Deadwood '76

USA 1965
produced by
Arch Hall sr (as Nicholas Meriwether) for Fairway International
directed by James Landis
starring Arch Hall jr, Jack Lester, La Donna Cottier, Arch Hall sr (as William Watters), Liz Renay (as Melissa Morgan), Robert Dix, Richard Cowl, Jonny Bryant, David Reed, Gordon Schwenk, Ray Zachary, Barbara Moore, Hal Bizzy, Read Morgan, Rex Marlow, Joan Howard, John 'Bud' Cardos, Ray Vegas, Jack Little, Bobby Means, Willard W.Willingham
story by Arch Hall sr, screenplay by James Landis, Arch Hall sr, musical direction by Michael Terr (as Manuel Francisco), song Deadwood by Arch Hall sr, Harper MacKay, cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond, Lewis Guinn, assistant director: John 'Bud' Cardos

Billy the Kid, Wild Bill Hickok

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Billy May (Arch Hall jr) comes to Texas with the sole purpose to get some equipment and go search for gold - but since he is such a quick draw, everybody thinks before long he is actually Billy the Kid, here to fight it out with Wild Bill Hickok (Robert Dix), who is expected in town a few days from now. However, Billy ha soon made the necessary arrangements and leaves the town to dig for gold with newly acquired sidekick Tennessee Thompson (Jack Lester) to dig for gold.

Unfortunately, Billy and Tennessee have (unbeknowest to them) chosen Indian territory as base for their operations, and it is not long before Billy is captured by the Indians. However, when the Indians recognize him as the one who once saved the lives of some of them, they set him free, and when Billy realizes their white chieftain is his own father (Arch Hall sr, also Arch hall jr's real father), he becomes their guest of honour in this night's feast - where he also meets the Indian girl Little Bird (La Donna Cottier), and the two somehow fall in love.

Then though, Billy hears about the plans of his father to make his Indians his new Confederate army to continue the long-lost war, and he turns his back on the Indians. Little Bird however follows him, and when he sends her back, she is raped by two brutes. Fortunately for her, Billy finds her harldly alive body a short time afterwards and brings her to Deadwood, where she is nursed back to health. However, all of Deadwood is preparing for the big duel between Billy (whom they still think to be Billy the Kid) and Wild Bill Hickok, treating it like a big sporting event and even betting on the outcome. It is only when Wild Bill and Billy meet in person that the citizens are disappointed when Wild Bill doesn't want to shoot a man he does not believe to be Billy the Kid and Billy doesn't want to shoot a man he bears no grudge against - and both of them walk away from the duel as friends. Later that day however, Billy by chance crosses paths with the two men wh have raped Little Bird ... and shoots them in cold blood. Then a fifteen year old boy (Jonny Bryant) wants to shoot him, for no other reason than to prove himself to be a big gunslinger ... and Billy has to shoot him in pure self-defense. This alone is enough to bring up the Deadwood citizens against Billy, and soon enough they form a lynch mob and hunt down Billy who eventually has to realize he is no match for the mob that grossly outnumbers him, and he is led to the next tree, his head in a noose. A local preacher (Richard Cowl) tries to save his life and at least give him a fair trial, but the mob is so bloodthirsty that they even shoot the preacher, just to see Billy hang ...

Back at the Indian camp, Billy's father, Tennessee, Little Bird and the rest of the Indians mourn his death ...

Deadwood '76 might not be a classic of the genre, and probably deservedly so, but in all it is not a bad B-Western, it is competently directed, beautifully shot, features quite a few plot elements and plot twists (even if a bit too much is packed into roughly over 90 minutes of film), and even Arch Hall jr, who has at time been riciculed for earlier acting jobs (and deservedly so) turns in an adequate performance - at least as long as his big pompadour doesn't get into the way (he does wear a hat most of the time though).

Once again, it's not a classic, but it is good Western entertainment.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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