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:

Universal Pictures,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

In an interview given to French student Emmanuel Laborit in 1990, John Sturges said he had a lot of problems directing Clint Eastwood, and regretted that he did not resign during filming.

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Goofs

Although the film takes place in the early 1900's the dress of many of the characters reflects a later time. The men's shirts button all the way down the front, several of the hats worn are of modern (1970s design) and the boots worn clearly don't match those of the period.

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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 All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood (1986)

User Reviews

Not one of Clint's best western but it's still decent

This may not be one of the best western to feature Clint Eastwood, but it's still a decent western. Yeah, the plot maybe a bit standard but still the movie does have it's moments few times. The triumphant soundtrack is also a plus. on the negative side the story is pretty standard and the movie just isn't all that character driven either. It just lacked certain elements that made some of Clint's other western films great. The part that I liked was how it's difficult to choose a side for a while. Sometimes the movie seemed to try a bit too hard to show how short tempered and badass the main protagonist is while also having some moral ethics. Although it can sometimes be cool to see the effects of his short temper. Some aspects of this film just seemed a bit forced and although it's a decent western not much really stood out. In fact it seemed more like a western TV show episode than a actual movie. Besides the fact that this movie has two great actors, Clint Eastwood and Robert Duvall.

6.4/10