
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
1972, Comedy/Western, 2h
10 Reviews 2,500+ RatingsYou might also like
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Cast & Crew
Judge Roy Bean
Maria Elena
Reverend LaSalle
Rose Bean
Lily Langtry
Sam Dodd
Critic Reviews for The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
All Critics (10) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (8) | Rotten (2)
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The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean sets out to be an elegy to the passing of the Old West, and ends up being an elegy to the passing of bad manners.
October 23, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review… -
It's all very movie-movie, with even that happy ending we schmaltz-lovers love so well.
June 11, 2020 | Full Review… -
Above all, a self-assured Paul Newman stands out, offering a whole recital full of very funny and very emotional moments. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 16, 2020 | Full Review… -
This ragged film never amounts to much, but it's at least consistent in its eccentricities.
July 30, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review… -
Milius' screenplay is acridly flavorful, Huston gives it a mellow reading
September 25, 2009 | Full Review… -
Quote not available.
February 18, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Audience Reviews for The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
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Feb 09, 2019John Huston and Paul Newman, et al, team-up to relate the story about Texas' infamous hanging judge. Well, that's the idea. What we get instead is sort of a barroom myth ala Paul Bunyan, that leans into cuddly sentimentality a shade too much. Despite the heavy hitters, this one is forgettable.Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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May 01, 2010At the start of "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," the title character(Paul Newman) is not yet a member of the legal profession. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he is an outlaw in the badlands west of the Pecos, intent on bragging, drinking and whoring but is instead savagely beaten and left for dead. However, Marie Elena(Victoria Principal) takes pity on him, nurses him back to health and gives him a gun. After Bean gets his revenge on all concerned, Reverend LaSalle(Anthony Perkins) comes along to give some advice and help bury the bodies. Bean decides to take up being the law of the land with help from some incompetent criminals who make betters marshals. Written by John Milius, directed by John Huston and performed by an eclectic cast(wait until you see Stacy Keach), "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" is a mischievous and irreverent western. By going a different route, the movie gets quite a lot right in how the west was won, going from lawlessness to legal brutality to respectability, as Judge Roy Bean helps make Texas safe for normal people. At the same time, the movie gives a very good idea about the kind of people who moved west to make a new life for themselves, many of them outcasts.Walter M Super Reviewer
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Jan 04, 2010Really entertaining film and it owes a lot to what I think is one of Paul Newman's best performances. I enjoyed the film and it's funny watching this and realizing what a pot head John Huston was. The film looks gorgeous and it's both hilarious and sad at the same time. I don't know why, but the ending got to me even though the whole idea is bat shit crazy. Great cast.Tim S Super Reviewer
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Jul 02, 2007If for the crazy Albino alone...this movie is fan-fuck'n-tasticKen S Super Reviewer
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