Billy the Kid (1989 film)

*Billy the Kid*
Billy the Kid
Genre	Western
Written by	Gore Vidal
Directed by	William Graham
Starring	Val Kilmer; Duncan Regehr; Wilford Brimley; Julie Carmen
Music by	Laurence Rosenthal
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Robert M. Sertner; Frank von Zerneck
Production locations	Tucson, Arizona; Sonoran Desert; Sierrita Mountains; Sedona, Arizona; Continental, Arizona; Cascabel, Arizona; White Mountains; Sabino Canyon; Mescal, Arizona; Redington, Arizona; Mt. Lemmon; San Pedro River
Cinematography	Dennis C. Lewiston
Editor	William B. Stich
Running time	96 minutes
Original release
Network	TNT
Release	May 10, 1989

Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid, also known as Billy the Kid, is a 1989 American western television film about famed gunman Billy the Kid. It aired on TNT cable channel on May 10, 1989.^[1]

Written by Gore Vidal and directed by William A. Graham, with Val Kilmer starring in the lead role of William Bonney a.k.a. Billy the Kid, and with a supporting cast including Wilford Brimley, John O'Hurley, Duncan Regehr, and Ned Vaughn.

Cast

Val Kilmer as Billy the Kid (William Bonney)
Duncan Regehr as Pat Garrett
Wilford Brimley as Gov. Lew Wallace
Julie Carmen as Celsa
Albert Salmi as Mr. Maxwell
Ned Vaughn as Charlie
Ric San Nicholas as Bell
Gore Vidal as Preacher (uncredited)
René Auberjonois as Tunstall's cousin (uncredited)
John O'Hurley as Dolan
Michael Parks as Rynerson
Burr Steers as Billy Henchman
Tiny Wells as Cowman
Red West as Joe Grant

Production

Vidal said in his memoirs that he had written the original teleplay for The Left Handed Gun, starring Paul Newman as Billy the Kid, decades earlier, and always felt the studio had butchered the material when his television play was used as the basis for a theatrical movie, so he wanted to return to the story for a more accurate rendition. At the time of his original teleplay with Newman, it was thought that the real Billy was left handed. This was based on a photo of Billy that had been inadvertently flipped when printed. Years later, the error was discovered—Billy was right handed.