Kid Blue

The "Kid" has always been a recurring character in western lore. Here he gets a whole movie to himself. Hopper is excellent as the train robber trying to settle down. An unpredictable storyline starts with a very funny robbery and never goes entirely where you'd expect. (Good stuff: 7/10)

I saw this movie when it first came out in the theater in 1973. Everyone I knew who saw it loved it. Then it disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Never available on VHS nor DVD, so your chances of ever seeing this great movie are nil. However, as I write this in November 2005, the movie is available on Comcast On-Demand Free Movies!

With a memorable supporting cast including Peter Boyle, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson and the beautiful, young Lee Purcell, Dennis Hopper turns in one of his best performances. You'll never forget Ben Johnson as Mean John Simpson. Nor Peter Boyle as the ascetic high-tech, high-flying Preacher. Although it is set in Texas around the turn of the century, the social commentary that is critical of religion, racial prejudice, the establishment's compulsion to force conformity on everyone, the inequality in the workplace, and the hypocrisy of the elite ruling class and their control of law enforcement, is still relevant today. Perhaps even more so than when it was released in 1973. With comedic undertones, the movie manages to combine action/violence, drama and an implied steamy sex scene without ever becoming too serious. It pits the individual against the mores and values of the group (in this case the town of Dimebox, Texas and it's biggest employer, the All American Western Novelty Company). And guess who wins?

Don't miss this movie if you have Comcast Digital. It's available until March 2006.

There are a lot of Hopper films out there that too few people have seen, especially his lost decade of the 70s. Kid Blue is in the top 5 of my favorite Hopper films. 30 seconds into the movie I already laughed. I also melted many times that Hopper was on screen, his blue eyes and beautiful smile (yes I'm a tad obsessed). He was just so frickin cute in this film. His mannerisms and facial expressions show what a great actor he was (and wish he still was). But movie memories like from Kid Blue stay in my mind even during his bad movies of the year 2000s. Watch Kid Blue if you get lucky enough to find it on cable, I think you will like it.

'Kid Blue' is a very odd movie. In many ways a very old fashioned western, but with Dennis Hopper playing a long haired, pseudo-hippie character. It doesn't know whether to be hip or square, and suffers for it. Still, like most of Hopper's overlooked Seventies movies it's worth a look.

Hopper plays Bickford Waner aka Kid Blue, train robber. Tired of his lack of success at crime he relocates to a small town, gets a real job for the first time in his life, and attempts to fit in. He isn't very successful. In between being harassed by the cruel local sheriff, 'Mean John' Simpson (the legendary Ben Johnson), and one of his fellow boarding house occupant's, Drummer (Ralph Waite of 'Five Easy Pieces' and 'The Waltons'), he tries to find a way to live his life without resorting to his old ways. He befriends some local Indians, the eccentric Preacher Bob (Peter Boyle, 'Joe', 'Taxi Driver') who juggles Christianity with building a flying machine, and a local couple, Reese and Molly Ford (the God-like Warren Oates, and Lee Purcell).

The Fords have the most impact on his life, especially when the beautiful Molly makes a move on him, and the enigmatic Reese starts telling him about the "old timey Greeks" who weren't ashamed to say they loved each other, and then suggests they share a bath together. The scenes between these two screen legends, Hopper and Oates, are priceless and easily the high point of the movie. Sadly, this is the only movie they ever made together

Another added kick is seeing Oates and Johnson, who played the Gortch brothers in Peckinpah's classic 'The Wild Bunch', reunited in very different roles. Also in the supporting cast are fine character actors like Warren Finnerty and Clifton James, who both worked with Hopper and Ralph Waite in the wonderful prison drama 'Cool Hand Luke', and M. Emmet Walsh ('Blade Runner', 'Blood Simple',etc).

'Kid Blue' is NOT one of the great lost westerns, but it IS an eminently watchable curio that any Seventies film buff will be entertained by, especially if they admire the consistently good work of the late Warren Oates, or have any curiosity about Dennis Hopper's undervalued post-'Easy Rider', pre-'Apocalypse Now' movies, which also include such strong performances as 'Tracks' and Wim Wenders 'The American Friend'.

Definitely a revisionist Western, but I love this film. Dennis Hopper plays Bickford Waner who has gone to Dime Box Texas to live an honest life, but really he is Outlaw Kid Blue of Fort Worth. Ben Johnson is fantastic as Sheriff Mean John Simpson. Warren Oates is great as Warner's friend in town. M Emmitt Walsh has a role in this. Hopper was great in this. Played this straight yet there was always a kindness to his character. It's a shame this isn't better known. It's very tame in language and violence. This is like a counter culture Western. Seek it out .