Joe Kidd (1972)

An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader.

Director:

John Sturges

Writer:

Elmore Leonard

Stars:

Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clint Eastwood	...	Joe Kidd
Robert Duvall	...	Frank Harlan
John Saxon	...	Luis Chama
Don Stroud	...	Lamarr
Stella Garcia	...	Helen Sanchez
James Wainwright	...	Mingo
Paul Koslo	...	Roy
Gregory Walcott	...	Mitchell
Dick Van Patten	...	Hotel Manager
Lynne Marta	...	Elma
John Carter	...	Judge
Pepe Hern	...	Priest
Joaquín Martínez	...	Manolo (as Joaquin Martinez)
Ron Soble	...	Ramon
Pepe Callahan	...	Naco

Storyline

Joe Kidd is a former bounty hunter and all-around tough-guy in the American Southwest. When a band of Mexicans find their U. S. land claims denied and all relevant records destroyed in a courthouse fire, they turn to force of arms. Luis Chama is their charismatic leader, spouting revolutionary rhetoric and demanding land reform. A wealthy landowner with interests in the disputed area, Frank Harlan, decides to settle things his own way. He hires a band of killers and wants Joe Kidd to help them track Chama. Initially, Kidd wants to avoid any involvement, until Chama makes the mistake of stealing Kidd's horses and terrorizing his friends.

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Plot Keywords:

gunfighter | character name in title | land | landowner | mexican | 

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Taglines:

If you're looking for trouble - - - he's JOE KIDD

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Genres:

Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

19 July 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sinola

Filming Locations:

North Santa Teresa Wilderness, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,800,000, 31 December 1972

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Malpaso Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the last time someone else (John Sturges) directed Clint Eastwood in a western. Eastwood's next four westerns would not only be his last, but were all directed by Eastwood.

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Goofs

When the shootout begins in the Mexican village, one of the bad guys is shot in a doorway, when he flies backwards into the room, the "brick" wall he lands against gives and then wobbles and shakes like rubber or card board.

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Quotes

Judge: Do you know it's against the law to hunt on Reservation land?
Joe Kidd: Well the deer didn't know where he was, and I wasn't sure either.

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Connections

Referenced in Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008)

User Reviews

As memorable as a Hopalong Cassidy B-flick

Everything about "Joe Kidd" suggests quality of the highest order. Here you've got Clint Eastwood co-starring with Robert Duvall (in one of his first post-"Godfather" roles), to say nothing of an excellent supporting cast that includes John Saxon, in a western directed by John Sturges whose name I will always utter with reverence because he gave us "The Great Escape." And it's based on an Elmore Leonard novel. Prepare to be impressed.

"Joe Kidd" opens well with Clint Eastwood all duded up in the most splendid threads he ever wore in a movie. In no time at all, though, it all goes rapidly downhill, becoming as memorable as a Hopalong Cassidy B-flick. Everyone involved acknowledged it was a disappointment, but why? Patrick McGilligan's recent bio of Eastwood (which is close to a hatchet job) suggests Sturges had succumbed to alcohol by then and simply wasn't up to the job, but star and co-producer Eastwood, humble in the presence of a man who directed so many fine films, was reluctant to usurp the reins. The movie's inferior reputation may now be in its favor. Having read so many bad reviews of the film, Eastwood fans who haven't seen it yet may have such low expectations that it may seem better than it is. If so, enjoy.