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