The picture talks about the most famed gunslinger of the southwest , Billy the Kid (Paul Newman) , being cinematic directorial debut of notorious filmmaker Arthur Penn and first film for producer Fred Coe . The movie is faithfully based on real events . Billy Kid was known by several names , but mostly as William Bonney . Billy became a cowboy in Lincoln County (New Mexico) , for cattleman Tunstall (K. Johnston and in others films was played by Patric Knowles and Terence Stamp) who was supported by McSween (John Dierkes) and Chisum (subsequently interpreted by John Wayne). Tunstall was murdered by rivals , Murphy and deputies, and began the Lincoln County war . Billy vowed revenge against the killers of his employer and killed to sheriff Brady . He turned outlaw with a price on his head . McSween and Billy were besieged ,they were shot dead as they came out ,but Billy emerged firing his gun and made his escape . General Lew Wallace (famous author Ben Hur novel) took office as Gobernor of New Mexico and he proclaimed an amnesty for all those involved in the feud . The Kid was caught and convicted of murdering and sentenced to be hanged , although shackled foot and hand , managed to getaway from gaol by shooting dead the deputies (Denver Pyle) guarding him . Pat Garret (John Dehner), a former friend , was elected sheriff of Lincoln County and set off on pursuit to capture him and on 1881 tracked to the home of Peter Maxwell (Nestor Paiva) at Fort Sumner and there shot him dead by surprise . Legend says that Billy murdered 21 men in his 21 years of life but is really thought to be much less . The kid was said to be a sympathetic, handsome , likable , attractive young and favourite with girls (here for the beautiful Mexican Lita Milan) albeit a nasty gunfighter .
Billy is well played by Paul Newman by using "Stanislawski" method acting and it results to be quite obvious . However , Paul was widely felt to be miscast as Billy the Kid since at 33 he was considerably older than the main role . The picture was adapted by prestigious writer Gore Vidal , a script that follows correctly Billy's life , though Gore was greatly annoyed when director Arthur Penn expressed a deep criticism of his original storyline and brought in Leslie Stevens for its rewriting . The film was compellingly directed by Arthur Penn in his first feature , though it was a flop at the US boxoffice . Rating : Good . Well worth seeing.
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