The Left-Handed Gun (1958)

Synopsis: Marking Arthur Penn's feature debut, THE LEFT-HANDED GUN is a realistic account of the legend of Billy the Kid. Orphaned loner William Bonnie is working as a cowboy when a range war breaks out,... Marking Arthur Penn's feature debut, THE LEFT-HANDED GUN is a realistic account of the legend of Billy the Kid. Orphaned loner William Bonnie is working as a cowboy when a range war breaks out, started by the greedy cattle barons who control the area with hired guns and bought lawmen. Billy watches friends die at the hands of murdering thugs with no consequences for those responsible. Labled an outlaw by association, Billy finally snaps when his father figure is also killed. Swearing revenge, Billy goes on his own manhunt, brutally gunning down those he believes to be guilty of the murders of his friends. His single-handed killing spree makes Billy a legend, and a wanted man, with little time left before the cattle barons close in on him. Penn takes the opportunity to remove the myth from the story and offers up a sober account of the famous legend. Newman's Billy is not a cold-blooded killer but instead a confused and emotionally tortured boy who is lost and alone in a large, dangerous world. THE LEFT-HANDED GUN is an excellent western that comes across more like a factual account than a popular legend. Like classics PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID and HIGH NOON, Arthur Penn's film serves to take the myth out of the West and and replace it with a jarring realism. [More]

Starring: Paul Newman, Lita Milan, John Dehner, Hurd Hatfield

Starring: Paul Newman, Lita Milan, John Dehner, Hurd Hatfield, James Congdon, James Best, John Dierkes, Wally Brown

Director: Arthur Penn

Director: Arthur Penn
Producer: Fred Coe
Story: Gore Vidal
Composer: Alexander Courage

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