The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean

It may not be a late masterpiece but John Huston's movie "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" isn't just one of his most underrated films but also one of his best. It's a picaresque western, (the title is a bit of a giveaway), with an even more laconic than usual Paul Newman in the title role with a supporting cast of 'guest stars' including Huston himself. It also introduced a young Victoria Principal, (Pam Ewing herself), and had Ava Gardner pop up as Lily Langrty. Of course, Huston doesn't take any of it seriously. This is a blackly comic western, beautiful written by John Milius and with dialogue ripe for quoting, done as a series of set=pieces built around that terrific cast and, of course, it owes nothing to any other vision of Judge Roy Bean we may have seen, (Newman's about as far removed from Walter Brennan as it's possible to get). As an opening title says, this isn't the way it was but it's the way it should have been and it's a total delight.

For some reason, I just did not care to view this film over the years and could not imagine Paul Newman playing a comedy about the Judge Roy Bean. After viewing the first few scenes of the film, I was captured by the great acting of Paul Newman(Judge Roy Bean),"Exodus",'60, who plays a judge who sets his own law and order and establishes a town full of people from the wrong side of the tracks. Anthony Perkins,(Rev. Mr. LaSalle),"Crimes of Passion",'84, started Judge Roy Bean off with a Bible and read a Chapter 58 from the Book of Psalms over a dearly departed soul who lost his life in the crazy town. Roddy McDowall,(Frank Gass),"That Darn Cat",65, was a lawyer who manages to give Roy Bean a hard time with his pet Bear. Ava Gardner appears in the picture along with many other great veteran stars which makes this film a very successful Comedy.

Truly an unusual film which defies categorization as myth, comedy, western, satire, or morality tale. Perhaps it's a synthesis of all of these. It should be pointed out that Roy Bean was an actual historical personage, but I have no idea how much of this story is rooted in the facts (somehow I suspect, not very much). Newman's portrayal of this thoroughly eccentric and morally confusing bandit-*-lawman is thoroughly engrossing. The musical numbers by - of all people - Maurice Jarre are painfully superfluous, and Jacqueline Bissett is miscast as Bean's daughter (I mean, the accent - puhleeeez!). Also the business with the bear is a bit tedious, whether based in fact or not. Still, there is great work from Huston, Ned Beatty, Tony Perkins, and Roddy McDowell (Ava Gardner just doesn't have enough to do to make much of an impression). This colorfully offbeat effort from John Huston, who could never make a completely bad movie, is a personal favorite and is well worth watching.

This whimsical western is a mixed bag, though I was slightly distracted throughout waiting for the appearance of a young Victoria Principal. Only knowing her "work" from FANTASY ISLAND, DALLAS and EARTHQUAKE, I expected her to be hopelessly flat in the company of higher echelon performers like Paul Newman. Well, was I ever shocked and humbled to note in the closing credits that our Miss P. had slipped right past my poised-to-be-nasty laser vision by slipping seamlessly into the role of Judge Roy Bean's young Mexican mistress. Principal is mellow, charming and realistic in the part, coming across like a more talented Claudia Cardinale. After making a debut like this in a John Huston film....WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED???