show is Howard Hawks' "Red River.")

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Quotes

Sheriff Brand: Suppose I told you there were half a dozen warrants out for his arrest right now. One for killing a man out of Silver City, Colorado, eight years ago with a knife. Another for killing four Chiricahua Indians.
Alexander Kain: Eight years ago? Well, that's ridiculous. The boy couldn't have been more than twelve years old!
Sheriff Brand: You don't judge a rattlesnake by his age. He's a rattler whether he's got one rattle or a dozen.

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Connections

Featured in Biography: Audie Murphy: Great American Hero (1996)

User Reviews

Colorful and enjoyable chronicle of Billy the Kid enthusiastically played by Audie Murphy

Biographic movie about the real-life of Billy of Kid living in Texas and he , subsequently , becomes embroiled in Lincoln County war . The film gets spectacular shoot em'up , thrills , exciting horse pursuits ; it's entertaining , although nothing new but displays an ordinary pace and with no originality . This is an in interesting look about the known story of the West's greatest bandit . When a baron cattle called Roger (Shepperd) who gave him an employment is shot by rival henchman , Billy vows vendetta . Kid takes to the mountains with his colleagues until caught . Billy is detained but he escapes hanging . Meanwhile , he's infatuated by a lawyer's (Alfred Dekker) wife (Gale Storm) .

This moving movie is an epic portrait of the historic story about the celebrated gunfighter . The movie is plenty of action , shootouts , adventures and is pretty entertaining . The plot is plain and simple , as the story follows Billy the Kid taking authentic events , but changing names and chronology . This passable Western packs lots of thrills , shootouts , and explosive action . Taut excitement throughout , beautifully photographed and with spectacular crossfire but realized with some flaws .It's one of very few Audie Murphy Westerns based on historic deeds . Murphy won more tan 20 medals , being the most decorated American soldier , including the Congressional Medal of Honor and he was also awarded five decorations by France and Belgium . Murphy starred a great number of Westerns as ¨The kid from Texas¨, ¨Cimarron Kid¨, ¨Gunpoint¨, ¨Night Passage¨, ¨The Gunrunners¨, ¨Posse from Hell¨, ¨Gunfight at Comanche¨, ¨Rifles Apaches¨, ¨The Unforgiven¨, ¨Red badge of courage¨, ¨Legend of Sam Ward¨, ¨Whispering Smith¨, ¨40 Guns at Apache pass¨ , ¨Texas kid¨ , among others . Being usually directed by Jesse Hibbs who directed various Audie Murphy vehicles such as : ¨To hell and Back¨ (1955) , ¨World in My Corner¨ (1956) , ¨Ride a Crooked Trail¨ (1958) , ¨Medal of Honor¨ and ¨To Hell and Back¨. Casting is frankly good with usual Western actors as Alfred Dekker , Walter Sande , Dennis Hoey , Ray Teal , Don Haggerty and Frank Wilcox as Sheriff Pat Garrett . The motion picture was well made by Kurt Newmann (The fly , Mohawk , Watusi) , including acceptable performances and professional direction . The picture obtained limited successful but results to be enough agreeable . It's a good stuff for young people and adventures lovers who enjoy enormously with the extraordinary dangers in the far west.

This one is based on facts about William Bonney, alias Billy the Kid , these are the followings : Billy became a cowboy in Lincoln County (New Mexico) for cattleman Tunstall allied to Chisum , but Tunstall is killed and started the Lincoln County war against Murphy as main enemy . Billy seeks revenge for his death and he converted a nasty gunfighter with a price on his head and an outlaw pursued by several posses . Then Billy along with a young group have their own ethic codes and undergo a criminal spree . The bunch is besieged but they went out firing his gun and made his escape . However , the Kid was caught and convicted of killing and sentenced to be hanged ; though shackled foot and hand , he managed to getaway from prison by shooting dead the deputies guarding him. Pat Garret , a former friend, was elected sheriff and set off in pursuit to capture him and on 1881 tracked at Fort Sumner and there shot him dead by surprise. It is said that Chisum was instrumental in making Billy the Kid an outlaw killer, he used his considerable influence in getting Garret elected Sheriff of Lincoln County in 1880 and it was Pat who hunted down and killed the young outlaw . Garret and his gang pull off a hot chase against the outlaws. Legend says that Billy murdered 21 men in his 21 years of life but is really thought to be much less. After Pat Garrett was not reelected sheriff of Lincoln County, however he was commissioned a captain in the Texas Rangers. On 19 February 1908 he was driving his buggy on a lonely desert road, he stepped down to urinate and was shot in the back by a hired killer. A man stood trial for the murder but was acquitted. Controversy still surrounds the end of Pat Garrett .