How The West Was Won-Howard Hughes’ The Outlaw   

 

 

 

DVD Review

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

The Outlaw, starring Jane Russell, Jack Buetel, Walter Huston,  Thomas Mitchell, directed by Howard Hughes, 1943

 

No question generations of Americans, especially those who started out in the East, including this writer, have been drawn to the pull of the West. And when I say the West that means the Old West of the shoot-‘em-up cowboys as well as the more modern hitchhike road that that many of us have travelled through the Rockies, the desert and down on into California looking, well, looking for something. Of course when you talk about the Old West, the days of the free spirits, the land hungry, those who could not make a go of it in the East, just had wanderlust, those who needed to hightail it out of town before the sheriff came a-knocking, and those who saw the place as a way to pull their cons on a new clientele you automatically think of those dime store novels who made legends out of all kinds of desperadoes, whether they deserved such reputations or not.

You also automatically think, if you are a baby-boomer or just into classic Western films, about those Saturday afternoon double-headers where if it was not about scary monsters from out of the depths then it would be an “oater.” And while you make have been permitted by dear old Ma to watch Gene Autry or John Wayne go through their paces I believe that you would have had to sneak into that Strand Theater of your dreams to watch the film under review, Howard Hughes’ The Outlaw, given the, ah, seductive powers of busty Rio played by then new star Jane Russell.            

But if Howard Hughes had it just about right as far as having sexy eye candy for the boys to while away the film’s two hours he also had it right as far as the theme went, as was pointed out in the epilogue. Hughes idea was that a lot of the Old West tales were just that, were just whatever a reporter, legend or some desperadoes’ self-advertisement left behind. Working on that premise he plotted out a tale involving a mostly tough-in-cheek look at three well known Old West names, Billy the Kid (played by Jack Buetel), Pat Garett (played by Thomas Mitchell) and Doc Holiday (played by Walter Huston).        

Doc and Pat were old pals although Pat was now a sheriff out in New Mexico. Billy entered the picture through his theft of Doc’s horse which the two go round and round about throughout the film. Well you know what happens when gunslingers are in town so before you know it Billy has killed a man in a gunfight and Doc has covered for him with Pat. That, among other things, sets Pat and Doc at odds with each other and the rest of the film goes round and round as Pat tries to arrest Doc and Billy, or kill the pair. But Doc and Billy are resourceful gunslingers and elude Pat for a while. But here is maybe a cautionary tale about the Old West. Despite the camaraderie between Doc and Billy when the deal went down Doc shot Billy when he thought it was necessary to see who was who. And despite the old ties between Pat and Doc when the deal went down Pat shot Doc down when it was necessary to see who was who. So that was clearly one aspect of the ethos of the Old West. Every person for him or herself. Enough said.            

Well not exactly enough said since this film’s plotline was not the only matter of interest. Busty Rio started out as Doc’s girl but through nursing Billy back to health after Doc shot him she became smitten with him. And Billy, kicking and screaming, in his ah shucks All-American boy manner became smitten by her. The go-round between the two probably gave, outside of Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart in To Have And Have Not, the audience some of the sexiest scenes of two people with their clothes on in the 1940s film night. Now enough said.