The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

In Vinegaroon, Texas, former outlaw Roy Bean appoints himself the judge for the region and dispenses his brand of justice as he sees fit.

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

John Milius (original screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Newman, Ava Gardner, Roy Jenson

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Judge Roy Bean
Roy Jenson	...	Outlaw
Gary Combs	...	Outlaw
Fred Brookfield	...	Outlaw
Bennie E. Dobbins	...	Outlaw (as Ben Dobbins)
Richard Farnsworth	...	Outlaw (as Dick Farnsworth)
Leroy Johnson	...	Outlaw (as LeRoy Johnson)
Fred Krone	...	Outlaw
Terry Leonard	...	Outlaw
Dean Smith	...	Outlaw
Margo Epper	...	Whore
Jeannie Epper	...	Whore
Stephanie Epper	...	Whore
Victoria Principal	...	Maria Elena
Barbara J. Longo	...	Fat Lady

Storyline

A no account outlaw establishes his own particular brand of law and order and builds a town on the edges of civilization in this farcical western. With the aid of an old law text and unpredictable notions Roy Bean distinguishes between lawbreakers and lawgivers by way of his pistols.

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Plot Keywords:

revisionist western | texas | judge | western town | lawman | 

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Taglines:

Maybe This Isn't The Way It Was - It's The Way It Should Have Been!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Western

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 December 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

El juez del patíbulo

Filming Locations:

San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$16,530,578

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coleytown Productions, First Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 105 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film cast includes two Oscar winners: Paul Newman and John Huston; and four Oscar nominees: Ava Gardner, Richard Farnsworth, Anthony Perkins and Ned Beatty.

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Goofs

When Roy runs the owner of the whores out of town, his shadow on the ground appears to be mid day or early afternoon. Five minutes later after Maria shoots at him and he follows her, the shadows are extremely long as at near sunset.

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Quotes

Judge Roy Bean: [Reading a book title] "Crimes, Laws and Statutes in the State of Texas." What's that doin' here?
Whorehouse Patron: For the whores to piss on.

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Alternate Versions

British theatrical version was cut for an 'A' rating.

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Connections

Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

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Soundtracks

Marmalade, Molasses and Honey
Lyrics by Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman
Music by Maurice Jarre
Sung by Andy Williams
[The song is played as background to the montage with Judge Bean, Maria Elena and the Watch Bear immediately after the bear's arrival in town]

User Reviews

The revelation here is Victoria Principal, of all things...

This whimsical western is a mixed bag, though I was slightly distracted throughout waiting for the appearance of a young Victoria Principal. Only knowing her "work" from FANTASY ISLAND, DALLAS and EARTHQUAKE, I expected her to be hopelessly flat in the company of higher echelon performers like Paul Newman. Well, was I ever shocked and humbled to note in the closing credits that our Miss P. had slipped right past my poised-to-be-nasty laser vision by slipping seamlessly into the role of Judge Roy Bean's young Mexican mistress. Principal is mellow, charming and realistic in the part, coming across like a more talented Claudia Cardinale. After making a debut like this in a John Huston film....WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED???