The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)

71% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(3,481 ratings)

Paul Newman plays the title role in John Huston's surreal, revisionist western as the infamous Texas hanging judge. Upon arriving in the tiny West Texas town of Vinegaroon, Roy Bean draws a moustache on a wanted poster of himself, marches into a saloon, and declares his presence. He is immediately… More Paul Newman plays the title role in John Huston's surreal, revisionist western as the infamous Texas hanging judge. Upon arriving in the tiny West Texas town of Vinegaroon, Roy Bean draws a moustache on a wanted poster of himself, marches into a saloon, and declares his presence. He is immediately robbed, beaten within an inch of his life, tied to a horse and dragged out into the prairie, then left to die. Rescued by a young Mexican girl, Maria Elena (Victoria Principal), Roy Bean heads back into town and murders everyone in the local saloon, declaring that he'll kill anyone of the same sort who turns up. He also sets himself up as the sole arbiter of law and order and renames the town Langtry, in honor of the legendary actress Lily Langtry (Ava Gardner). The community prospers as Judge Bean dispenses his own brand of frontier justice upon strangers passing by, robbing or killing anyone who tries to make their way through the town. But when Maria dies, Bean's old associates begin to turn on him, one at a time (in response to his constant harping on their wives, many of whom were former prostitutes) and Bean is forced to leave. Years later, Bean rides back into town, called back to the place to save his daughter from trouble - and finds that the community has been taken over by a shady character called Frank Gass (Roddy McDowall) - a circumstance that requires Bean to dispense his own unique brand of justice once again. Stacy Keach lends a neat comic turn to the film as Bad Bob, an albino gunslinger whose dining habits consist of chowing down on raw onion, drinking hot coffee from a pot, and demanding that an entire horse be cooked for his supper. John Milius (Red Dawn) scripted. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr.
Directed By: John Huston
Written By: John Milius
Genres: Western, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 18, 1972 Wide
On DVD: Jun 3, 2003
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Milius' screenplay is acridly flavorful, Huston gives it a mellow reading
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
Newman and bear: Good. Movie: Bad. It's a toss up, but I vote for hanging.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

Really entertaining film and it owes a lot to what I think is one of Paul Newman's best performances. I enjoyed the film and it's funny watching this and realizing what a pot head John Huston was. The film looks gorgeous and it's both hilarious and sad at the same time.… More
Really entertaining film and it owes a lot to what I think is one of Paul Newman's best performances. I enjoyed the film and it's funny watching this and realizing what a pot head John Huston was. The film looks gorgeous and it's both hilarious and sad at the same time. I don't know why, but the ending got to me even though the whole idea is bat shit crazy. Great cast.
Ken S

If for the crazy Albino alone...this movie is fan-fuck'n-tastic
Walter M

At the start of "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," the title character(Paul Newman) is not yet a member of the legal profession. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he is an outlaw in the badlands west of the Pecos, intent on bragging, drinking and whoring but is instead… More
At the start of "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," the title character(Paul Newman) is not yet a member of the legal profession. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he is an outlaw in the badlands west of the Pecos, intent on bragging, drinking and whoring but is instead savagely beaten and left for dead. However, Marie Elena(Victoria Principal) takes pity on him, nurses him back to health and gives him a gun. After Bean gets his revenge on all concerned, Reverend LaSalle(Anthony Perkins) comes along to give some advice and help bury the bodies. Bean decides to take up being the law of the land with help from some incompetent criminals who make betters marshals. Written by John Milius, directed by John Huston and performed by an eclectic cast(wait until you see Stacy Keach), "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" is a mischievous and irreverent western. By going a different route, the movie gets quite a lot right in how the west was won, going from lawlessness to legal brutality to respectability, as Judge Roy Bean helps make Texas safe for normal people. At the same time, the movie gives a very good idea about the kind of people who moved west to make a new life for themselves, many of them outcasts.
Moe E

My parents took us kids with them to see this film when it was released. I have to assume that they thought this would be a western/comedy in the same vein as Cat Ballou, which unfortunately it wasn't. I can still remember the look on my father's face as we were leaving the… More
My parents took us kids with them to see this film when it was released. I have to assume that they thought this would be a western/comedy in the same vein as Cat Ballou, which unfortunately it wasn't. I can still remember the look on my father's face as we were leaving the theatre...it was a mixture of disgust and embarrassment. A truly horrid film...
Christopher B

A really bizarre Stacy Keach performance is one of the highlights in this excellent western.

Cast

            Paul Newman as Judge Roy Bean

            Victoria Principal as Maria Elena

            Anthony Perkins as Rev. LaSalle

            Ned Beatty as Tector Crites

            Jacqueline Bisset as Rose Bean

            Tab Hunter as Sam Dodd

            John Huston as Grizzly Adams

            Ava Gardner as Lillie Langtry

            Bruno
            
            Jim Burk as Bart Jackson

            Dean Casper as Desk Clerk

            Jack Colvin as Pimp

            Richard Farnsworth
            
            John Bear Hudkins as Man at Stage Door

            Francesca Jarvis as Mrs. Jackson

            Roy Jenson as outlaw

            Leroy Johnson as Outlaw

            Steve Kanaly as Whorehouse Lucky Jim

            Stacy Keach as Bad Bob

            Fred Krone as Outlaw

            Roddy McDowall as Frank Gass

            Bill McKinney as Fermilee Parker

            Billy Pearson as Miner/Station Master

            Michael Sarrazin as Rose's Husband

            David Sharpe as Doctor

            Dean Smith as Outlaw

            Don Starr as Opera House Manager

            Neil Summers as Snake River Rufus Krile

            Anthony Zerbe as Hustler

            Stan Barrett as Killer

            Matt Clark as Nick the Grub

            Gary Combs as Outlaw

            Bennie E. Dobbins as Outlaw

            Jeannie Epper as Whore

            Terry J. Leonard as Outlaw

            Frank Soto as Mexican Leader

            Howard Morton as Photographer

            Alfred G. Bosnos as Opera House Clerk

            Fred Brookfield
            
            Karen Carr as Mrs. Grubb

            Dolores Clark as Mrs. Whorehouse Jim

            Margo Epper
            
            Barbara J. Longo as Fat Lady

            Rebecca Lee Meza as Mrs. Parlee
See full cast