BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW

US, 1976, 89 minutes, Colour.
Marjoe Gortner, Linda Carter, Jesse Vint, Belinda Balaski.
Directed by Mark L. Lester.

Bobby Jo and the Outlaw is the kind of drive-in movie that was popular during the 1970s. Linda Carter (before her Wonder Woman days) portrays Bobby Jo Baker, a carhop who dreams of becoming a singer. She goes off with her boyfriend, played by Marjoe Gortner, who sees himself as a contemporary Billy the Kid – and trouble follows. The film becomes a road movie with the two continually on the move and the police in pursuit.

The film is something of a B-budget classic of its time – illustrating the sensibilities for this kind of drive-in road move in the period.

The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, best known for being a director of various action films like Truck Stop Women, Steel Arena, Stunts, Gold of the Amazon Women, Class of 1984. He moved slightly more upmarket during the 1980s with a version of the Stephen King story Firestarter as well as a Schwarzenegger vehicle, Commando. After this he went back to a prolific career in directing small-budget action features.

1. An interesting film, enjoyable? The intentions of the film makers? What genres were they using? Their aim in using road film, gangster film, and Westerns? A particular point of view?

2. American International pictures and their exploitation reputation, their slick fact-moving style? How suitable for this kind of film? How well used? Colour, music, songs, action photography, authentic locations? Quick and bold characterization, unsubtle?

3. The importance of the special effects, the stunt work, the car chases, crashes, the shoot-outs? A using of the action conventions of seventies films?

4. The Western tone of the film: the book about the cowboys and the outlays and its reprisal at the very end, Lyall's likening himself to Billy the Kid and the background of Billy the Kid's authentic freedom and self-control, the opening with the competition about drawing, the reality of this at the end with real death, the Texas setting with the Western backgrounds and outlaws, the 19th century tradition of outlaws and their attitude towards justice and the law, the robbing of banks, the chase by authority etc.?

5. The conventions of the road picture of the seventies, the introduction to Lyall as a wanderer, seeing him wandering the roads of Texas, the stealing of the car, the police chase and the visual presentation of the open roads of Texas, the picking up of girls, the moving along the highways, the motel settings, the continued chase and pursuit, the police on the road?

6. The police dramas of the thirties: who is good and who is evil? The work of the police, their seriousness, possibility of corruption, making mistakes - for example the massacre of the people in the wrong motel room? The police and the use of the media to influence people to justify themselves? The anti-police tone of the film?

7. The use of the gangster conventions: reminiscent of the gangsters of the thirties, the Bonnie and Clyde model, the cars and the chases, the guns and the violence, the gangster outlaws in the tradition of the West, the bank robberies, the trail, life and death?

8. How well did the film blend all these styles and themes? Which predominated? How did the conventions of one genre comment and throw light on the other? How did they combine to present a particular point of view on Lyall, Bobbie Jo, Texas, the road, outlaws, the police, violence, death, morality in contemporary America?

9. The introduction to Lyall - how sympathetic was he? His winning the competition? His identifying himself as an outlaw? His background of wandering the roads? His skill at shooting, the many invitations to steal the car? Having the police chase him and yet his concern for the crashed policeman? The mixed morality in his code of behaviour? The attraction to Bobbie Jo? The songs as background to the lyrical and romantic episodes? His ambitions. sympathy for Bobbie Jo? Friendship with Essie? The encounter with Slick and Pearl and the sudden intrusion of violence? The pursuit of the police and the various ways in which Lyall could elude them? The violence of the chase, Essie’s death and the decision to rob banks? The deaths in the bank robberies? The stands that Lyall was forced to take, sharing the flight with Slick oven though disgusted at Slick's slitting the throat of the man who wanted to capture them? His concern for Bobbie Jo? The sudden violence of his death and the epitaph about the Daltons and their advice about going into impossible situations? The Dalton book as his epitaph? How interesting a character, how well drawn, sympathetic, non-sympathetic, of interest as representing contemporary America?

10; The comparison with the character portrayal of Bobbie Jo? The ordinary girl, seeing her at her job, her relationship with her mother and her mother's religiosity, drinking, the example of her sister and her going off? Bobbie Jo and the singing. the romantic interludes? The vigour of Linda Carter's performance and making Bobbie Jo seem alive? Her desire for excitement, travelling? Her hearing of the truth from Lyall? Her initial fear but going along out of love for him? Essie going along? Sharing the experiences of outings, the trip with the Indian in the water? The impact of deaths on her? Essie’s death? Her shooting during the bank robbery and the exhilaration of the killing? The stands that she was forced to take with Slick and Pearl and Lyall? Her going out to the supermarket and being recognized? Her surviving and her bitter attitude at the end? How convincing a character of contemporary America?

11. Slick an a petty criminal, his joint and the striptease set-up, his robberies? His violence being responsible for the initial shooting, the ugliness of his slitting the man's throat in the barber’s chair? His taking Lyall’s advice, his caring for Pearl and explaining why he followed Lyall? His statement that he was ready to die? His sudden death shared with Lyall? His love for Pearl - the comparison with Bobbie Jo, her job and wanting to be better, wanting better for her sister, the hostility towards her mother especially when she met her, her presence with the robberies and the driving of the car, her being affirmed by Slick's support of her and being ready to die and stand by him? Convincing characterizations?

12. The portrait of the sheriff, his toughness, Leroy and his torturing the man at the commune, the mistakes especially the shooting of the people at the motel? His control over the police, his going on the media, his following up leads, the violence of his sieges and shooting?

13. The importance of the characterization of Bobbie Jo's mother? Explaining the difference of the generations? Her wanting to be religious, loving her daughter, hostility towards Pearl? Her drinking and her reaction to her drinking? The audience’s mixed response to her?

14. The portrayal of the various people in the supermarkets? the barber and his wanting Lyall's boots, the man who wanted the reward and got his throat slit, the innocent people at the banks and those who wore killed, the beating of the old lady in the chair, the final challenger who wanted to out-shoot Lyall? Texas people - reminiscent of the 19th century, typical of America?

15. The contrast of the romantic side of the film and its lyrical style - how convincing with the violence?

16. The importance of the violence and its continual eruption?

17. The moral stances of the film, the values of the main character and the film maker's judgment on those American traditions of law and order, justice and outlaws? A complete complex look at the meaning of American life?