THE OUTLAW, produced and directed by that billionaire who flew planes and wound up a hermit, Howard Hughes, is an odd take by an odd (and first-time) director on the legendary relationship of Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) and Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) in which the two gunfighters evolve from outlaw enemies, to outlaw pals, to almost father and son, and finally, to a parting of ways over a woman played by buxom newcomer Jane Russell. (She was
so buxom, in fact) that Hughes designed a special bra for her to skirt censorship.) This is another Huston gem and likely the strangest Western you’ll ever see. The direction is strange, the story is strange, the dialog is strange, the acting is strange, and the relationships among the characters,
really strange. But all that strangeness is fascinating and fun to watch, if occasionally tedious due to the leisurely pacing.
