The Outlaw (1943)

The Outlaw has received a lot of publicity for Jane Russell's heaving bosoms, and most reviews I've seen focussed on them without saying too much about the quality of the film, so I was expecting to have to take a cold shower upon finishing it. In that respect I was a little disappointed. It basically tells the story of Pat Garrett, Billy The Kid, inserts Doc Holliday in there for good measure (I believe this is unhistorical), and gives it a slightly ludicrous historically inaccurate ending.

The basic gist is that Garrett and Holliday enjoy what might these days be called a "bromance", but unfortunately Billy the Kid comes between them, becoming friends with Holliday despite repeatedly stealing his horse. In the mean time Doc Holliday and Jane Russell (I forget her character's name) enjoy a romance, but Billy the Kid comes between them, so to speak.

There's some good melodrama, although I feel they may have overdone the romantic music[1] for some of the scene between the guys (especially Holliday and Billy's shoot-out near the end of the film), given I don't think they intended to imply actual romance. Billy starts out as an annoying Brat, but does mature as the film progresses thanks to his relationships with Holliday and Jane Russell. Jane Russell doesn't get a huge amount to do, and is basically a sex object for the whole thing, which comes across quite badly in places (there's an implied rape early on which doesn't help things).

I'm not really sure about this one: it's clearly not one of the greats, Billy is a bit too annoying to be likeable, and the story doesn't quite add up, but there's plenty to enjoy in places. Including some boobies. But not as much as the advertising would have you believe.

1. (Addendum note) they also overdid the "wah-wah" noises accompanying not very funny comedy scenes.