Much of the first couple of episodes involved Billy's early life, which given the sketchy record remains somewhat speculative, but while the particulars can be questioned the overall circumstances of his upbringing it depicts are pretty close to what we know.

What is the most accurate portrayal of Billy the Kid?

The title reflects this fact - Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid has been billed with the author's name since it first aired in 1989. Fans of westerns will be quite pleased with Gore Vidal's Billy The Kid. It follows genre conventions closely and is regarded as the most historically accurate movie of the outlaw's life.

What is the most historically accurate book on Billy the Kid?

In 1983 Jon Tuska published his first edition of Billy the Kid, and it was immediately recognized as the most accurate account yet produced. Choice called it A magnificent tour de force and a model for others who would study legendary heroes of the American West.

Did Billy the Kid ever meet Wyatt Earp?

Billy the Kid Meets Wyatt Earp in Jerome, Arizona.

Who was more infamous, Jesse James or Billy the Kid?

Jesse James was a civil war veteran who became a bank and train robber. He killed many more people than Billy the kid, and was way more dangerous for sure.

The Real Billy the Kid: His Tragic Life Story

Who was the baddest cowboy ever?

Hyman G. Neill, better known as Hoodoo Brown, was the leader of the Dodge City Gang in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1879 and early 1880. According to Harold Thatcher, curator of the Rough Rider Museum in Las Vegas, Hoodoo was "the baddest cowboy of them all".

Who is the most famous outlaw that ever lived?

What were Billy the Kid's last words?

Billy the Kid spoke his last words in Spanish. Calling out “¿Quién es? ¿Quién es?” before he was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett, the young outlaw's final moments signal his diverse ethnic context.

Are Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett friends?

Bonney, later known as Billy the Kid. It is evident that the two were friends, but how close has not been determined. Some say that Billy the Kid was the closest friend Garrett had at that time. Billy the Kid and his gang went on to become the most feared outlaws in the Southwest.

Did John Wayne really know Wyatt Earp?

Yes John Wayne did know Wyatt Earp. John Wayne was gored as an extra and a prop boy. Wayne created his famous walk and talk in Westerns after Earp. It is said that John Wayne was a pallbearer at Wyatt Earps funeral.

How many real photos of Billy the Kid exist?

Photographs. As of 2021, only one authenticated photograph showing Billy exists; others thought to depict him are disputed.

What happened to Billy the Kid's father?

Historians believe that his father (some say his name was William Bonney, others think it was Patrick Henry McCarty) died near the end of the Civil War, leaving his mother (variously identified as Catherine McCarty or Katherine McCarty Bonney) with two young sons.

Was Billy the Kid ever caught?

Large rewards had been offered for his arrest by the Territorial authorities, and frequent attempts made to capture him. He was finally captured by my deputy, lodged in jail, and afterwards shot by Deputy Garrett in attempting to escape. The whole expense in making this arrest was $1.072.

Who was the best actor to play Billy the Kid?

What did Billy the Kid do that was bad?

Billy the Kid (born November 23, 1859?, New York, New York, U.S.—died July 14, 1881, Fort Sumner, New Mexico) was an American outlaw who was one of the most notorious gunfighters of the American West. Although he claimed to have killed 21 men, the actual number is likely less than 10.

What is the truth about Billy the Kid?

The infamous Western outlaw known as “Billy the Kid” is mostly likely born in a poor Irish neighborhood on New York City's East Side on November 23, 1859. (Much about his early life is unknown or unverified.) Before he was shot dead at age 21, Billy reputedly killed at least nine people in the American West.

How accurate are Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid?

There is the movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, released in 1973 and directed by Sam Peckinpah. It is a revisionist Western motion picture and a great story though not historically accurate. In Hollywood, they say, don't mess up a good story by telling the truth. After all, it was a movie, not a documentary.

How tall was Billy the Kid when he died?

He stood 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighed approximately 155 pounds. Billy had blue eyes, dirty blond hair, and had two front teeth that protruded. He wore a high-crowned sombrero with a green hatband and was right-handed. Billy also spoke fluent Spanish, was of above average intelligence, and was a born leader.

What did Pat Garrett do after killing Billy the Kid?

Pat Garrett, who Leon Metz described as, "the tall slayer of Billy the Kid, and without question the American West's most famous lawman after that deed," was Doña Ana County Sheriff and in 1901 became Collector of Customs headquartered in El Paso.

Why did they call him Billy the Kid?

During the Lincoln County War his associates began calling him “The Kid” because of his youthfulness and slender build. In 1880, newspaper reporters and dime novelists who often embellished his deeds and his legend grew. So did the nickname that most people know him today, “Billy the Kid.”

Did Billy the Kid speak Spanish fluently?

The Kid was a charmer; he spoke fluent Spanish and easily befriended Hispanics, especially the señoritas. But the Kid's cheerful disposition only disguised a quick temper that sometimes drove him to commit audacious acts of crime. Contrary to popular folklore of the Old West, Billy the Kid never killed 21 men.

What language did Billy the Kid speak?

Assuming the events in the film were historical, three-year-old William Bonnie and his Irish-Catholic parents would have lived in that same Five Points neighborhood where Leonardo DiCaprio revives the “Dead Rabbits.” Not only was Billy the Kid descended from Irish-Catholic immigrants, he apparently spoke Irish himself, ...

Who was the most feared cowboy?

William Preston Longley (October 6, 1851 – October 11, 1878), also known as Wild Bill Longley, was an American Old West outlaw and gunfighter noted for his ruthless nature, speed with a gun, quick temper, and unpredictable demeanor. He is considered to have been one of the deadliest gunfighters in the Old West.

Who was the most feared gunfighter?

One — John Wesley Hardin

Hardin was one of the most notorious gunslingers of the Wild West. He is said to have killed over 40 men, including his first victim at 15.

Who was the meanest outlaw ever?

John Wesley Hardin was the means s.o.b. that ever lived. He shot and killed a man in a rooming house for snoring too loud.