Excellent but underrated film

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Released in 1969, "Young Billy Young" tells the story of Lordsburg, Arizona, where a new lawman comes to town (Robert Mitchum). He takes to a foolish young gun (Robert Walker Jr.) because he reminds him of his murdered son and also to a saloon girl (Angie Dickenson) who's happens to be the woman of the bad man who runs the town (Jack Kelly). John Anderson plays the criminal whom the lawman came to bring to justice. Deana Martin (Dean's daughter) is on hand as the kid's possible romantic interest while David Carradine plays a ne'er-do-well.The story is based on Will Henry's "Who Rides with Wyatt," a fictionalized novel that focuses on Wyatt Earp's relationship with young Billy Clanton, but the names were changed for the movie. Wyatt becomes Marshal Kane (Mitchum), Billy Clanton becomes Billy Young (Walker Jr.) and the town villain is named after the corrupt sheriff of Tombstone, John Behan. The plot is similar to 1959's "Rio Bravo" and 1966' "El Dorado" while the tone is akin to the more contemporary "El Dorado" and 1968's "Bandolero!" Speaking of the latter, the quirky nature of the score by Shelly Manne is reminiscent of the score to "Bandolero!," albeit not quite as good, yet still very notable (of course, some hate it). Robert Mitchum sings the title song.If you favor any of those three films you'll likely appreciate "Young Billy Young," although it's the least of 'em. While the cast is great, with Mitchum towering as the fearless and confident protagonist, and there are numerous impressive Western visuals – e.g. the awe-inspiring locomotive/train, the magnificent stagecoach and the ensuing stagecoach hold-up attempt – there are too many glaring unlikelihoods. For instance, why don't the bandits chasing the stagecoach simply shoot one of the eight horses linked to it? That'd bring it down real quick. Nevertheless, there's enough good here for an enjoyable Western experience, even though you might say "Yeah, right" now and then. The chemistry between Mitchum and Dickinson is palpable and there's a moving line the latter says to the former that steals the show.The film is short-n-sweet at 89 minutes and was shot in Old Tucson, Arizona.GRADE: B-

From time to time I know right from the start of a movie this will not be a joyride. The title song is sung by no one else then Mr. Robert Mitchum himself .IMO he was a not a good singer but a very fine actor. Unfortunately this is not the only bad music score choice in this movie. The movie has the title Young Billy Young but it's more about a marshal and his revenge. There are some fine flashback scenes and they got repeated again and again. After some time we learn what is all about and then it got us told several times. The plot is underdeveloped as the characters are. Of course Angie Dickenson is beautiful and it's nice to see her in a bathtub. But it shouldn't be the only good reason to watch it. Next to her and Bob Mitchum we see Robert Walker as Billy Young, David Carradine, Jack Kelly and John Anderson. It could have been a more entertaining movie but Director Burt Kennedy made an uneven Paycheque Film. 3/10

Veteran writer & director Burt Kennedy's "Young Billy Young" qualifies as a routine law and order oater about the relationship between an older, wiser mentor and a raw green gunslinger. Robert Mitchum stars as a $40-a-month lawman with some unfinished business, and the son of Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones—Robert Walker, Jr.,--is the lanky, wet-behind-the-ears youth who rides alongside him in this disposable western that resembles Howard Hawks' "Rio Bravo." Angie Dickenson, who co-starred in "Rio Bravo" with John Wayne, plays Mitchum's romantic interest, while former "Maverick" star Jack Kelly and perennial villain John Anderson are cast as his adversaries. David Carradine plays the villain's no-account, gun-toting offspring. Kennedy, who made a name for himself back in the1950s writing westerns for director Budd Boetticher and star Randolph Scott, sprinkles some hell-bent-for-leather, tough-guy dialogue between numerous shoot-outs. In fact, anybody who analyzes Kennedy's cinematic legacy will note some of the dialogue that Kennedy recycles from his above-average sequel to "The Magnificent Seven," the "Return of the Seven." When questioned about his decision to ride into Lordsburg, the hero observes that he is "looking for a climate with a little less lead in the air." Yul Brynner told Robert Fuller the very same thing in "Return of the Seven." Unfortunately, "Young Billy Young" isn't one of those seminal westerns for which Kennedy should be remembered. The gunfights are staged without drama and the entire affair possesses a lackluster quality. Reportedly, John Wayne had the good sense to turn down this marginal western. The chief problem with "Young Billy Young" is that it is formula from start to finish with few insights about westerns or departures from genre conventions. Not only does this revenge-themed sagebrusher lack cool confrontations, but also it doesn't spring any surprises on us. Furthermore, the villain doesn't make his appearance until later in the last quarter hour. It is difficult to hate a villain when we know nothing about him. Had "Young Billy Young" lived up to its first scene, perhaps this western might have fared better. Shelly Mane's off-beat, jazz-inspired orchestral score is experimental and doesn't accentuate the few truly dramatic moments. Veteran character actor Paul Fix of "The Sons of Katie Elder" has the best role as a grizzled, old stagecoach driver that the hero thinks is too decrepit to be driving a stagecoach. The first scene ranks as the best. "Young Billy Young" opens with an old train chugging through an arid, mountainous landscape, like in "The Sons of Katie Elder." The train is transporting Mexican soldiers. The leader (Rodolfo Acosta of "Return of the Seven") and his minions arrive in a dusty village in the middle of nowhere. Billy Young (Robert Walker, Jr., of "The War Wagon") and his buddy Jesse Boone (David Carradine of "Boxcar Bertha") are draped in ponchos and loitering at a fountain when the train arrives. The big-hatted leader assembles a firing squad and the peasants are paraded out, stood against a wall and then shot down by troops. Billy and Jesse sneak aboard the train. Once the firing squad carries out the execution, the leader and his soldiers board the train and resume their journey. When the leader and his closest associates are least expecting anybody to interfere with them, Billy and Jesse surprise them and shoot everybody. Our heroes escape with about twenty Mexicans in hot pursuit. Billy's horse takes a fall during the chase, and he finds himself alone on foot with the nearest town lying some 30 miles away. Billy catches a donkey and rides it like a horse. As he approaches a river crossing, Billy rides past Ben. No sooner has Billy and his burro entered the river, they find themselves in quicksand. Meantime, Ben Kane (Robert Mitchum of "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys") rides into Bisbee takes a job as the tax collector for Lordsburg. Actually, Ben plans to avenge the murder of his son in Dodge by the man who runs Lordsburg. While he is in Bisbee, Ben witnesses the town lawman get shot over a disputed poker game by Billy. Thinking fast, Ben helps Billy escape before they can arrest him. A posse pursues them. Ben and Billy split off in separate directions and resume their ride together after they have eluded the posse. Nevertheless, Ben plans to take Billy into custody and get the charges against him for killing the marshal dropped. In Lordsburg, Ben runs into John Behan (Jack Kelly) at the jail and Behan advises him to walk on the right side of the street. Ben clobbers Behan. Later, Ben meets Lily Beloit (Angie Dickinson), a dancehall singer, and she warns him about Behan. Ben gets to see Lily take a bath, but he doesn't molest her. Behan finds out and belts Lily with a belt. Ben clobbers him again. Not long afterward, Ben learns that Billy's former partner (David Carradine) is none other than Frank Boone's son. He arrests Jesse after Jesse takes some potshots at him. During this night-time shooting, Doc Cushman (Willis Bouchey of "The Horse Soldiers"), is killed by a stray bullet. Predictably, Boone sends a small army of riflemen to snipe at Ben from the rooftops. Earlier, Billy had tried to help Ben, but Ben turned down his offer, like John Wayne did Ricky Nelson in "Rio Bravo. Billy storms the jail during the siege, knocks Ben out with a gun, and releases Jesse. Billy feared that Ben would murder Jesse in cold-blood if he could not stand off Boone's riflemen. After Billy lets Jesse go, Ben recovers and cold-cocks him over the head. Ben tries to reach a corral full of horses, but the riflemen thwart his plans. Burt Kennedy made some exceptional straightforward westerns, like "The War Wagon," "Return of the Seven," and "The Train Robbers." He also made some hilarious western spoofs, such as "Support Your Local Sheriff." "Young Billy Young" has its moments, but it is not one of his memorable westerns.

A good entertainment but nothing more : in this western we are between the classics and the spaghetti ones. This provides us a good a conventional story but it's always a pleasure to see Robert Mitchum with his legendary flegma although he isn't as fit as in the forties or the fifties. And don't forget David Carradine is the son of John Carradine