The Left Handed Gun (1958)

After his employer is murdered by rival cattlemen, a troubled and uneducated young cowboy vows revenge on the murderers.

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Leslie Stevens (screenplay), Gore Vidal (play)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Lita Milan, John Dehner

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Billy The Kid
Lita Milan	...	Celsa
John Dehner	...	Pat Garrett
Hurd Hatfield	...	Moultrie
James Congdon	...	Charlie Boudre
James Best	...	Tom Folliard
Colin Keith-Johnston	...	Tunstall
John Dierkes	...	McSween
Robert Anderson	...	Hill (as Bob Anderson)
Wally Brown	...	Deputy Moon
Ainslie Pryor	...	Joe Grant
Martin Garralaga	...	Saval
Denver Pyle	...	Ollinger
Paul Smith	...	Smith
Nestor Paiva	...	Pete Maxwell

Storyline

William Bonney - Billy the Kid - gets a job with a cattleman known as 'The Englishman,' and is befriended by the peaceful, religious man. But when a crooked sheriff and his men murder the Englishman because he plans to supply the local Army fort with his beef, Billy decides to avenge the death by killing the four men responsible, throwing the lives of everyone around him - Tom and Charlie, two hands he worked with; Pat Garrett, who is about to be married; and the kindly Mexican couple who take him in when he's in trouble - into turmoil, and endangering the General Amnesty set up by Governor Wallace to bring peace to the New Mexico Territory.

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Plot Keywords:

revisionist western | revenge | sheriff | cattleman | lew wallace | 

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Taglines:

All of a sudden, just for the kicks Billy would slip down to Mexico.

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 May 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Left Handed Gun

Filming Locations:

Wildwood Regional Park, 928 W Avenida De Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,066

Company Credits

Production Co:

Haroll Productions, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gore Vidal greatly disliked this well-received film version of his television play, "The Death Of Billy The Kid", once describing it as "a film only someone French could like." He was greatly annoyed when director Arthur Penn expressed criticisms of his original script and brought in Leslie Stevens for rewrites. In 1990, the TV movie "Billy The Kid" was made, not only as a remake of this film, but as a rebuttal of it, written and largely controlled by Vidal himself. He declared himself pleased with it, but the 1958 film remains better-known.

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Goofs

The film is about western outlaw Billy the Kid, who was in fact right-handed.

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Quotes

Pat Garrett: This is my wedding, Billy. You try to start something, I'll take it hard.

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Connections

Version of I Shot Billy the Kid (1950)

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Soundtracks

Rock of Ages
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Augustus Montague Toplady and music by Thomas Hastings

User Reviews

A young man becomes one of the Wild West's most wanted.

Arthur Penn directs this slightly twisted story of William Bonney better known as 'Billy the Kid'. Largely based on Gore Vidal's play, this version shows Bonney as a misunderstood and misdirected youth with the ability of being as loyal as he could be dangerous. The teenager sets out to avenge the murder of his mentor and becomes the most talked about and feared gunman in the old wild West. Originally intended to be a James Dean vehicle, blue eyed Paul Newman portrays the moody legendary desperado with intense assuredness and bravado. Very good supporting cast features:John Dehner, James Best, Lita Milan, James Congdon and Denver Pyle.