Review of The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) by Hunter D — 09 Jun 2011

An absurdist manwitch of a take on the story of Judge Roy Bean. Bean was the self-appointed "Law West of the Pecos" who was a bit eccentric, and hung maybe two people during his tenure as "Judge." So if you're expecting an accurate take on the man, look elsewhere, because this right here is the legend. The movie indirectly states this from the outset, saying that this may not be the way things were, but "it's the way they should've been.".

After getting mugged by the inhabitants of a bar and brothel, Roy Bean (Paul Newman) walks back into the place with a gun and shoots them all dead. He then decides to proclaim himself Judge, and decides to civilize his little town west of the Pecos. He gets himself some unscrupulous Marshals, a pet bear named after President Zachary Taylor, and wallpapers his courthouse with pictures of actress Lily Langtry (Ava Gardner). And the sentence for pretty much any crime is hangin'.

John Milius, the man who pretty much reinvented manliness in movies, scripted this movie, and with John Huston directing, you can bet it's crazy. Bean gets drunk with his bear, blows a hole in the chest of an albino outlaw, and eventually razes an entire town. All in the name of Texas and Lily Langtree. A revolving door of celebrities, including Anthony Perkins, Stacy Keach, Anthony Zerbe, and Ava Gardner, add to the fun.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN is an unsung western, probably due to the fact that it's so bizarre, but it's worth seeking out, especially if there is a deficit of testosterone in your movie-intake.