The initial six star Bob Steele as Billy the Kid who left PRC to return to Republic Pictures. The next thirteen star Buster Crabbe as Billy the Kid, and the following 23 feature Crabbe as the same character, renamed "Billy Carson". All 42 films in the series are directed by Sam Newfield, "America's most prolific sound film director",[1] sometimes under pseudonyms. All films feature Al St. John as Billy's sidekick "Fuzzy" Jones; St. John also played the same character as the sidekick in the Lone Rider series from 1941-1943.[2]Carleton Young also played Billy's friend Jeff Travis in the first five movies.[3]
The films were shot in 10 or 12 days each, with an average cost of $25,000 a film.[4]