The Kid from Texas is a 1950 American Western film that was Audie Murphy's first Technicolor Western and the first feature film on Murphy's Universal-International Pictures contract. It was directed by Kurt Neumann and featured Gale Storm and Albert Dekker.[1]
| The Kid from Texas | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Kurt Neumann |
| Written by | Robert Hardy Andrews Karl Kamb |
| Based on | a story by Robert Hardy Andrews |
| Produced by | Paul Short |
| Starring | Audie Murphy Gale Storm |
| Cinematography | Charles Van Enger |
| Edited by | Frank Gross |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal-International Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editThe film starts 11 July 1879 in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory. A group of men who work for Major Harper, led by gunslinger Minniger, attempt to arrest rancher Alexander Kain and his English partner Jameson. They are stopped by William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, who shoots and injures them.
Jameson offers Billy a job as a ranch hand. A drunken group of Harper's men attack the ranch and kill Jameson. Billy goes on a killing rampage, encouraged by the manipulative Kain, who publicly decries Billy's efforts. Governor Lew Wallace offers Billy a pardon which he turns down. Pat Garrett is sent to catch Billy.
Cast
edit- Audie Murphy as Billy the Kid
- Gale Storm as Irene Kain
- Albert Dekker as Alexander Kain
- Shepperd Strudwick as Jameson
- Will Geer as O'Fallon
- William Talman as Minniger
- Martin Garralaga as Morales
- Robert H. Barrat as General Lew Wallace
- Walter Sande as Crowe
- Frank Wilcox as Pat Garrett
- Dennis Hoey as Major Harper
- Ray Teal as Sheriff Rand
- Don Haggerty as Morgan
- Paul Ford as Sheriff Copeland
- John Phillips as Sid Curtis
- Harold Goodwin as Matt Curtis
- Zon Murray as Lucas
- Tom Trout as Denby
- Rosa Turich as Maria
- Dorita Pallais as Lupita
- Pilar Del Rey as Marguarita
Production notes
editThe film fictionalises the true events of the Lincoln County War but follows the basic facts. Jameson (Shepperd Strudwick) is based on John Tunstall and Alexander Kain (Albert Dekker) on Alexander McSween.
Murphy was cast after his performance as a juvenile delinquent in Bad Boy, with Billy the Kid being depicted as a 19th-century juvenile delinquent. J. Edgar Hoover offered to narrate the film.[2] However, Parley Baer was chosen as the narrator.
References
edit- ^ The Kid from Texas at the Audie Murphy Memorial Site
- ^ Hedda Hopper (September 8, 1948). "Audie Murphy Set as 'Kid From Texas'". Los Angeles Times. p. A6.
External links
edit- The Kid from Texas at IMDb
- The Kid from Texas at Audie Murphy Memorial Site
- The Kid from Texas at the TCM Movie Database
