The Left Handed Gun

1958

1h 42m

IMDb RATING

6.1/10

109

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

2 Videos

22 Images

Western

When a crooked sheriff murders his employer, William "Billy the Kid" Bonney decides to avenge the death by killing the man responsible, throwing the lives of everyone around him into turmoil, and endangering the General Amnesty set up by Governor Wallace to bring peace to the New Mexico Territory.

Directors

Arthur Penn

Writers

Leslie Stevens(screenplay by)

Gore Vidal(theatre play by)

Stars

Paul Newman

Lita Milan

John Dehner

See production, box office & company info

Videos2

Trailer
Watch Left Handed Gun, The
Clip
Watch I Got All Four Names

Photos22

Top cast

Billy The Kid

Celsa

Pat Garrett

Moultrie

Charlie Boudre

Tom Folliard

Tunstall

McSween

Hill

Deputy Moon

Saval

Ollinger

Joe Grant

Mrs. Hill

Sheriff Brady

Bride

Pete Maxwell

Smith

Directors

Arthur Penn

Writers

Leslie Stevens(screenplay by)

Gore Vidal(theatre play by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

7/10

The demythologised account of Billy The Kid. Billy Bonney is taken in by kindly rancher John Tunstall, he starts to learn respect and education, but then Tunstall is cruelly murdered. Bonney having been robbed of the one man he respected, shows his darker side and vows to seek revenge on Tunstall's killers. This was director Arthur Penn's debut feature film, and all the traits that were to mark his name in future pictures can be found in this very good, and troubling psychological western. Based upon a teleplay by Gore Vidal entitled The Death Of Billy The Kid, Penn ensures that any notions of William Bonney being a hero are well and truly vanquished with this damning portrayal of the legendary outlaw. That this point is rammed home is down to a quite wonderful performance from Paul Newman as Bonney, boyish ignorance and sadistic tendencies making odd bed fellows as Newman plays it weirdly perfect (the role had been earmarked for James Dean until his untimely death curtailed that happening). Backing Newman up is a fine performance from John Dehner as eventual nemesis of Bonney, Pat Garrett, showing nice touches of emotion from both sides of the coin. The rest of the cast do OK and nobody either harms or enhances the picture. This really is about its director and its leading man, both would go on to greater things, but this is a fine point of reference in their respective careers, a picture that both men can be rightly proud of. 7/10

John Chard28 Aug, 2014