Back home

The Kid from Texas

21 votes

Producing House

Billy the Kid becomes embroiled in Lincoln County, NM, land wars. When rancher who gave him a break is killed by rival henchman, Billy vows revenge. New employer takes advantage of his naivety to kill rivals, lets the Kid take rap. Kid takes to the hills with friends until caught. Escapes hanging but remains in area to be near employer's young wife with whom he's infatuated

movie

Status: Released

Released Date: 1950-03-01

Runtime: 78 mins

Director: Kurt Neumann

Spoken language: English, Español

Genres: Western

Original title: The Kid from Texas

Production Companies: Universal International Pictures

Production Countries: United States of America

Reviews

J

John Chard
El Chivato The Kid from Texas (AKA: Texas Kid, Outlaw) is directed by Kurt Neumann and written by Robert Hardy Andrews and Karl Kamb. It stars Audie Murphy, Gale Storm, Albert Dekker, Shepperd Strudwick and Will Geer. Music is by Milton Schwarzwald and cinematography by Charles Van Enger. 11th July 1879, Lincoln County, and a young man born of the name William Henry McCarty Junior is about to write his name into the annals of infamy... "I'll get every man who had a hand in this killing if it's the last thing I do" It's a "B" feature in production terms and it's a hodge-podge of historical facts, but in the trajectory of Western movies it's a rather important piece. It also happens to be great entertainment for the Western fan. It would be the film to launch Audie Murphy on the road to Western iconography, whilst simultaneously becoming a valid early addition for cinematic representations of the Billy the Kid legend. Historically the core basis of the film is accurate, though the chronology is all over the place. There's also a bizarre decision to use different character names for McSween, Tunstall and Dolan, three of the major players in the Lincoln County War. However, the portrayals of the principal real life people is surprisingly well balanced, there's no attempts at romanticising the issues, no side picking, because both sides are equally driven and culpable for the carnage and misery that would play out during this time in Western history. As an Oater on entertainment terms it delivers wholesale, there's some staid acting, not least from Murphy, who you can see is feeling his way into how he should react in front of a camera. Yet there's a magnetic charm to Murphy that would serve him well in this specialist genre field. It also helps to have a very reliable supporting cast backing him up, be it the wonderfully named Gale Storm's beauty, or Dekker and Geer being acting professionalism personified, there's a lot to enjoy here on the thespian production front. The requisite amount of action is in full effect, as are key moments in the real story that provide some great scenes; such as the infamous jail break, while the colour photography is most pleasant. Ultimately it's a revenge story for the "B" Western loving crowd, where the villains are slippery and the anti-hero a damaged dandy. Sometimes you gotta peer through the gloss to get the facts, but what fun that proves to be. Yee-haw. 7/10
2014-07-16

Recommendations

Billy the Kid
3.5

Billy the Kid

1989-05-10

Gore Vidal's historical novel is brought to life in this television production of Turner Network Tel

Billy the Kid in Santa Fe
2

Billy the Kid in Santa Fe

1941-07-11

Falsely accused of murder, Billy is able to escape thanks to his pals. Once in Santa Fe, he meets on

I Shot Billy the Kid
2

I Shot Billy the Kid

1950-07-27

Although the Lincoln County War has come to a conclusion, Billy the Kid turns his back on a gubernat

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
3.6

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid

1973-05-23

Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring d

Young Guns
3.4

Young Guns

1988-08-12

A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher w

Young Guns II
3.3

Young Guns II

1990-08-01

Three of the original five "young guns" — Billy the Kid, Jose Chavez y Chavez, and Doc Scurlock — re

The Outlaw
2.7

The Outlaw

1943-02-05

Newly appointed sheriff Pat Garrett is pleased when his old friend Doc Holliday arrives in Lincoln,

Billy the Kid Wanted
2.9

Billy the Kid Wanted

1941-10-03

Billy the Kid and his pal Jeff help their friend Fuzzy Jones escape from jail, and the trio heads fo

The Left Handed Gun
3

The Left Handed Gun

1958-04-30

When a crooked sheriff murders his employer, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney decides to avenge the de

Chisum
3.4

Chisum

1970-07-23

Cattle baron John Chisum joins forces with Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett to fight the Lincoln County

Billy the Kid Trapped
2.5

Billy the Kid Trapped

1942-02-27

Stanton breaks Billy and his two friends Fuzzy and Jeff out of jail. He wants them free so three of

The Kid
3

The Kid

2019-03-08

New Mexico Territory, 1880. Rio Cutler and his older sister Sara must abandon their home after an un

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula
2

Billy the Kid Versus Dracula

1966-04-10

Dracula travels to the American West, intent on making a beautiful ranch owner his next victim. Her

Billy the Kid
2.5

Billy the Kid

1941-05-30

Billy Bonney is a hot-headed gunslinger who narrowly skirts a life of crime by being befriended and

Billy The Kid's Round-Up
2.5

Billy The Kid's Round-Up

1941-12-12

When Sheriff Hanley sends for Billy and his pals, they arrive to find him murdered and Ed Slade temp

The Kid Rides Again
2.8

The Kid Rides Again

1943-01-27

Billy the Kid has been wrongfully arrested for robbing a train. In order to prove his innocence, the

Billy the Kid's Range War
3.3

Billy the Kid's Range War

1941-01-24

Williams is out to stop Ellen Goreham from completing her road that is under construction and is usi

A Bullet for Billy the Kid
2.5

A Bullet for Billy the Kid

1963-11-01

Western gunfighter Billy Kid decides to embark upon a new life and, accompanied by his sister, sets

Son of Billy the Kid
2.5

Son of Billy the Kid

1949-04-02

Jack Garrett interrupts a stagecoach holdup where he meets Fuzzy (The town's stagecoach driver, stat

Return of the Bad Men
3.1

Return of the Bad Men

1948-07-17

US Marshall Vance is assigned to rid the Oklahoma Territory of outlaws.