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The Left Handed Gun (1958)
In director Arthur Penn's revisionist, autobiographical,
psychological western film (and his debut film) based on the teleplay The
Death of Billy the Kid by Gore Vidal, but unfortunately a box-office
failure:
- after the title credits, the introduction of the
main character - legendary 21 year-old outlaw Billy the Kid (aka
William Bonney) (a Method Acting-influenced portrayal by Paul Newman)
stumbling along with his saddle equipment over his shoulder (from
his sick horse left behind on the open range); he was portrayed
as an anguished, misfit, unstable, simple-minded, troubled, and
suicidal juvenile delinquent - a tormented James Dean-like anti-hero
character
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Pat Garrett
(John Dehner)
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William Bonney
(Paul Newman)
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- after the unprovoked murder of his unarmed cattle
rancher boss "Englishman" John Tunstall (Colin Keith-Johnston),
a father figure, the illiterate and crazed William Bonney vowed
vengeance against the four corrupt individuals who shot Tunstall
dead - he extended his hand with four bullets destined for the
killers: ("I got all four names"): Lincoln County (NM)
Sheriff Brady (Robert Foulk), rival rancher Mr. Morton (Robert
E. Griffin), and the two hired killers Moon (Wally Brown), and
Hill (Bob Anderson)
- the Freudian subtext of Bonney often fondling or gripping
his six-shooter
- his promiscuous relationship with Mexican girlfriend
Celsa (Lita Milan), the pretty wife of Madeiro gun-maker Saval (Martin
Garralaga) - and his provocative statement to her as he pulled her
to himself by her black scarf: "I don't run. I don't hide. I
go where I want. I DO what I want! I want you, with me"; although
she resisted him, she kissed him
- in the film's conclusion, the affecting scene of his
death after being betrayed by disillusioned writer Moultrie (Hurd
Hatfield), who had at one time exploited and promoted Billy's notoriety
in fictionalized dime pulp magazines sold back East; while standing
in an open doorway, Billy was warned by his former friend, lawman
Pat Garrett (John Dehner) with his gun raised: "Billy, don't
go for your gun. Keep your hands away from your side. Don't move,
Billy. I don't wanna kill ya....Billy, come to me. Billy, come to
me"; to suicidally draw fire, Billy pretended to draw a weapon
- although he was unarmed; as he collapsed backward against the wall,
he held out his empty left hand (although in real-life, he was right-handed)
before stumbling further forward and dropping dead; he fell on his
back onto horizontal wooden beam with his arms outstretched (an obvious
crucifixion position)
- shaken, Garrett walked forward and apologetically
told his wife (Jo Summers): "He went for an empty holster. I
couldn't see"; she hugged him, assured him: "You come home
now," and they walked off together as the film ended
Garrett's Shooting of Unarmed Billy the Kid
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Post-Title Credits
Four Bullets: To Seek Vengeance for Rancher Tunstall's
Death
One of Many Shoot-Outs
Notorious Outlaw
Celsa (Lita Milan)
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