"Young Billy Young" is the kind of film of which it can be said,
"They don't make 'em like that anymore". Not because the movie is so
exceptional. In fact, it isn't exceptional on any level whatsoever.
Rather, it's the sheer ordinariness of the entire production that makes
one pine away for an era in which top talent could be attracted to
enjoyable, if unremarkable, fare such as this. Such films, especially
Westerns, were churned out with workmanlike professionalism to play to
undemanding audiences that didn't require mega-budget blockbusters to
feel they got their money's worth at the boxoffice. Sadly, such movies
have largely gone the way of the dodo bird. In today's film industry,
bigger must always be better and mid-range flicks such as are no longer
made. However, through home video releases such as Kino Lorber's Blu-ray
of "Young Billy Young" and streaming services such as Amazon Prime, it's possible to still enjoy the simple
pleasures that such movies provide.
The story opens with botched robbery in Mexico committed by Billy
Young (Robert Walker) and some cohorts including Jesse (David
Carradine). The plan to steal horses from the Mexican military goes awry
and Billy is forced to split from his fellow robbers with the army in
hot pursuit. Making his way back across the border to New Mexico, he is
penniless and desperate. He has a chance encounter with Ben Kane (Robert
Mitchum), a tough, sarcastic older man who he encounters again in a
nearby town. Here, Billy is being cheated at cards by the local sheriff,
who goads him into a gunfight. Billy ends up killing him but stands to
be framed for the sheriff's death. He's saved by Ben, who rides along
with him to another town where Ben has agreed to take on the job of
lawman. Ostensibly he is there to keep order and collect back taxes from
deadbeats but in reality, he is on a mission of revenge. Some years
before, Ben's son had been gunned down by a criminal named Boone (John
Anderson) and Kane has learned that Boone is a presence in the new town
and that he is being protected by a local corrupt businessman, John
Behan (Jack Kelly). Ben makes his presence known immediately by
enforcing the law in a strict manner. He's confronted by Behan, who
tries to intimidate him. This results in Behan being slapped around by
Kane. Behan also grows to resent the new lawman because he is flirting
with his mistress, saloon entertainer Lily Beloit (Angie Dickinson).
When Behan abuses her as punishment, he gets another beating from Kane.
Meanwhile, Billy runs into Jesse and accuses him of having deserted him
in Mexico. The two men fight it out and Jesse is later involved with the
accidental shooting of the town's beloved doctor while in the employ of
Behan. Kane learns that Jesse is Boone's son and holds him in jail as
bait for Boone to come out of hiding. The plan works all too well. Boone
turns up with a small army and lays siege to the jailhouse where Kane
and Billy are holed up.
"Young Billy Young" was compared to a TV show by New York Times critic
Howard Thompson on the basis that it contains so many standard elements
of westerns from this time period. There is the bad girl with the heart
of gold, the evil business tycoon, the brash young gun and his wiser,
older mentor, the heroes outnumbered by superior forces and a lovable
old coot (played against type by Paul Fix in full Walter Brennan/Gabby
Hayes mode.) Yet somehow it all works very well, thanks mostly to Robert
Mitchum's stalwart presence. With his trademark ramrod stiff walk and
cool persona, Mitchum tosses off bon mots like a frontier version
of 007. Even the Times acknowledged that "Mitchum can do laconic
wonders with a good wise-crack". He has considerable chemistry with
Dickinson, though the action between the sheets is more implied than
shown. Robert Walker Jr. acquits himself well in the title role and
David Carradine makes an impression even with limited screen time. The
film was directed by Burt Kennedy, an old hand at directing fine
westerns in reliable, if not remarkable, style and it all culminates in a
rip-snorting shoot-out that is genuinely exciting. The fine supporting
cast includes Willis Bouchey, Parley Baer and Deanna Martin (Dino's
daughter) in her acting debut. One oddball element to the film: Mitchum
croons the title song over the opening credits. If this sounds strange,
keep in mind that Mitchum improbably once had a hit album of calypso
music.