List of works about Billy the Kid

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The True Life of Billy the Kid first appeared in print in August 1881 The True Life of Billy the Kid (1881) cover (1945 reprint).jpg
The True Life of Billy the Kid first appeared in print in August 1881

Hundreds of songs, books, motion pictures, radio and television programs, and plays have been inspired by the story of the outlaw Billy the Kid. [1] Depictions of him in popular culture have fluctuated between a cold-blooded murderer without a heart and a sentimental hero fighting for justice. [2] The Texas historian, J. Frank Dobie, wrote many years ago in A Vaquero of the Brush Country (1929): "...Billy the Kid will always be interesting, will always appeal to the popular imagination". [3] While a plethora of writers and filmmakers have depicted Billy the Kid as the personification of either heroic youth or juvenile punk, [4] a few have attempted to portray a more complex character. [5] In any case, the dramatic aspects of his short life and violent death still appeal to popular taste, [6] and he remains an icon of teenage rebellion and nonconformity. [7] The mythologizing of his story continues with new works in various media. [8] [9]

Contents

Comics

Billy the Kid #9 (Nov. 1957). BillyTheKidNo9.png
Billy the Kid #9 (Nov. 1957).

Literature

Film

Note that both 1911 films portrayed Billy as a girl impersonating a boy.

Music

Stage

Radio

Television

Video games

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<i>Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid</i> 1973 film by Sam Peckinpah

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<i>Billy the Kid</i> (1930 film) 1930 film by King Vidor

Billy the Kid is a 1930 American pre-Code Western film directed in widescreen by King Vidor about the relationship between frontier outlaw Billy the Kid and lawman Pat Garrett. In February 2020, the film was shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, as part of a retrospective dedicated to King Vidor's career.

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<i>The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems</i> 1970 verse novel by Michael Ondaatje

The Collected Works of Billy the Kid: Left-Handed Poems is a verse novel by Michael Ondaatje, published in 1970. It chronicles and interprets important events in the life of William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid, and his conflict with Sheriff Pat Garrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legend of Billy the Kid</span>

The legend of Billy the Kid has acquired iconic status in American folklore. More has been written about Billy the Kid than any other gunslinger in the history of the American Old West, while hundreds of books, motion pictures, radio and television programs and even a ballet have been inspired by his legend. Despite his enduring reputation, the outlaw himself, also known as William Bonney, had minimal impact on historical events in New Mexico Territory of the late 19th century.

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