Bronco Billy (1980)

Clint Eastwood labels Bronco Billy as one of his favorite films so who am I to tell him different. It is a fun and quirky movie, kind of like You Can't Take It With You. He certainly has gathered together a collection of people similar to Grandpa Vanderhoff's friends and family.Playing the title role Eastwood is the owner and star of a wild west show Eastwood has in his employ a collection of characters who are uniquely loyal to him. To which he adds Sondra Locke who is one of those rich heiresses which saturated films in the Thirties.Bronco Billy's outfit is hardly like Buffalo Bill Cody's show nor even like the one John Wayne was the impresario of in Circus World. It's just scraping by, it's people not being paid for weeks on end. But none of them will leave him.Locke's been left flat by her husband and she's hired by Eastwood not knowing who she is as essentially a come-on. She's attractive enough to be one. Locke learns soon enough that the people in the show are there to escape their own reality and step into the mythology of the wild west. Eastwood himself has created Bronco Billy, his own real life was nothing to brag about. He feels to some degree that people can be what they want and he gives those who are with him a chance to do just that.Clint Eastwood in his westerns certainly created enough mythology of the old west steps back a bit from those characters in Bronco Billy. It's a curiously old fashioned film though, the kind I wish were still made.What I wouldn't give to work in Bronco Billy's show.

This movie is the most charming, full of self-irony, cheerfulness and mystic depth a fairy tale that Clint Eastwood has ever made. Things do not just happen here. They happen just right the way he ever wished them to happen.The film could be taken as if it were of an entertaining genre at the first glance. However, it has a multitude of layers, which may keep you analyzing for about as much as you may wish to. It contains a deal of self-reflection, for Bronco Billy is the director's best self. It is much about finding and understanding oneself, for that is the journey Sandra Lockes character is taking. It is much about the western movie as a whole, and its loosing contact with the modern time. One can't but see parallels to Fellini's 'La Strada', maybe to Bergman's 'Sawdust and tinsel' and perhaps many more. And it is filled with plenty of small details, charged with good humour. And of course, as a fairy tale it is full of idealistic messages.Is is not a regular masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece. It is a meta-, reflective, essentially post-modernistic, masterpiece. Most probably will suit the taste of those looking for art and substance.

I never thought the Bronco Billy Wild West Show would actually aspire to entertainment on a deeper level. Right after that great con job by Clint Eastwood's character when he makes everyone in the troupe feel good about not being paid, there was no reason to believe this was going to be anything more than pure popcorn. But throw in everyone's pathetic back story and a few freebies for the orphanage and insane asylum, and you begin to get a picture of Billy McCoy as a sympathetic character who really cares for and respects his friends. Round the story out with an original take on the 'you can be anything you want' theme, and you've got enough to keep you smiling for a good couple of hours. Even good old American patriotism gets a workout with the new tent put together by the loonies at the asylum, although the sight of all those flags sewn together might be enough to blur your vision.OK, so some of the story elements don't make too much sense, like why did Antoinette Lily's (Sondra Locke) murder ever gain any traction in the first place? Then there's Arlington (Geoffrey Lewis) taking the fall for a future payday. I'm not really buying any of that, but hey, it sort of works for the rest of the story to play out. I guess the thing to do is take a good pull of old Doc's snake bite remedy or a reasonable facsimile, and settle along for the ride. It's a side of actor and director Eastwood that can be every bit as instructive as his usually more serious fare.

Bronco Billy the sharpshooting cowboy is the owner of a modern-day travelling Wild West Show that seems to get caught in one messy situation after another. And not helping is the lack of crowd figures to their show. But nothing is going to stop Bronco Billy along with his companions from living their American dream. Through some amusing chain of events a wealthy, snobby heiress Antoinette Lilly finds herself tagging along with the show and becoming one of Bronco Billy's assistant, after her new husband leaves her stranded with nothing.I don't understand why they think this cap gun shoots nothing but blanks. While, Eastwood (who directs and stars) goes all sentimental, warm and fuzzy for a change. It wasn't as well accepted (despite it being one of Eastwood's favourites) and flopped at the box office with it receiving such poor jabs from most critics. Not to say it's great, but this comically light-hearted character journey has a certain amount of charm within its foundation that doesn't make it as bad as you would believe. Even with this whimsical nature, it never gets overbearing. Sure it can cause you to cringe at times, but it wears its heart on its sleeve and keeps it integrity intact. More often I found myself smiling at the shenanigans, well it was hard not to. It's simply a satire worked into an old-fashioned story of familiar ingredients, were there was plenty of things going on in the plot. Who knew these traditional plot devices could maintain such interest. This is because of a delightful bunch of wholesome performances, authentically zippy purple patches of random fun and Eastwood's conventionally hardy direction makes sure it ticks along sufficiently. Even if it's nicely shot, there's nothing overly flashy or quirky creeping up, so it's all about the loyal chemistry and assured story that keeps one compelled. Streamlining the moralistic story are deep insights and symbolic brushes of the true feeling of the American dream. You got to earn it, as it's not served on up on a plate for you and from that you make the most out of it to live up to 'your' dreams. Pacing-wise it can stall in stretches, but I didn't find it boring when that did occur. The stock characters here seem to be grounded by reality, despite some silly developments (mainly involving a mental institution). The relaxed Clint Eastwood chimes in with a wonderfully touching performance. He simply chews up the material with great vigour. A terrific Sandra Locke has a screen presence that's equally as dominating in the role of the stuck-up, cold-blooded high-end dame. Eastwood regular Geoffrey Lewis' oddball greedy turn was marvellously madcap. The performances of Sam Bottoms, Dan Vadis, Sierra Pecheur and Bill McKinney are pleasurably sincere as Eastwood's ragtag team.If there's one Eastwood film that's unfairly lampooned. "Bronco Billy" gets my vote. This gratifying show must go on.