The Outlaw (1943) Starring Jack Buetel, Jane Russell, Walter Huston, Thomas Mitchell, Joe Sawyer, Mimi Aguglia.

Directed by Howard Hughes.

Running time: 116 minutes

Rating: Unrated

Jack Buetel (or is it Beutel? It is spelled both ways) plays Billy the Kid, Walter Huston plays Doc Holliday and Thomas Mitchell plays Pat Garrett. The story records an imagining of what it would be like if they all met in Lincoln, New Mexico and Holliday and Billy the Kid got into a fight over a busty local gal named Rio (Jane Russell) and a horse that gave a particularly comfortable ride. There is a lot of macho posturing and contrived clashes of wills in the story. The way the thing progresses and ends probably made a lot more sense to Hughes than it did to me.

Eccentric millionaire playboy Howard Hughes was Hollywood's resident enfant terrible auteur while Orson Welles was still in High School. He had an inimitable view of how movies should be shot and staged and discovered acting talent on his own (like Jean Harlow). He also happened to be an individual ready to do whatever was necessary at any given time to get movies made his way but most of the time that merely included signing very large cheques.

He made some very questionable and often unquestionably bad calls in the process but used his own money so he could shoot and reshoot until he got something that resembled useable feature film footage. Therefore while many filmmakers in history have been unfairly and inaccurately accused of self-indulgence he really was self-indulgent.

This particular production got shelved for almost two years before he could edit it properly and then get a big studio (RKO) to distribute it into limited circulation.

The chief objection censors had to its original cut was the prominent featuring of Jane Russell's chest which would not nearly have been as noticeable if Hughes had let the camerman focus on something else within the frame of some of the shots. Of course now what can be seen barely draws a shrug. But it was apparently scandalous enough at the time where various heavily edited versions were sent out. As a result the cut you might be seeing will vary depending on whether you got the one hundred and sixteen-minute version or the one hundred and three-minute version or the ninety five-minute version.

This movie does have its fans and the performances by Walter Huston and Thomas Mitchell respectively are solid as they usually were. But much of the rest of what is seen here resembles a Poverty Row adventure serial and I don't mean that in a good way. There is no consistency in the transitions between shots reflecting a kind of schizophrenic vision. Sometimes it is a straightcut. Sometimes it is a fade. None of the choices suggests any kind of discernible logic or pattern.

Jane Russell is barely out of adolescence here and bereft of (or unspoiled by) any apparent acting lessons. This was also apparently the first western heroine cast according to her cup size. I guess she was breathtaking enough for Hughes to see her reaction shots and hear her monotone recitation of dialogue without cringing. I myself can't and not just because I know that Jane Russell learned to act and was more than passable in countless films which came out a good decade after this one was shot. She is utterly awful here.

As for Jack Buetel, he is almost as bad as Russell is and his portrayal is probably the worst cinematic take on the character he is playing ever. He is no more ready to be a leading man than she is ready to be a leading lady.

Learn more about this author, cinemadigest.com.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Movie reviews: The Outlaw?
We want to hear your view. Write now!