List of works about Billy the Kid

Hundreds of songs, books, motion pictures, radio and television programs, and plays have been inspired by the story of the outlaw Billy the Kid.[1] Depictions of him in popular culture have fluctuated between a cold-blooded murderer without a heart and a sentimental hero fighting for justice.[2] The Texas historian, J. Frank Dobie, wrote many years ago in A Vaquero of the Brush Country (1929): "...Billy the Kid will always be interesting, will always appeal to the popular imagination".[3] While a plethora of writers and filmmakers have depicted Billy the Kid as the personification of either heroic youth or juvenile punk,[4] a few have attempted to portray a more complex character.[5] In any case, the dramatic aspects of his short life and violent death still appeal to popular taste,[6] and he remains an icon of teenage rebellion and nonconformity.[7] The mythologizing of his story continues with new works in various media.[8][9]

The True Life of Billy the Kid first appeared in print in August 1881

Comics

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Billy the Kid #9 (Nov. 1957).

Literature

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  • El asesino desinteresado Bill Harrigan (1935), a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, part of the series A Universal History of Infamy
  • The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid (1882), a biography and partly first-hand account written by Pat Garrett, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Mexico
  • Billy The Kid (1958), a serial poem by Jack Spicer[11]
  • Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life (1989), a modern, comprehensive biography by Robert Utley[12]
  • El bandido adolescente (1965), by Ramón J. Sender.[13]
  • The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems, by Michael Ondaatje, 1970 biography in the form of experimental poetry[14]
  • The Illegal Rebirth of Billy the Kid (1991) is a science fiction novel by Rebecca Ore[15]
  • Anything for Billy (1988) is a fictionalized account of Billy's last year by Larry McMurtry[16]
  • The Kid (2016), a novel of Billy the Kid's life by Ron Hansen[17]
  • Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid, by Helen Airy, Sunstone Press; 1st Edition (2005), ISBN 978-0865341852. In it Billy the Kid escapes from Pat Garrett and lives out his life as John Miller[18][19]

Film

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Note that both 1911 films portrayed Billy as a girl impersonating a boy.

Music

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Stage

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Radio

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  • The first episode of the Gunsmoke radio series, broadcast on April 2, 1952 and titled "Billy the Kid", purports to tell of Billy's first murder as a runaway boy and credits Matt Dillon with giving him the "Billy the Kid" moniker.[66]
  • The CBS radio series Crime Classics told the story of Billy the Kid in its October 21, 1953 episode (#17) titled "Billy Bonney – Bloodletter". The episode featured Sam Edwards as Billy the Kid and William Conrad as Pat Garrett.[67]

Television

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Video games

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  • In the mobile game Fate/Grand Order, Billy the Kid is an Archer-class Servant who debuted as an ally in the 5th chapter of the main story.[74][75]
  • In Call of Juarez: Gunslinger Billy the Kid is one of the allies of the main character Silas Greaves and is rescued by him.[76][77]
  • In Zenless Zone Zero, Billy Kid is a playable combat android and part of the Cunning Hares faction. He was named by his previous cowboy-centric boss.[78]
  • Billy the Kid appears as the Scout for the original RED team in Team Fortress 2.[79]

References

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  1. ^ Jon Tuska (2004). David J. Wishart (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. U of Nebraska Press. p. 446. ISBN 0-8032-4787-7.
  2. ^ Margaret K. Reid (2004). Cultural Secrets as Narrative Form: Storytelling in Nineteenth-century America. Ohio State University Press. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-8142-0947-9.
  3. ^ J. Frank Dobie; John D. Young (1 August 1998). A Vaquero of the Brush Country: The Life and Times of John D. Young. University of Texas Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-292-78704-9.
  4. ^ Joseph Natoli (8 February 2007). This Is a Picture and Not the World: Movies and a Post-9/11 America. State University of New York Press. p. 233. ISBN 978-0-7914-7028-2.
  5. ^ Frederick Nolan (20 October 2014). The Billy the Kid Reader. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-8061-8254-4.
  6. ^ Stephen Tatum (1 January 1982). Inventing Billy the Kid: Visions of the Outlaw in America, 1881–1981. University of New Mexico Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-8263-0610-4.
  7. ^ Michael Wallis (2007). Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride. W.W. Norton & Company. p. xvi. ISBN 978-0-393-06068-3.
  8. ^ Christopher R. Fee, Jeffrey B. Webb, ed. (31 August 2016). American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore (3 Volumes). ABC-CLIO. pp. 145–146. ISBN 978-1-61069-568-8.
  9. ^ Richard W. Slatta (2001). The Mythical West: An Encyclopedia of Legend, Lore, and Popular Culture. ABC-CLIO. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-57607-151-9.
  10. ^ Mike Conroy (2003). 500 Great Comic Book Action Heroes. Barron's. p. 322. ISBN 978-0-7641-2581-2.
  11. ^ Jack Spicer (1959). Billy the Kid. Enkidu Surrogate. ASIN B0006DZHUY. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  12. ^ Utley, Robert M. (1989). Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-9558-8
  13. ^ Urrero Peña, Guzmán. "El bandido adolescente". Centro Virtual Cervantes (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  14. ^ Van Wart, Alice. "The Evolution of Form in Machael Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and Coming Through Slaughter". Western University. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  15. ^ Ore, Rebecca (1991). The Illegal Rebirth of Billy The Kid. Tom Doherty Associates. ISBN 978-0812506723.
  16. ^ "Anything for Billy by Larry McMurtry – Reviews, Discussions, Bookclubs, Lists". Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
  17. ^ Hagy, Alyson (November 18, 2016). "Billy the Kid: The Novel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  18. ^ Airy, Helen (1993). Whatever Happened to Billy the Kid. Sunstone Press. ISBN 0865341850.
  19. ^ "Billy the Kid – Along the Ancient Way".
  20. ^ "Billy the Kid". SilentEra.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  21. ^ THE ADVENTURES OF BILLY (1911) – Biograph, D.W. Griffith – YouTube
  22. ^ Wallis, Michael (2007). Billy the Kid: The Endless Ride. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-393-06068-3. OCLC 77270750. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  23. ^ "Billy The Kid Returns". Amazon. April 5, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  24. ^ "Billy the Kid (1941)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  25. ^ Rowan, Terry (2013). The American Western: A Complete Film Guide. Lulu.com. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-300-41858-0.
  26. ^ Boggs, Johnny D. Billy the Kid on Film, 1911–2012. McFarland
  27. ^ "The Outlaw (1943) – Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  28. ^ "Howard Hughes: The Outlaw (1943)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  29. ^ "I Shot Billy the Kid (1950)". Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  30. ^ "The Kid from Texas – Movie No. 4". audiemurphy.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  31. ^ "The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954) – Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  32. ^ "The Law vs. Billy the Kid (1954)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  33. ^ "The Left Handed Gun (1958) – Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  34. ^ "The Left Handed Gun (1958)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  35. ^ "The Boy from Oklahoma (1954)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  36. ^ "Billy the Kid vs. Dracula (1966) – Overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  37. ^ "Billy the Kid vs. Dracula". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  38. ^ "Chisum (1970)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  39. ^ "Dirty Little Billy – overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  40. ^ a b "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  41. ^ "Young Guns (1988) – overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  42. ^ Goodman, Walter (May 10, 1989). "Vidal Draws a Bead on Good-Bad Old Billy the Kid". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  43. ^ "Young Guns II (1990) – overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  44. ^ "Purgatory (1999)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  45. ^ "Requiem for Billy the Kid (2007) – overview". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  46. ^ "Birth of a Legend: Billy the Kid & the Lincoln County War (2011)". Amazon. 11 February 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  47. ^ "Vincent D'Onofrio Taps 'Valarian's Dane DeHaan to Play Billy the Kid in Suretone Western". Deadline. 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  48. ^ MacMillan, (1934), p. 137
  49. ^ MacMillan, (1938), pp. 140–141. From Jim Marby, recorded in 1911, Library of Congress E659098.
  50. ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010.
  51. ^ "Marty Robbins Billy the Kid (2:19)". Last FM. Archived from the original on May 23, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  52. ^ "Liner notes: Woody Guthrie / Buffalo Skinners: The Asch Recordings Vol 4 / Number 3: Billy the Kid" (PDF). Smithsonian Folkways. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 1, 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2010.
  53. ^ "Billy The Kid (Album Version) The Charlie Daniels Band From the Album High Lonesome". Amazon. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  54. ^ Dillon, Charlotte. "Chris LeDoux – Haywire". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  55. ^ "Joe Ely 'Me and Billy the Kid'". Amazon. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  56. ^ "Little Big Horn – Running Wild; "Billy the Kid"". Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  57. ^ "Billy The Kid". Metro Lyrics. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  58. ^ "Billy The Kid Lyrics". Metro Lyrics. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  59. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Jon Bon Jovi – Blaze of Glory". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  60. ^ 1972 Reprise K44142
  61. ^ Japan 1992 P-Vine PCD 2541
  62. ^ "Billy the Kid on stage". The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York) April 12, 1907. April 12, 1907. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
  63. ^ Walter Terry, Ballet Guide, 1976, p. 57
  64. ^ "First NYC major revival of 'The Beard' by Michael McClure". New York Theatre Wise. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  65. ^ Weeks, Jerome (January 1998). "Outlaw By Ondaatje". American Theatre. 15 (1): 12.
  66. ^ Gunsmoke radio show "Billy the Kid", first broadcast May 26, 1952
  67. ^ "The Crime Classics Radio Program". The Digital Deli. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  68. ^ Hutton, Paul Andrew (April 1, 2007). "Dreamscape Desperado: Who remembers Billy the Kid? – "Cinematic Excess"". True West Magazine. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  69. ^ "The Tall Man – NBC (ended 1962)". TV.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  70. ^ "The Kid from Hell's Kitchen". TV.com. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  71. ^ "The Time Tunnel (TV show) – Season 1, Episode 22 Billy the Kid". TV Guide. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2016.
  72. ^ "Video: Billy the Kid – Watch American Experience Online". PBS Video. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  73. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 4, 2021). "'Billy the Kid' Series From Michael Hirst Ordered By Epix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  74. ^ Dennison, Kara (March 8, 2018). ""Fate/Grand Order" Explores Early America in Fifth Singularity". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  75. ^ Green, Scott (March 9, 2017). "Hold Onto Your Breastplate, A Male King Arthur Has Joined "Fate/Grand Order"". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  76. ^ Savage, Phil (March 7, 2013). "Call of Juarez: Gunslinger teaser shows the Wild West's reflective side". PC Gamer. Future US, Inc. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  77. ^ Rath, Robert (July 25, 2013). "History and Legend in Call of Juarez: Gunslinger". Escapist Magazine. Defy Media, LLC. Archived from the original on March 11, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  78. ^ 1080p Robo Rodeo | Zenless Zone Zero Billy Character Teaser, miHoYo, November 18, 2023, retrieved February 2, 2024
  79. ^ "Non-Player Characters on the Team Fortress 2 Wiki".
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