Directed by:
John HustonScreenplay:
John MiliusCinematography:
Richard MooreComposer:
Maurice JarreCast:
Paul Newman, Richard Farnsworth, Terry Leonard, Jeannie Epper, Victoria Principal, Anthony Perkins, Ned Beatty, Matt Clark, Steve Kanaly, Francesca Jarvis (more)Plots(1)
A remarkable blend of otherwise disparate philosophies about legendary men, this 1972 film was inspired in part by the epic dimensions of a John Milius (The Wind and the Lion) script, which was toned down by Paul Newman's charmingly eccentric approach to the title character, who in turn was deepened by director John Huston's sensitivity to the subject of fleeting dreams. The story concerns the famous outlaw-turned-lawmaker who rules over an empty stretch of the West that gradually grows, under his iron fist, into a thriving town. The film follows the quirky Bean's episodic adventures as the years pass and a variety of colorful characters come and go, including the muse who captivated his soul, the actress Lily Langtry (Ava Gardner). Huston's textured approach has an almost Altmanesque feel to it, though he demands more (and rewardingly so) obvious performances from the cast, particularly a hilarious cameo by Stacy Keach as the one tough-as-nails SOB who makes Bean a tad nervous. Highly entertaining. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Paul Newman
USA
Best movies:
Producers' Showcase (1954) (series)
The Sting (1973)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Terry Leonard
Best movies:
Jeannie Epper
USA
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Victoria Principal
Japan
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Earthquake (1974)
Blind Witness (1989) (TV movie)
Anthony Perkins
USA
Best movies:
Psycho (1960)
Le Glaive et la balance (1963)
Goodbye Again (1961)
Ned Beatty
USA
Best movies:
Toy Story 3 (2010)
All the President's Men (1976)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Matt Clark
USA
Best movies:
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
Brubaker (1980)
Steve Kanaly
USA
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Midway (1976)
My Name Is Nobody (1973)
Francesca Jarvis
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
Junior Bonner (1972)
Tab Hunter
USA
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Track of the Cat (1954)
The Sea Chase (1955)
John Huston
USA
Best movies:
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Chinatown (1974)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Stacy Keach
USA
Best movies:
American History X (1998)
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (TV movie)
Roddy McDowall
UK
Best movies:
Planet of the Apes (1968)
The Longest Day (1962)
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)
Anthony Zerbe
USA
Best movies:
Papillon (1973)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Jacqueline Bisset
UK
Best movies:
The Man from Acapulco (1973)
Day for Night (1973)
New Year's Day (2000)
Ava Gardner
USA
Best movies:
Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)
The Long Hot Summer (1985) (TV movie)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Michael Sarrazin
Canada
Best movies:
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)
Bill McKinney
USA
Best movies:
The Green Mile (1999)
First Blood (1982)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Mark Headley
Best movies:
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Monte Walsh (1970)
The Cursed (2010)