Summary

• "I Shot Billy the Kid" (1950) offers Western drama in a short 57-minute film with an older portrayal of Billy.
• "The Kid" (2019) provides a modern and dynamic perspective with an all-star cast, despite criticism from some critics.
• "The Outlaw" (1943) was ahead of its time and even caused some controversies.

Billy the Kid has been portrayed in films for over 100 years, but only a few movies stand out. A Western outlaw, William H. Bonney, also known as Billy the Kid, has been portrayed by several actors, ranging from Robert Taylor in 1941 to Tyler MacDuff in 1954 to Tim Blake Nelson in 2021. Each actor had their unique way of portraying the famous outlaw, per the film standards at the time.

Born in 1859 as Henry McCarty, Billy the Kid's early life was full of surprises. He lost his mother to tuberculosis in 1874 and never knew his father. After a series of crime sprees, arrests, and prison escapes, The Kid was shot and killed at the age of 22 by Sheriff Pat Garrett, who had pursued him numerous times in the past (via PBS). That story has been repeated over the years in the best Western movies about The Kid, some of which were much better than others.

10 I Shot Billy the Kid (1950)

Starring: Don "Red" Barry (Billy the Kid), Robert Lowery (Pat Garrett), Wally Vernon (Vicenti), Tom Neal (Charlie Bowdre)

The shortest movie on this list, 1950's I Shot Billy the Kid, is only 57 minutes long but still has plenty of action in it to keep audiences entertained. While it is not as violent as the modern-day Billy the Kid adaptions, it is still memorable and has plenty of Western drama to keep fans of a more classic tone happy. The story is told from Garrett's point of view as he remembers his relationship with Billy the Kid up to the fatal shootout. Portrayed by Donald "Red" Barry, the Billy in this version was noticeably older since Barry was nearly 40 years old instead of being 22.

9 The Kid (2019)

Starring: Ethan Hawke (Pat Garrett), Dane DeHaan (Billy the Kid), Jake Schur (Rio Cutler), Leila George (Sara Cutler), Chris Pratt (Grant Cutler)

Despite an overwhelming pan by critics, The Kid shows the point of view of a teen named Rio who sees Billy the Kid in a gunfight with Sheriff Garrett. Rio goes along with his sister, Sara, after their mother is viciously beaten to death by their father, and accompanies the Kid. The Kid offers a different, but interesting perspective to Billy the Kid's story in a modern, more dynamic style. With an all-star cast including Chris Pratt and Ethan Hawke, The Kid's star quality is not lacking by any means, and has a story that shows the reality of living in the Old West.

8 The Boy From Oklahoma (1954)

Starring Will Rogers Jr., Nancy Olson (Katie Brannigan), Lon Chaney Jr. (Crazy Charlie), Anthony Caruso (Mayor Barney Turlock), Tyler MacDuff (Billy the Kid)

Billy the Kid in The Boy From Oklahoma is one of the few good comedies about the character and uses the story of Billy the Kid with some humor added in. The story covers a lawyer who becomes a sheriff of a town and has to deal with outlaws. With Tyler MacDuff as The Kid and Will Rogers, Jr. as the man in charge of the town, The Boy From Oklahoma brings out the funnier side of this dark tale. Billy is seen as an underage miscreant who is used by others to threaten the leading man to get what he wants.

7 Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)

James Coburn (Sheriff Pat Garrett), Kris Kristofferson (Billy the Kid), Richard Jaeckel (Sheriff Kip McKinney), Jason Robards (Governor Lew Wallace), Bob Dylan (Alias)

Known as one of the best westerns of all time, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid follows the story of the man in charge of hunting The Kid down. It shows a very realistic, non-romanticized version of the Old West's law enforcement system and is brutally honest. Garrett is seen as a vicious, no-mercy sheriff, even going as far as to beat up prostitutes to discover the whereabouts of Billy. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid was best known for the behind-the-scenes drama between the movie's director, Sam Peckinpah, and Metro-Goldwyn Meyer over the final version of the project.

6 The Left-Handed Gun (1958)

Starring Paul Newman (Billy The Kid), Lita Milan (Celsa), John Dehner (Pat Garrett)

The Left-Handed Gun was named due to a mistake in a photograph representing Billy as being able to shoot left-handed. Portrayed by Paul Newman, this version of Billy is shown as a man who wants to get revenge on rival cattlemen for murdering his boss. While this version of Billy is over the top and sometimes manic, it matches up perfectly with Newman's portrayal and represents Billy's personality traits accurately. While Newman was in his early 30s while filming, his age was not a factor in the casting.

5 Old Henry (2021)

Starring Tim Blake Nelson (Henry), Scott Haze (Curry), Gavin Lewis (Wyatt), Trace Adkins (Al), Stephen Dorff (Ketchum)

A more recent addition to the Billy the Kid stories, Old Henry shows a more sympathetic side to the outlaw as he tries to lead something of a normal life with his son. Portrayed by Tim Blake Nelson in one of his best roles, the movie follows the story of a widowed farmer named Henry who tells the story of Billy the Kid, only for the audience to find out that Henry is, in fact, the famous outlaw. While this movie is not historically accurate, it resonates with plenty of heart, even earning a high Rotten Tomatoes score of 94%.

4 Chisum (1970)

Starring John Wayne (John Chisum), Forrest Tucker (Lawrence Murphy), Ben Johnson (James Pepper)

Despite having a polished appearance that doesn't match up to descriptions of the real-life Billy the Kid, Geoffrey Deuel's portrayal in this John Wayne western showcases his acting chops. The story is based on the Lincoln County War of 1878 in New Mexico, amid Billy's heyday as an outlaw. Unlike other Billy the Kid movies, Chisum ends with Billy still alive and pursuing one of the henchmen who worked for the man who killed his boss. This is also one of the few Billy the Kid movies with a G-rating, probably due to John Wayne in the title role and starring influence.

3 Young Guns (1988)

Starring Emilio Estevez (Billy the Kid), Kiefer Sutherland (Doc), Lou Diamond Phillips (Jose Chavez y Chavez), Charlie Sheen (Dick Brewer)

Young Guns also covers Billy avenging the death of someone close to him. Leading a group of gunmen, Billy and his deputies become deputies to avenge a murder. But when the leadership power starts to go to his head, Billy and his friends end up becoming fugitives from the rancher who killed their mentor. Young Guns has a Robin Hood feel to it, with the townspeople honoring Billy as a person who is fighting for justice rather than an outlaw. The movie also had a sequel that came out in 1990 and has been honored as one of the most historically accurate versions of The Kid's story.

2 The Outlaw (1943)

Starring Jack Buetel (Billy the Kid), Jane Russell (Rio McDonald), Thomas Mitchell (Pat Garrett) Walter Huston (Doc Holliday)

Despite no overly gory scenes, The Outlaw was way ahead of its time when it came out in 1943. With Billy the Kid being portrayed by Jack Buetel, the movie helped project Jane Russell to her sex symbol status. The Outlaw caused problems with the Hays Code due to the racy images used in the advertising (via NPR). Unlike most versions of Billy's stories, The Outlaw ends with Billy surviving the shootout with Garrett and running away with Jane Russell's character, Rio McDonald.

1 Billy The Kid (1941)

Starring Robert Taylor (Billy the Kid), Brian Donlevy (Jim Sherwood), Gene Lockhart (Dan Hickey), Lon Chaney Jr. ('Spike' Hudson)

Based on the original black and white movie in 1930, 1941's Billy The Kid took a fair number of creative liberties in the storytelling and historical accuracy department but is still a classic. Pat Garrett is renamed Jim Sherwood and is a childhood friend of Billy's, who is played by Robert Taylor. Sherwood even arranges a job for Billy and his friends to work for a non-violent rancher, which ends when the rancher is murdered by a rival. This version of Billy the Kid has a moral compass and his motives behind his actions are explained as him wanting revenge for people that have been murdered by rivals.

Sources: PBS, NPR