The Law vs Billy the Kid ** (1954, Alan Hale Jr, Paul Cavanagh, William Phillips) – Classic Movie Review 11,885

Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985).

Director William Castle’s 1954 Columbia Pictures Technicolor Western film The Law vs Billy the Kid once again tells the familiar story of Billy the Kid (Scott Brady) against the law.

Written by Bernard Gordon {credited as John T Williams], Castle’s movie is a plain, fanciful, forgettable Western, but shot in nice Technicolor by Henry Freulich, while Gordon’s script is capable and Castle’s direction is efficient.

James Griffith makes more of lawman Pat Garrett than Scott Brady does of the Kid, both of whom vie for the hand of rancher’s beautiful daughter Nita Maxwell (Betta St John), though Brady was a decent Western actor.

Also in the goodish cast are Alan Hale Jr, Paul Cavanagh, William Phillips, Benny Rubin, Steve Darrell, George Berkeley, William Tannen, Richard H Cutting, Frank Sully and William Fawcett.

American writer and producer Bernard Gordon (October 29, 1918 – May 11, 2007) was prevented from taking screen credit by the Hollywood Blacklist for much of his 27-year career.

Scott Brady was born Gerard Tierney, younger brother of actor Lawrence Tierney.

The main cast are Scott Brady as William Bonney aka ‘Billy the Kid’, Betta St John as Nita Maxwell, James Griffith as Pat Garrett, Alan Hale Jr as Bob Olinger, Paul Cavanagh as John H. Tunstall, William ‘Bill’ Phillips as Charley Bowdre, Benny Rubin as Arnold Dodge, Steve Darrell as Sheriff Tom Watkins, George Berkeley as Tom O’Folliard, William Tannen as Dave Rudabaugh, Richard H Cutting as Pete Maxwell, Frank Sully and William Fawcett.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,885

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