Bronco Billy

Starring:Pam Abas, Walter Barnes, Sam Bottoms, Eyde Byrde, Douglas Copsey, Scatman Crothers, John Wesley Elliott Jr., Chuck Hicks, Robert F. Hoy, Geoffrey Lewis, Sondra Locke, Doug McGrath, Bill McKinney, Beverlee McKinsey, Woodrow Parfrey, Sierra Pecheur, William Prince, Dan Vadis, Hank Worden
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

Clint Eastwood tried to get mellow--and/or funny--with a series of films in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bronco Billy works better than most (certainly better than those monkey movies he made), though it's far from perfect. Still, there's something charming about Eastwood as a cowboy wannabe who runs his own version of a Wild West show in modern times. The show is ragged and his sharp-shooting skills are suspect, but he's having fun. At least until a runaway heiress (Sondra Locke) joins his second-rate band of buddies and proves to be both a divisive and jeopardizing force and who ultimately forces Eastwood to admit to his New Jersey roots. Eastwood is nice in a relaxed mood, but one wonders (as he must at this point) what he saw in Locke. --Marshall Fine

Description

An heiress flees from her ill-advised wedding and joins a ragtag Wild West show run by a self-made matinee cowboy hero.

Customer Reviews:

A charming film, though a little too much corn, but I can forgive that..........2007-06-24

This film is quite corny at times, but it's sincere, and that makes up for a lot of the corn. Clint (who also directs) plays a cowboy in charge of an old fashioned, travelling rodeo show. He has a bunch of rag tag people in his company, but they have a deep sense of community, and they do care for each other. Billy ends up in many jams in this film, but his "family" stick it out, with a little help from the people around the country that Bronco Billy has performed for before. They even take in a rich "b**tch" character (played by Sondra Locke, then Clint's girlfriend), and she's a bit much at times, but she isn't nearly as bad as others have said she is. The film is shot on location in the upper Northeast (specifically Idaho), and it really enhances the film. There isn't a trace of "irony" or any smugnes here. The song over the end credits is really cheesy, but the film itself is nicely done.

I really wanted to see Beverlee McKinsey!.......2006-06-06

Since daytime actress Beverlee McKinsey has left daytime in 1992, I needed to get my Beverlee fix. She appears briefly in this film as the wicked stepmother of course to Sondra Locke's character. She has a few scenes but other than that I didn't care for the movie in general. Beverlee has a lot of fans who want to see more of her but she is a reclusive retiree in Southern California of all places where the film, television, and theatre industry could use her nowadays.

Saddle Up Partners............2003-08-13

This review refers to the DVD edition(Warner Bros) of "Bronco Billy".....

Watching this wonderful film you will come to realize that this was a labor of love for Clint Eastwood, who directs as well as stars. He had something to say and said it with this story.It is many things. It is entertaining, amusing, inspiring and poignant. The message is clear. You can do what you want to do, be what you want to be.

Eastwood gathers all the usual suspects together and casts them as a group a misfits who all have a special role as part of "Bronco's Billy's Wild West Show", a modern day attempt to bring the wild west back into the hearts of all the "young partners out there". Of course Eastwood is "Bronco Billy", the rootin tootin sharpshooter who runs the show. His problem (besides never having any money to pay the crew) is holding on to a good assistant. Enter one Miss Antoinette Lilly(Sondra Locke). A snobby, wealthy heiress that has just been deserted by her new husband, in the middle of nowhere and she is presumed dead. She reluctantly becomes Bronco Billy's new assistant and learns the hard way, that there is more to life than money.

It a great story and an inspiring one also.It makes you want to follow your dreams. Most of the actors are recognizably some of Clint's favorites. They have been in many of his other films like "Outlaw Josey Wales","The Gauntlet", and "Pink Cadillac" to name a few, often working together and they do this well. The cast includes Geoffrey Lewis,Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers and William Prince. It has a great soundtrack and score, with music by Steve Dorff. Also watch for a cameo performance by Merle Haggard as our bar room buddies brawl in the neighborhood saloon.

The DVD is not the best transfer I have seen. This film from 1980 appeared a little washed out, and the colors seemed somewhat dated.(Nothing to take away from the enjoyment of the film though.)It may be viewed in widescreen or the standard format. The sound was good in Dolby Dig Surround Stereo(but could be really great in 5.1). There are subtitles in English and French. Warner brothers...this one is really in need of a remastered Special Edition. (Of course, I always feel that Eastwood films should be given special treatment)

Rated PG, it's one for the family but there are some adult situations that border on PG13.

So saddle up partners and enjoy this ride. It's rootin tootin fun....Happy trails....Laurie

adaveen76.......2003-03-30

Unfortunately a lot of people don't "get" this movie. WHat's really unfortunate is that they have absolutely no sense of irony. This movie shows the Duke in an amazingly touching and funny way. It deconstructs in a hilarious and sentimental way the American cowboy and indian fantasy. On top of that the sound track rocks.

One of Eastwood's Worst Movies..........2002-12-23

The thought of a lord trying to be funny, is ludicrous, but Clint Eastwood did it. "Bronco Billy" is the best shot in the West, so he says. Watch him shoot plates being tossed up into the air. It's pure ability. Yes! I liked watching Billy jump from side-to-side of a galloping horse. It was almost comical. Good thing there was a bar fight in this movie, it was enjoyable. Why did that noisy blonde woman have to join the show? Those poor people who actually paid money for an already bad Wild West Show had to also listen to her? A lord does make a mistake here and there, Schwarzenegger with "Junior" and Eastwood with this. Oh well. But, as long as Clyde, the monkey, didn't show up, this movie would've been a complete nightmare.

The Clint Eastwood Collection (In the Line of Fire/Unforgiven/Bronco Billy/Dirty Harry/The Outlaw Josey Wales/The Beguiled)

Average customer rating:

6 Clint Films, 5 star selection...But...Not a Big Bargain
Among Eastwood's Best
why all the good movies were taken out?
MAKE MY DAY!
Poor selection to represent Eastwood

The Clint Eastwood Collection (In the Line of Fire/Unforgiven/Bronco Billy/Dirty Harry/The Outlaw Josey Wales/The Beguiled)
Starring: Clint Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Hang 'em High
Pale Rider
Two Mules For Sister Sara
The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For A Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)
High Plains Drifter

ASIN: B00004VVN5
Release Date: 2000-08-01

Amazon.com

As both an actor and a director, Clint Eastwood has had a string of unparalleled critical and commercial successes, from his trademark Westerns to the Dirty Harry action films. This set of six Eastwood films captures the actor as both cowboy and cop, from the 1970s to the '90s. Eastwood ventured into new territory with 1971's The Beguiled, a creepy and seductive thriller about an injured Civil War soldier who causes strife at an all-girls school. While there, he tempts an innocent girl (Elizabeth Hartman), and engages in an unnerving battle of the minds with the school headmistress (Geraldine Page, at her tortured best). The same year, Eastwood burst onto screens with Dirty Harry. This action blockbuster introduced the world to Harry Callahan while making waves with its aggressive violence and nonstop thrills. Eastwood himself helmed the vigilante Western The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) as well as the comedy Bronco Billy (1980), which films show Eastwood at different ends of the cowboy spectrum: a vengeful family man seeking revenge and an amiable traveling showman who runs a Wild West extravaganza, respectively.

With his Oscar-winning film Unforgiven, Eastwood showed himself as the master of the revisionist Western, crafting a morally complex tale of Western justice that turns the notion of good guys and bad guys on its head. And he proved he still had star status with the thriller In the Line of Fire, playing an aging FBI agent who takes on a cunning psycho (John Malkovich) determined to assassinate the president. While this selection doesn't feature any Sergio Leone Westerns or Eastwood's later acclaimed dramas, it remains a great snapshot of a long and illustrious career. --Mark Englehart

Description

This collection of six DVDs includes The Beguiled, Bronco Billy, Dirty Harry, In the Line of Fire, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Unforgiven.

Customer Reviews:

6 Clint Films, 5 star selection...But...Not a Big Bargain.......2005-05-29

Spanning 23 years of Eastwood's brilliant career as both an actor and director, this 6 film set is a fabulous representation of his work. If you are a big Eastwood fan though, you probably have most of these films in your collection by now. Even if you don't, I did the Math on the current prices of the individual fims, and there is no break for buying them in this set. Prices change though, so you should check it out if you are considering this at a much later date then this review. So if you don't own any of these already, or are thinking about this set as a gift, you may want to check the prices of the outside sellers, you would only have to pay the shipping fee for once.

Here is a recap of the films, and by the way, I own all of these, and each one has been given excellent treatment in the transfers, even the one's from the 70's look and sound great.
Please note that "Unforgiven" is the single disc edition(there is also a 2 disc edition available).

"In The Line Of Fire"
If he had moved a fraction of a second sooner he may have saved his beloved president Kennedy. But at what cost to him? He is Frank Horrigan(Eastwood), an aging Secret Service Agent, trained to do whatever it takes to protect the President of the United States. Now he has a chance to redeem himself in his own eyes.

A psychotic, but very clever, would be presidental assassin is on the loose. He calls himself Booth(Malkovich). He taunts Horrigan about the day Kennedy was shot. Lets him know that he intends to assassinate the president,even if it means dieing himself, and taking Frank with him.

Frank does everything he can to track down this killer and save the president. Most of the other agents feel Frank is too old to keep up the pace of the Presidental Campaign trail,but he feels he must persue this case.A deadly cat and mouse game ensues, and we are kept on the edge of our seats throughout the movie,waiting to see what Booth's next move will be, and if Horrigan will be a part of it. It's thrilling and chilling.
Eastwood as always gives a brilliant performance as the aging agent,and Malkovich is outstanding as the mysterious, chilling assassin. Also contributing greatly to the film are Rene Russo, as the field agent Horrigan takes a shine to and Dylan McDermott as his young partner, and we all know by now that it is not healthy to be Clint's partner in any film! Directed by the great Wolfgang Petersen( Das Boot, Air Force One), and scored by Ennio Morricone, you wont want to miss this thrill ride.

"Unforgiven"
This may well be the greatest of Clint Eastwood's works. It recieved four Academy Awards including Best Picture(1992) and Best Director.

The story revolves around a group of prostitutes living in the little western town of Big Whiskey. They are appalled that the town Sherriff does little in the way of punishing a customer that has cut up the face of one of the girls. They put up their own reward to any man who kills the offender(and his partner). Word of the crime(albeit exaggerated)and the reward spreads through the west and brings to town an array of killers.The tension grows throught the film as the Sherriff and his men brutalize these predators. Clint is magnificent as an ex-killer, turned pig farmer, who's character builds back up to one bad hombre. The story is filled with characters who are sinners and saints(mostly sinners), and will grab you with performances by Gene Hackman Morgan Freeman and Ricahrd Harris.

"Bronco Billy"

Watching this wonderful film you will come to realize that this was a labor of love for Clint Eastwood, who directs as well as stars. He had something to say and said it with this story.It is many things. It is entertaining, amusing, inspiring and poignant. The message is clear. You can do what you want to do, be what you want to be.

Eastwood gathers all the usual suspects together and casts them as a group a misfits who all have a special role as part of "Bronco's Billy's Wild West Show", a modern day attempt to bring the wild west back into the hearts of all the "young partners out there". Of course Eastwood is "Bronco Billy", the rootin tootin sharpshooter who runs the show. His problem (besides never having any money to pay the crew) is holding on to a good assistant. Enter one Miss Antoinette Lilly(Sondra Locke). A snobby, wealthy heiress that has just been deserted by her new husband, in the middle of nowhere and she is presumed dead. She reluctantly becomes Bronco Billy's new assistant and learns the hard way, that there is more to life than money.

It a great story and an inspiring one also.It makes you want to follow your dreams. Most of the actors are recognizably some of Clint's favorites, often working together and they do this well. The cast includes Geoffrey Lewis,Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers and William Prince. It has a great soundtrack and score, with music by Steve Dorff. Also watch for a cameo performance by Merle Haggard as our bar room buddies brawl in the neighborhood saloon.

"Dirty Harry"
In 1971 Clint Eastwood made a big move and switched genres from Westerns to make this unique cop story. And what a story! "Dirty Harry" soon became a household name along with all the famous lines that came from this first in the series. "Do you feel lucky? Well do ya Punk?" "This is a .44 magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world. It'll blow your head clean off."
I Love that stuff,(can't ya just hear Clint saying that), and the taunting look he gives the recievers off these lines.

Inspector Harry Callahan, a loner, widowed due to a drunk driver,has no qualms about sidestepping the law to apprehend a criminal.He's frustrated and fed up with murderers and rapists getting away because of some pesky problem like reading Miranda Rights! He does it his way. Audiences cheered this at the time, and he became an icon for cop movies yet to come.

Okay so in this first of the Dirty Harry series, Harry is after a demented sniper.Scorpio(Andrew Robinson), as he calls himself, shoots his victims from the roof tops in San Francisco, (Based on the real life Zodiac Killer that was loose at the time), and has kidnapped and buried alive a 14 year old girl.Harry must deliver his ransom demand to this psycho before he kills again or lets the girl die.Harry is forced to go by the book, but alas things go wrong in the legal department and Harry decides it time to play it his way. He goes after this madman with a vengeance.

The Outlaw Josey Wales"
Josey Wales is another of Clint's Eastwood's bigger than life Western characters that you won't soon forget.Josey though, is not like the others that preceeded him. It becomes apparent throughout this film, that this tough loner, on the run from murderers, has a heart the size of Texas.(And of course in this one we DO know his name!).
Eastwood also does an artful job of directing this tale, that has everthing from action to romance, and even a little comedy.

The end of the civil war is nearing. The northern soldiers though, won't let up. The "Red Legs" as some of these notorious war criminals are called are still pillaging,and plundering the homesteads in the territory and...killing the families.Wales is a victim of these brutal attacks, his house burned to the ground and his wife and son viciously attacked and murdered. He joins up with a group of others who are out to avenge their families and they become a notorious group. When they are offered a deal at the end of the war, they all turn themselves in..all but one...Josey Wales!

Ride with Josey(everyone else does) across the beautiful western vistas, as he takes on the "Red Legs" that are after him, saves a family from "Commancheros", makes friends with the Indians, and wears his heart on his sleeve as along the way he seems to attract a group of outcasts, including a dog, that he just can't leave behind.

Clint surrounds himself with the most marvelous cast, including Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, John Vernon and Chief Dan George who provides many of the lighter moments in this action packed western.

"The Beguiled"
Think of Eastwood, and you think of his cool, tough characters.Harry Callahan, Josey Wales, and The Man With No Name, are the first we envision. Cpl. John McBurney is probably not at the top of that list. Yet, this is a film in which Clint really shines, and one that will hold you from start to finish with it's superb Direction by Don Siegal("Dirty Harry"/"Two Mules For Sister Sara").

The rest of the cast is also outstanding in this psychological drama set in the south during the civil war. Cpl. McBurney(Eastwood) is an injured Union soldier, discovered and nursed back to health by the residents of an all girls school.The first impulse of the Head Mistress, Miss Farnsworth(Geraldine Page) was to turn him over to the Confederate Army, but Mr. McBee, as they have so affectionately come to call him, has charmed nearly all the members of the household from Miss Farnsworth, to the 12 year old Amy(played brillantly by Pamelyn Ferdin),leading each to believe that they are the one he loves. As each disovers the truth, they begin some mind games of their own. Has Clint finally met his match in this tale of jealousy and revenge. Find out in this very different film for Clint...no guns or badges to get him through this one.

The cast includes Elizabeth Hartman, Jo Ann Harris and Melody Thomas(Scott). The film is not one his better known blockbusters, but a must have for any respectable Eastwood collection, and I'm glad they included it in this set.

6 Films, Action, Romance, Thrills and Chills, a little comedy and CLINT! What more can a person ask for?..maybe a better price for buying them in bulk? 5 stars for the selection and DVD quality, 4 stars for the package deal...Laurie

Among Eastwood's Best.......2002-08-13

I can't quite decipher the complaints about this set. Some of Eastwood's greatest movies are collected here, or at least some of his most interesting. "In the Line of Fire" and "Dirty Harry" are considered classics of their kind. "Bronco Billy" is an oddity, sure, but one of Eastwood's most unusal, and sweetest, films. "The Beguiled" is a fascinating Gothic mood piece, almost a Tennessee Williams exercise about sexual repression and jealousy, set in a most unlikely time and place. "Unforgiven" is one of a tiny handful of truly great American films released during the past 15 years, and perhaps the most potent examination of violence since "The Wild Bunch." And "The Outlaw - Josey Wales" may just be Eastwood's best film. It's got an epic sweep, wonderful characters, terrific performances, and shows an almost incredible grasp of the camera for a man who, at the time (1976) had only directed a couple of movies.

why all the good movies were taken out?.......2001-10-19

I like Clint Eastwood both as an actor and as a director. Collection presented in this box set only touches his real genius. This is a great way to make you buy the movies that you really don't want to own. I'm more of his western part fan and I would prefer to see more such movies put in (accutally it does exists as a separate set). But if you are die hard Clint fan you would have to buy the unwanted movies anyhow so it's all good. Good set, nicely done with many options. Before you buy it just make sure that you really like all the movies.

MAKE MY DAY!.......2000-09-01

Clint Eastwood has a wide range of acting capability. IN this collection which includes: The Beguiled, Bronco Billy, Dirty Harry, In the Line of Fire, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Unforgiven many of those abilities are represented. To answer comments below, I see Hang Ém High and many other of Clint's westerns on TBS - - they love them too. But this collection has ones that are not commonly seen: The Beguiled - - is a wonderful eerie western. Bronco Billy - - Clint with a sense of humor and circus entertainment. Dirty Harry - - the odes of a 44. magnum. In the Line of Fire -- great flick with John Malcavich playing a presidential assasin and Eastwood a special agent guarding the president. UNFORGIVEN - - a retired gunslinger is called upon to target two men who slashed a woman. It's not comedy but great story: Gene Hackman plays a proud sherrif. Great cast! Terrific collection.

Poor selection to represent Eastwood.......2000-08-18

This selection of 6 DVDs, The Beguiled, Bronco Billy, Dirty Harry, In the Line of Fire, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Unforgiven, is a poor sampling of his work. Hang'm High would've better represented his earlier work. Bronco Billy is one of his worst films! Any Which Way But Loose would've been a far superior choice. The others are good works, but I will avoid this collection in preference of buying my favorite individual titles.