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 accurate movie of Billy the Kid?

If you're interested in historical accuracy, Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid is the one for you.

What is the most accurate Billy the Kid account?

Ever since the Kid was shot by Pat Garrett in 1881, historians, storytellers, and filmmakers have been recounting and reinventing his life. In 1983 Jon Tuska published his first edition of Billy the Kid, and it was immediately recognized as the most accurate account yet produced.

How much of the Billy the Kid series is true?

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 best biography of Billy the Kid?

Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life

Utley, a respected historian of (mostly) Indian-related research, offers the cold, hard facts of Billy's life and remains true to objectivity, leaving the reader with the job of analyzing the right and the wrong of decisions, reactions, and events.

A Historically Accurate Billy the Kid MOVIE? Can It Be Done??

What name did Billy the Kid go by?

Billy the Kid called himself William H. Bonney, but his original name was probably Henry McCarty. Bonney was his mother Catherine's maiden name, and William was the first name of his mother's longtime companion—William Antrin—who acted as Billy's father after his biological father disappeared.

Who played the best Billy the Kid?

Did Billy the Kid have a lover?

Billy's lover Paulita Maxwell later claims that she never liked the picture, claiming it does not do him justice. In a saloon in Fort Sumner, the Kid shoots and kills a local drunk during an argument. A posse tracks the Kid and his gang back to a ranch between Vegas and White Oaks where a gun battle breaks out.

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 is Billy the Kid's best friend?

Tom O'Folliard (1858 – December 19, 1880) was the best friend of outlaw William Bonney, a.k.a. Billy the Kid. Both were members of the Regulators during the Lincoln County War.

How many real photos of Billy the Kid exist?

Well, until just a few years ago, that was exactly the case for one of America's most infamous and intriguing outlaws, Billy the Kid. For more than a century, only one photo of William H. Bonney (or Henry McCarty, as he was born) was ever authenticated.

What is the most expensive Billy the Kid photo?

The only other photo of the outlaw sold to Bill Koch for $2.3 million in 2011. Billy the Kid plays croquet (detail), 1878. Photo: Kagin's.

Are there any pictures of Billy the Kid?

Another picture of Billy the Kid emerges

Extremely rare photo of Billy The Kid when captured at Stinking Springs, December 24th 1880. Pat Garrett is clearly recognisable extreme left and Bob Olinger is next to him. Billy is on the extreme right where a deputy aims a Colt revolver at Billy's head.

How many movies were made about Billy the Kid?

Bob Steele and Buster Crabbe portrayed Billy the Kid in a series of 42 western films from 1940 through 1947, released by Poverty Row studio Producers Distributing Corporation. Some of the titles include Blazing Frontier, The Renegade, Cattle Stampede, and Western Cyclone (1943).

Why is Billy the Kid Rated R?

Parents need to know that Billy the Kid is full of the racist and sexist characterizations typical of many Westerns, with slurs and expletives flying on the regular. Women are seen fully nude in (fairly tame) sex scenes; a man's bare butt is visible. Characters drink to excess and smoke cigars in grimy saloons.

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.

Did Billy the Kid ever meet Wyatt Earp?

Billy the Kid Meets Wyatt Earp in Jerome, Arizona.

Was Billy the Kid a nice guy?

Billy was a likable young man. He was very popular with the Latino population in New Mexico. He spoke Spanish fluently, was loyal to his friends, liked music and loved attending the bailes and dancing with the pretty girls. On the other hand, he was a notorious livestock thief.

What is the most historically accurate movie about 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.

How old was Paul Newman when he played Billy the Kid?

Paul Newman was widely felt to be miscast as Billy the Kid since at 33 he was considerably older than the character. Billy was supposed to be 18 at the beginning of the film.

Was Billy the Kid fast with a gun?

According to Pat Garrett, Billy was “quick as a flash.” While a good shot, he said, Billy “was no better than the majority of men who are constantly handling and using six-shooters. . . .”

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.

Was Billy the Kid a Mexican?

Little is known about Billy the Kid's early days, but he was most likely born Henry McCarty in the Irish slums of New York City sometime in late 1859. Raised by a single mother, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, as a boy before later migrating west to New Mexico in the early 1870s.