Once infamous, now a strange mix of old-fashioned charm and amusement. The story unfolds in 1881 New Mexico, where Sheriff Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) finds himself frustrated when Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) arrives in Lincoln and seems to befriend Doc Holliday (Walter Huston). After Billy is injured, Doc leaves him with Rio (Jane Russell), a woman who has reasons to dislike him; however, she develops feelings for him instead. Eventually, these four characters are compelled to join forces to escape some hostile Mescaleros before confronting each other in a final showdown. “The Outlaw” was filmed in late 1940 and early 1941 under the direction of Howard Hughes, with uncredited contributions from Howard Hawks and Jules Furthman. Its release was delayed until 1943 because of censorship issues requiring edits and further adjustments, before being widely re-released in 1946-47. The controversy surrounding its perceived "offensive" content led to record-breaking attendance when it was shown. The public outcry largely centered on Jane Russell’s appearance, who was selected from a nationwide search by Hughes for an actress with a prominent figure, and the suggestive interactions between her character and Billy the Kid. It's interesting that the film later received a ‘G’ rating upon its re-release in 1976. Regarding Jane’s physique, Hughes and his aircraft engineers created a special bra to accentuate her bust; however, she revealed in her 1988 autobiography that she secretly avoided wearing it due to discomfort, despite this being the inspiration for the design. Putting aside all the commotion, what about the movie itself? Is it a good Western? It’s complicated. Walter Huston delivers an engaging performance as Doc Holliday and Jane possesses a captivating beauty (she resembles the sister Elvis never had). The film can be enjoyable if you accept its odd, sentimental style, although the quick shift in relationships from bitter enemies to close companions is abrupt, but still funny if you go along with it. Thomas Mitchell seems too old for his role as Pat Garrett—the real-life Garrett was only 31 when Billy died. It’s worth seeing for those reasons I've mentioned, but don’t anticipate the quality of earlier Westerns like “Stagecoach” (1939), “Buffalo Bill” (1944) and “Duel in the Sun” (1946). The film has a running time of 1 hour, 56 minutes. Shorter versions and colorized editions also exist, which I would suggest watching unless you prefer black-and-white films. Filming took place at Red Rock Canyon State Park, Cantil, California, with studio work in Los Angeles and additional footage shot in New Mexico, Arizona (Tuba City & Yuma). GRADE: C

Source on TMDB