Bronco Billy

Director: Clint Eastwood Clint Eastwood

Overview

Bronco Billy stars Clint Eastwood (who also directed) as the impresario of a seedy wild west show. Going along for the ride is spoiled socialite Sondra Locke, who is "initiated" by being pressed into service as the wrong end of a knife-throwing act. The rest of the troupe, like Eastwood himself, are losers in life who yearn for the freedom and opportunity of the long-gone Old West. Despite its raucous ad campaign, Bronco Billy is at base a wistful character study, avoiding the usual trappings of car chases and redneck villains and offering quiet chuckles instead of belly laughs. Unfortunately it failed to click with the public, compelling Eastwood to temporarily return to his old crash-bang-pow formula in his next few films.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/01/2010
UPC:	0883929107780
Original Release:	1980
Rating:	PG
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	28,716

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Clint Eastwood	Bronco Billy
Sondra Locke	Antoinette Lily
Geoffrey Lewis	John Arlington
Scatman Crothers	Doc Lynch
Bill McKinney	Lefty LeBow
Sam Bottoms	Leonard James,Leonard James
Dan Vadis	Chief Big Eagle
Sierra Pecheur	Lorraine Running Water
Walter Barnes	Sheriff Dix
Woodrow Parfrey	Dr. Canterbury
Beverlee McKinsey	Irene Lily
Doug McGrath	Lt. Wiecker(as Douglas McGrath)
Hank Worden	Station Mechanic
William Prince	Edgar Lipton
Eyde Byrde	Maid Eloise(as Edye Byrde)
John Wesley Elliott Jr.	Sanatorium Attendant
Chuck Hicks	Cowboy at Bar
Bob Hoy	Cowboy at Bar(as Bobby Hoy)
Jefferson Jewell	Boy at Bank
Pam Abbas	Mother Superior
Douglas Copsey	Reporter at Bank
Jenny Sternling	Reporter at Sanitorium
Chuck Waters	Bank Robber
Steve Dorff	Conductor,Composer
Snuff Garrett	Composer

Technical Credits

Clint Eastwood	Director
Robert Daley	Executive Producer,Producer
Neal H. Dobrofsky	Producer
Dennis Hackin	Producer
Fritz Manes	Producer
Bert Hallberg	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Clint Eastwood's assured helmsmanship of this sweet and gentle comedy marks a change in direction and image for the former Dirty Harry. While Bronco Billy occasionally suffers from ingratiating lapses of tone, Eastwood's rock solid presence both before and behind the camera keeps the film from losing its focus. The aging and shabby Bronco Billy's fading success presages the impending death of the Western genre itself, which gave Eastwood his youthful employment and fame; hence, the film acts as a funhouse mirror, held up by a wry filmmaker delighting in making ironic commentary on his image and fame. Contrastingly, the film's sweetly nostalgic tone also conveys Eastwood's deep love of the Wild West and the simple values of the old-fashioned cowboy characters who fantasize about inhabiting it. Sondra Locke's shrieking debutant character provides comic and dramatic contrast to the genuinely folksy figures of the Bronco Billy show, allowing Eastwood to poke fun at the privileged, silver-spoon class who seem consistently immune to the charms of his blue collar (and occasionally red necked) efforts.