As one of the most decorated infantryman of World War II, Audie Murphy was a household name before he was persuaded to try film acting. After starring as a juvenile delinquent in Bad Boy (1949), the unschooled Murphy proceeded to his first of many westerns, playing the infamous Billy the Kid. Studio publicity stressed that this story of "juvenile delinquency 70 years ago" would be the first to treat the historical William Bonney as a psychological case, while depicting his killings number 8 through 21. The kid's associate Sheriff Pat Garrett (Frank Wilcox) figures in the proceedings, along with Governor Lew Wallace (Robert Barrat), who in real life was the author of the best-selling novel Ben Hur. Billy's murders are rationalized as part of a range war, and as vengeance for the murder of a beloved father figure, Jameson (Shepperd Strudwick). Billy also finds himself drawn to Irene (Gale Storm), the child bride of Jameson's older partner in ranching, Alexander Kain (Albert Dekker). The jealous Kain uses his wealth and influence to insure that the innocent Billy becomes an outlaw with a price on his head. As if to compensate for Audie Murphy's weak acting, the film the script surrounds him with colorful actors like Will Geer and Martin Garralaga. The formidable William Talman serves as the chief villain. Just the same, most critics reserved their praise for Charles Van Enger's Technicolor vistas. Although he made many westerns, Audie Murphy's only acclaimed performances were for John Huston, in The Red Badge of Courage (1951) and The Unforgiven (1960). The director told author Lillian Ross that he perceived a rare quality in Murphy: behind the polite soldier boy manners, Huston could feel the calm nerve of a born killer.

By Glenn Erickson