Dirty Little Billy

"Billy the Kid was a punk."

1972 1h 33m EN

😐

5.1

MID

★5.1TMDB · 14

Western

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Clearly influenced by the darker, more sinister style of spaghetti westerns, Dirty Little Billy offers a unique insight into the beginnings of the notorious outlaw Billy The Kid.

“Billy the Kid was a punk.”

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Cast

Michael J. Pollard
Billy Bonney
Richard Evans
Goldie
Lee Purcell
Berle
Charles Aidman
Ben Antrim
Dran Hamilton
Catherine McCarty
Willard Sage
Henry McCarty
Mills Watson
Ed
Alex Wilson
Len

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Stan Dragoti
Writers: Charles Moss, Charles Moss, Stan Dragoti
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Stan Dragoti, shot by Ralph Woolsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Sascha Burland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor David Wages shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael J. Pollard and Richard Evans and Lee Purcell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Billy the Kid was a punk.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0068487 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Stan Dragoti directs. Ralph Woolsey behind the camera. Sascha Burland scores. David Wages cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

154 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Stan Dragoti, shot by Ralph Woolsey. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Sascha Burland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor David Wages shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Michael J. Pollard and Richard Evans and Lee Purcell carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Billy the Kid was a punk.".
7IMDB entry: tt0068487 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ralph Woolsey
Original score: Sascha Burland
Editing: David Wages
Makeup / hair: Janice Brunson
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Dirty Little Billy (1972)

Also by

Stan Dragoti

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2018-07-22
★ 5/10
Pre fame mud and rags telling of Billy The Kid. Directed by Stan Dragoti, co-written by Dragoti and Charles Moss, and starring Michael J. Pollard, Richard Evans and Lee Purcell. Music is by Sascha Burland and cinematography by Ralph Woolsey. Dirty Little Billy firmly de-glamourises the Billy The Kid legend, well sort of. This is a portrayal of the infamous outlaw before he became just that. Film is telling of what he was before he made his first kill, his weak standing in society, his turbulent family life, and is tentative steps to making friends - where he is clingy extreme. The backdrop is one of mud and rags, there is no showy Wild West here, it very much operates as an Anti-Western, an independent picture firmly offering up a flip side to some of the legends printed as fact. Technically it is just ok, where things are strongly hindered by Pollard simply being too old. Asking a 33 year old man to play a teenager is a stretch, it is with much credit that Pollard gives it his all and nails at the least the village idiot side of Billy pre his fame. Not a hidden gem by any stretch of the imagination, it does however show up a side to Billy The Kid not often told in the history of film and literature. Worth seeking out for that point of reference, but as entertainment or a viable Western film of note? I'm not sure. 5/10