Doc Holliday arrives in Lincoln, where his friend Pat Garrett is appointed sheriff. Doc's horse is stolen, and along with Pat, they track down Billy the Kid. But Holliday did not deal with the young man and even takes his side in the confrontation with Garrett. Pat injures Billy and Doc hides him in the house of his half-blooded mistress Rio, and himself leads the chase.
The case when the history of the creation and distribution of the film is more interesting than the actual movie. The legendary Howard Hughes attempted to attack the Hayes Codex in this film. There are a lot of sexual innuendo in the film, although in modern times everything is quite innocent. Because of this, the picture was released only in 1946, 5 years after the end of filming and it is best known for the famous poster with Jane Russell on a haystack.
The picture itself came out very uneven. Along with very dramatic moments, there are many comedy inserts of a rather specific kind. And music, for me, is very poorly used. In general, the picture looks unbalanced and raw, and it is tightened decently.
Starring Billy the Kid and Rio, big screen debutants Jack Butel and Jane Russell. The batel in the picture looks very wooden and somewhat resembles the early John Wayne sample of the early 30s. His career spoiled Hughes, who did not let him act and only in the 50s he will star in several inconspicuous films, but without success. For Jane Russell, this role will be a springboard for turning into a sex symbol of the 40s and 50s. Not being a particularly gifted actress, her appearance here will be used to the fullest.
The other two main characters, Doc Holliday and Pat Garrett, will be played by Walter Houston (father of director John Huston) and Thomas Mitchell (doc from Ford's Stagecoach). Both play quite convincingly, although the fat and short Garrett performed by Mitchell, served in a somewhat comedic manner, raises questions (the real Pat was tall, and Holliday and the Kid did not intersect in life).
Scandal and courage in showing sexual relations remained in the 40s, and in modern times it looks like a very long and raw film. However, it is quite possible to see a fan of the classics of Hollywood, but now the picture already looks without much interest.
6 out of 10