Double Feature: Santa Fe Trail / The Outlaw: EastWestDVD strikes again with a new batch of double feature discs showing up at my local Yankee One Dollar store. I, of course, had to pick up a bunch of them and while I mostly bought Kung Fu releases, this disc caught my attention as a chance to finally see, The Outlaw. I already have a dollar version of Santa Fe Trail, so I skipped over that and started straight in with The Outlaw.

The Outlaw was made in 1941 and instantly had its now infamous run ins with the Hays office. Due to this controversy it was shelved for a few years and never saw a general release until 1946. Basically the controversy was around the fact that several characters commit sins which are never punished and it is implied that unmarried people have sex. Of course what most people remember was the huge controversy over Jane Russell's mammaries. Even today when one Googles Jane Russel we get images from this film.

With me being an avid lover of fine breasts, I naturally had to see what the big deal was. While Jane looks fantastic in this movie, her acting is a bit weak. Of course, just about everyone in this film, save for Thomas Mitchell, gives the impression that they can't act their way out of a wet paper bag. Also, for all the hype and controversy, the amount of cleavage shown is far less than extreme. I think Gone with the Wind showed more and dealt with more "adult" topics than this.

The Outlaw remains a part of Hollywood legend and is perhaps remembered for more than it should be. It is not a good movie by a long stretch and I can only recommend it to those who are curious at seeing a bit of history on film. Of course by history I mean the whole Jane Russell thing. The whole Doc Holliday, Pat Garrett, Billy the Kind story was so phony bologna that it was almost a pain to anyone who ever read three sentences about any of them.

Labels: Dollar DVD