Billy Two Hats

1974 "Against the Law...Against the Odds...Against the Land Itself"
6.3| 1h39m| PG| en
Details

After a bank robbery, runaway Scottish outlaw Arch Deans and his young half-breed Kiowa partner Billy Two Hats develop a father-son relationship, but Sheriff Henry Gifford is determined to capture or kill them.

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Reviews

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film
Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible
Roy Hart If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.
Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Spikeopath Billy Two Hats is directed by Ted Kotcheff and written by Alan Sharp. It stars Gregory Peck, Desi Arnaz Junior, Jack Warden, David Huddleston and Sian Barbara. Music is by John Scott and cinematography by Brian West.Interesting. Peck plays a grizzled Scottish outlaw and Arnaz Jr. the half-breed Indian of film's title. They rob banks and have a sort of father and son relationship as they try to escape from vengeful racist Sheriff Gifford (Warden). So in essence it's a buddy Western, albeit one that's a bit off-beat and has grand ideas to be a religio parable of sorts.Unfortunately away from the unusual casting decisions which happen to entertain, it's immeasurably dull on narrative terms and blandly photographed (in Israel) into the bargain. It's not hard to see why it flopped upon release to theatres.The sporadic action passages are adequately performed, and the intentional humour hits the required mark, but by the time the boorish inter-racial relationship comes to the fore, you may find it hard to stay awake. 5/10
greenheart At the end of this movie, I wasn't sure that I'd enjoyed it. But as the day wore on, I found myself continually thinking about it. Often, I leave a movie thinking I've enjoyed it and never give it a second thought. I wasn't sure for a lot of the film exactly what the point is other than the relationship between Peck (An outlaw with Scottish descendancy) and Billy (A half-breed Native Indian). But actually, this is the point and the characters are what make this movie work. Gregory Peck could never be accused of being type cast and he gave a valiant attempt at pulling off a Scottish accent. A lot of the words he nailed but then the accent completely disappeared for run of the mill dialect. A little more direction and time and his language would have matched an otherwise strong performance. Billy seemed a straightforward character to start with but layer upon layer are revealed as the movie progresses including an explanation for an otherwise daft movie title and you really find a sense of his history and upbringing. The sheriff gave a worthy performance but I was particularly impressed with the Apache gang and the stuttering wife. The Apache were made all the more terrifying by their random nature and personality so far removed from stereotypical Apache. The guy with the white parasol was the best of the bunch. The parasol is mentioned but no reference is made to how he obtained this. Some things are best unsaid, had he massacred a previous wagon and removed this as a trophy from some poor unsuspecting traveller? The stuttering wife was beautifully played. Her husband's answer to this disability was to slap her round the face. To her and her guests, this was nothing more than abuse but the husband clearly thought he was 'Rattling her brain box' and helping her out. Her vulnerability, loneliness and desire for love were superbly portrayed and I wish her love for Billy had been explored more fully. The movie reached a stand-off climax and there is a moral about how we treat our dead at the end which again leaves you thinking. Give this movie a chance, you may well draw a different conclusion but it is a little gem worth giving a chance.
gaby01575 I haven't seen this movie since I saw it in its initial release where it was playing to a nearly empty theater. It was shot in widescreen, the format appropriate to the genre and the movie would undoubtedly suffer if seen on TV. Granted that the foreign location gave it an odd quality but the desert vistas are no less magnificent. I'm not a particular fan of the western film genre but this one seems to have clung to my memory. Peck's Scottish burr seems forced at times but it does not detract from what is essentially a visually compelling entertainment. If it becomes available in DVD(widescreen) format, I'll certainly buy a copy.
jbuck_919 This movie gets broadcast so often that I am surprised there are no other comments. All the performances are excellent, the typical plot of pursuit of the outlaws is well handled, and the racism theme that would probably not fly if the movie were made today is realistically dealt with. The surprise is Desi Arnaz Jr. in one of his few roles. No great acting is required of him, but he does a very creditable job, and the already handsome young man is smashing in his dark Indian make-up.