THE KID FROM TEXAS

US, 1950, 78 minutes, Colour.
Audie Murphy, Gale Storm, Albert Dekker, Shepperd Strudwick, Will Geer, William Talman, Paul Ford.
Directed by Kurt Neumann.

The Kid from Texas was the first film with Audie Murphy heading the cast. He had appeared in three other films, in cameos and in a supporting role in Bad Boy (also directed by Neumann). This was the first of nineteen westerns that Audie Murphy was to make during the 1950s – but he also appeared in his autobiographical film, To Hell and Back, as the most decorated American during World War Two as well as The Quiet American and, in 1960, The Unforgiven with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn.

The film is a story about Billy the Kid, a seemingly innocent young man, with a difficult upbringing, befriended by a rancher who is killed in the Lincoln County wars. He vows revenge, confronting the murdered man’s partner (played by Albert Dekker) and his gunfighters. He also becomes infatuated by the villain’s wife, played by Gale Storm. Will Geer is in a supporting role as O’ Fallon, often singing The Streets of Laredo. He and a Mexican stand by Billy the Kid. Eventually, Pat Garrett is authorised by General Lew Wallace (governor of New Mexico, author of Ben Hur) to try to get the warring ranchers to make peace, and having Pat Garrett track down Billy the Kid.

The film is probably a more sanitised version of the Billy the Kid story. There was a 1941 film, Billy the Kid, with Robert Taylor. Later presentations of Billy the Kid include Paul Newman in The Left- Handed Gun, Michael J. Pollard in Dirty Little Billy, Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett in Billy the Kid, with Kris Kristofferson as Pat Garrett, directed by Sam Peckinpah.

1. An entertaining western of the 1950s? Brief, telling its story directly, recreating the atmosphere of the west?

2. The western settings? New Mexico and Texas? The 19th century west? Law and order?

3. The Lincoln County wars, the entrepreneurs and their robbing the ranchers of their cattle? Those settling on the land? The county wars, the representatives? The role of General Lew Wallace in trying to make peace? The offshoot of the wars, the gunfighters? Billy the Kid and his legend? Pat Garrett?

4. Audie Murphy as Billy the Kid, an early role? The background of Billy, his mother, brought up, as a gunfighter? His killings? His reputation? his arrival in town? Roger Jameson and his taking him on, Billy’s loyalty to Jameson, Jameson giving him opportunities to work? Jameson’s death and Billy vowing Revenge? The confrontations with Alexander Kain? His infatuation with Irene? Kain and his double dealing, double talk? Allowing for Billy to be hunted down? Contributing to the reward money? Billy and his going into the hills, with O’ Fallon and Morales? The shootouts? The meeting with Wallace and his opting to stay an outlaw? Pat Garrett tracking him down, the encounters with Pat Garrett, his death?

5. The Lincoln County Wars, the cattle, the money-making, the entrepreneurs selling guns to the Indians? Using the Indians against the ranchers?

6. Jameson, from England, dignified man, supporting Billy? A man of honour, his death? The contrast with Kain, Kain and the discussions with Wallace? With the sheriff?

7. Kain, his status, his double-dealing? The confrontations with the other ranchers? His giving the money for the reward for Billy the Kid? Dead or alive?

8. Minninger and the gunfighters, their skills, working for Kain? Working for the opposition?

9. The role of the governor, trying to make peace? The Lincoln County wars becoming the stuff of American legend? And of many American films?

10. An enjoyable small-budget and brief western? Introducing Audie Murphy?