Today’s movie is a western comedy with a scene that happens
on April 11. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN
Outlaw Roy Bean
shows up at a bar in West Texas where he is assaulted by the patrons, who tie a
noose around his neck and plan to have a horse drag him to death. However the
rope breaks. A young Latina woman, Maria Elena finds him and gives him a gun.
Bean returns, kills all the patrons and takes over the bar. He sets himself up as a judge, armed with a
copy of the Texas statutes. A passing reverend helps him bury the dead. Bean names
the saloon ‘The Jersey Lilly’ after the famed English actress Lillie Langtry.
When a gang led by Big Bart Jackson arrives, instead of arresting them Bean
makes them marshals who get half of the property of those they arrest and Bean
hangs. Bean uses his half of the confiscated assets to build up a town and
later matches up his marshals with some ladies of the evening who are left
stranded there. Grizzly Adams visits, but only leaves a bear as a pet for Bean.
Outlaw Sam Dodd comes to town and is killed by Bean. Bean and Marie Elena get
married. An attorney, Frank Gass shows up and claims ownership of the area, but
changes his mind when Bean puts him in the bear’s cage. They make a deal where
Gass will represent those in Bean’s court and he and Bean will split his fees.
An assassin sent to kill Bean kills the bear instead. The former prostitutes,
now the wives of the marshals want the town’s image spruced up. Bean insults
them and very disingenuously apologizes to them. On April 11, 19___ [1:23:16 to
1:29:33] Bean goes to San Antonio to see Lillie Langtry, who is on tour in
America, but he is beaten up and mugged. Upon his return he learns Maria Elena
has died giving birth to his daughter Rose. Bean is so despondent he leaves
town. Gass, who was elected mayor in Bean’s absence, takes over the town. After
oil comes in, organized crime takes over the city that grows up around the
saloon. Rose runs the ‘Jersey Lilly’ but Gass threatens her with eviction.
However Bean returns to stand with his daughter and prevent the takeover. The
city burns down and the saloon is again left alone in the desert. Bean dies and
Rose marries a passing aviator. Then one day Lillie Langtry herself arrives at
the saloon and reads a letter Bean left for her.
A dry, almost surrealistic
comedy. Everything here is exaggerated for effect, but it’s still interesting.
Be warned this film does use the N word twice.
The date is given in the film at
1:22:03.
Director - John Huston Screenplay - John Milius
Awards – The song in the film “Marmalade, Molasses and
Honey” was nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar at the 45th
Academy Awards.
Runtime – 2 hours Released – December 18,
1972
Starring – Paul Newman as Judge Roy Bean, Victoria Principal
as Maria Elena, Anthony Perkins as Reverend 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, Richard Farnsworth as Outlaw,
Stacy Keach as Bad Bob, Roddy McDowall as Frank Gass, Anthony Zerbe as Opera House hustler who mugs Bean
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015.
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