Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid ****½ (1973, James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Bob Dylan, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills, Slim Pickens, Jason Robards Jnr, Jack Elam, John Beck) – Classic Movie Review 2,480

Sam Peckinpah’s fascinating, now legendary 1973 Western film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid retells the legend of Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn) hunting down his old friend Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson).

Director Sam Peckinpah’s 1973 retelling of the legend of Sheriff Pat Garrett (James Coburn) hunting down his former friend and travelling buddy, the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid (Kris Kristofferson) makes for a fascinating if flawed, now legendary movie.

In 1881, a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons hire the aging Garrett as a lawman to rid the territory of Billy. Garrett assembles a posse after Billy escapes, and gives chase, culminating in a climactic confrontation at Fort Sumner.

The two stars give excellent, iconic performances, there is colourful support from a stupendous range of vintage character actors, and Peckinpah shows he is clearly engrossed in his material, producing a loving, fine farewell to a dark and dangerous West, as well as some of his best, violent action set pieces.

The problems are Bob Dylan’s anachronistic appearances – though his songs like ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door’ (especially) are well used – and Peckinpah’s lack of an urgent narrative drive, with longer average shot lengths than some of his other movies, leading to some lethargy in the story telling.

Nevertheless, overall, this is a noble, key Western, made at a time when they were going out of business by a legendary director who was one of the last exponents of the genre in his follow-up to The Wild Bunch. It was cut to 106 minutes for its original muddled release version, but the 1988 restored director’s version, running at 124 minutes, is highly satisfying and shows on British TV. And, as time goes by, the movie seems much more fascinating than flawed.

The 2005 DVD Special Edition from Warner Bros runs 115 minutes, so this is the third version of the film. But, obviously, the director’s version is the one to see.

Peckinpah and MGM battled during production, with MGM president James Aubrey refusing to give Peckinpah the time or budget needed, and Peckinpah troubled by alcoholism. The film finished 21 days behind schedule and $1.6 million over budget. After completion, Peckinpah’s first cut was 165 minutes, and he given only three weeks to edit it down, but he completed a preview version at 124 minutes. But then the studio substantially re-edited the film, releasing the truncated version of 106 minutes, disowned by cast and crew members. It is Peckinpah’s preview version at 124 minutes, which was shown to critics but not seen again for more than ten years, that was released on video in 1988.

Against a cost of more than $4.6 million, the film grossed $11 million worldwide, so it was not the box office failure of legend.

It was shot on location in Durango, Mexico, using local crew members.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid cinema release poster.

Also in the cast are Richard Jaeckel as Sheriff Kip McKinney, Katy Jurado, Slim Pickens, Chill Wills, Jason Robards Jnr, Jack Elam, John Beck, Rita Coolidge, Richard Bright, Matt Clark, L Q Jones, Charles Martin Smith, Harry Dean Stanton, John Chandler, Gene Evans, Sam Peckinpah, Elisha Cook Jr, R G Armstrong and Luke Askew.

Kristofferson’s band and his then wife Rita Coolidge play small roles.

Kristofferson was 36 when the film was made, playing 21-year-old Billy. He recalled: ‘Peckinpah was apt to strange behaviour and moods.’

It was Kristofferson who brought in Bob Dylan, initially hired to write the title song. Peckinpah had never heard of Dylan, but was moved by hearing him play the title song and hired him immediately. He eventually played the role of Alias and composed the score and songs, released on the film’s soundtrack album in 1973. Bob Dylan had never done a feature film score and Peckinpah’s usual composer Jerry Fielding was annoyed at being relegated to a minor role in the scoring. Dylan was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of Best Original Score.

The screenplay is written by Rudy Wurlitzer, intended to be directed by Monte Hellman, but James Coburn, who wanted to play Pat Garrett, brought in Sam Peckinpah, who worked with Wurlitzer to rewrote the script to create a more cyclical narrative, adding a prologue and epilogue. Wurlitzer resented Peckinpah’s reworking of his script and they had a strained relationship.

The cast are James Coburn as Sheriff Pat Garrett, Kris Kristofferson as Billy the Kid, Richard Jaeckel as Sheriff Kip McKinney, Jason Robards as Governor Lew Wallace, Bob Dylan as Alias, Rita Coolidge as Maria, Chill Wills as Lemuel, Barry Sullivan as John Chisum, R G Armstrong as Deputy Sheriff Bob Olinger, Luke Askew as Eno, John Beck as John W. Poe, Richard Bright as Holly, Matt Clark as Deputy Sheriff J. W. Bell, Jack Dodson as Lewellen Howland, Jack Elam as Alamosa Bill Kermit, Emilio Fernández as Paco, Paul Fix as Pete Maxwell, L Q Jones as “Black” Harris, Slim Pickens as Sheriff Colin Baker, Jorge Russek as Silva, Charles Martin Smith as Charlie Bowdre, Katy Jurado as Mrs. Baker, Harry Dean Stanton as Luke, Claudia Bryar as Mrs. Horrell, John Chandler as Norris, Michael T. Mikler as Denver, Aurora Clavel as Ida Garrett, Rutanya Alda as Ruthie Lee, Walter Kelley as Rupert Rudy Wurlitzer as Tom O’Folliard, Elisha Cook Jr as Cody, Gene Evans as Mr. Horrell, Verna Bloom as Mrs. Horrell, Donnie Fritts as Beaver, Dub Taylor as Josh, Don Levy as Sackett, Sam Peckinpah as Will, and Bruce Dern as Deputy Sheriff,

Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024)

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2,480

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