THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972)

With mocking tone typical of the day (call it rollicking savagery) from a bilious John Milius screenplay, L&ToJRB damns the facts & prints its own legend on self-appointed Texas judge & jury Roy Bean.  Paul Newman, just off POCKET MONEY/’72 with Lee Marvin, picks up his recent co-star’s act, growling & groomed like a grizzly bear.  John Huston, directing & putting in a supporting turn along with a passel of starry pals, shamelessly encourages everyone to have a good time, but the fun doesn’t transfer to the screen.*  Instead, faux nihilism as Newman’s Judge takes revenge on anyone who opposes him, getting away with murder till he leaves town to see his idol, actress Lillie Langtry and suddenly finds his lucky streak ended.  Losing everything, Bean disappears for a couple of decades only to return to a grown town where he no longer fits in, and a grown daughter (Jacqueline Bisset, natch) he doesn’t know.  Meant as a goof and as serious political commentary, both film and ideas now look pretty exhausted.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  A rare, if modest, commercial  success for First Artists productions, the company Newman, Barbra Streisand, Steve McQueen & Sidney Poitier thought would provide artistic freedom before McQueen’s career & health collapsed.  His last two films, Ibsen’s ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE/'78 and TOM HORN/'80 pretty much finished First Artists.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Huston’s follow up with Newman, THE MACKINTOSH MAN/’73, a standard-issue spy thriller, tight where this is loose.   https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/08/mackintosh-man-1973.html

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  *Typical Milius witticism: ‘Have you anything to say before we find you guilty?’  On the other hand, someone came up with the fine idea of having Bean’s pet bear bite a cigar right out of the judge’s mouth.