Product Description

An heiress flees from her ill-advised wedding and joins a ragtag Wild West show run by a self-made matinee cowboy hero.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8706 in DVD
• Brand: TURNER HM ENTERTAINM
• Released on: 2000-08-01
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 116 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Clint Eastwood tried to get mellow--and/or funny--with a series of films in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Bronco Billy works better than most (certainly better than those monkey movies he made), though it's far from perfect. Still, there's something charming about Eastwood as a cowboy wannabe who runs his own version of a Wild West show in modern times. The show is ragged and his sharp-shooting skills are suspect, but he's having fun. At least until a runaway heiress (Sondra Locke) joins his second-rate band of buddies and proves to be both a divisive and jeopardizing force and who ultimately forces Eastwood to admit to his New Jersey roots. Eastwood is nice in a relaxed mood, but one wonders (as he must at this point) what he saw in Locke. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Clint Carries on the Classic Tradition of the West
Bronco Billy is a character in the tradition of classic westerns of the 20th century. Billy is fair and honest, and he watches out for children. Except for some of the things he does, Bronco Billy bears some resemblance to Roy Rogers. However, when Billy does not get his way, which seems to happen a lot, he can be manipulative.

One of Bronco Billy's biggest problems is getting a young woman to be an assistant. Being an assistant for Billy involves being a target for knives, holding up plates so Billy can shoot them, and jumping on the back of a horse ridden by Billy. Billy's latest assistant just quit at the same time that obnoxious Antoinette Lilly's husband abandons her in the same town Bronco Billy's wild west show is playing. Antoinette needs help, since all her husband left her was a nightgown, and
Billy needs an assistant.

Antoinette turns out to be a huge pain in the behind. She is smart-mouthed, cynical, obnoxious and arrogant (I may have missed a few adjectives, but you can fill those in yourself). On the other hand, Antoinette can shoot and other than being a snob, she can handle the assistant part.

Even though I am not a big fan of Sondra Locke, part of what makes this movie work is how Antoinette's observations of Billy slowly change her attitude toward the world. She sees that Billy is honest and caring. She also sees how selfless Billy and his team are. Between the jokes, the changes in Antoinette as the movie progresses are important to the end of the movie.

Whenever I look at my DVD collection for a movie to watch, I somehow seem to always pass over this movie. Yet, when I finely get around to watching it, I am always glad I did. I am unable to explain exactly why that is the case. Regardless, this movie is a charmer and one of my favorite Clint Eastwood comedies. If you have enjoyed Clint Eastwood's other comedies, I believe you will like this one.

Enjoy!

MINOR EASTWOOD BUT MAJOR PLEASURE
Between two Harry Callahan movies, Warner Brothers used to let Clint Eastwood direct more personal movies. Everybody knew that these films wouldn't be hits, they were little presents offered to the successful actor. Thanks to these minor movies, Clint Eastwood is now considered, at least in Europe, as one of the major american film directors.

BRONCO BILLY, shot in 1980, is a good surprise for the Eastwood fan. Starring Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis Scatman Crothers, Sam Bottoms and Clint, the movie has all the ingredients of a good comedy. Witty and heartful. The show presented by Clint and his friends is hilarious and the relations between Bronco and the children very well developed. In Bronco Billy's world, everybody can become what he wants to be ; a shoemaker can become a cowboy, a desertor a master in throwing lassoes and so on. Come join this pathetic world described with tenderness by Clint Eastwood. The director.

Widescreen and standard copies, english and french subtitles and an incomplete filmography of Clint Eastwood as bonus features. Rather meager.

A DVD zone curious ones.

Saddle Up Partners.....
This review refers to the DVD edition(Warner Bros) of "Bronco Billy".....

Watching this wonderful film you will come to realize that this was a labor of love for Clint Eastwood, who directs as well as stars. He had something to say and said it with this story.It is many things. It is entertaining, amusing, inspiring and poignant. The message is clear. You can do what you want to do, be what you want to be.

Eastwood gathers all the usual suspects together and casts them as a group a misfits who all have a special role as part of "Bronco's Billy's Wild West Show", a modern day attempt to bring the wild west back into the hearts of all the "young partners out there". Of course Eastwood is "Bronco Billy", the rootin tootin sharpshooter who runs the show. His problem (besides never having any money to pay the crew) is holding on to a good assistant. Enter one Miss Antoinette Lilly(Sondra Locke). A snobby, wealthy heiress that has just been deserted by her new husband, in the middle of nowhere and she is presumed dead. She reluctantly becomes Bronco Billy's new assistant and learns the hard way, that there is more to life than money.

It a great story and an inspiring one also.It makes you want to follow your dreams. Most of the actors are recognizably some of Clint's favorites. They have been in many of his other films like "Outlaw Josey Wales","The Gauntlet", and "Pink Cadillac" to name a few, often working together and they do this well. The cast includes Geoffrey Lewis,Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers and William Prince. It has a great soundtrack and score, with music by Steve Dorff. Also watch for a cameo performance by Merle Haggard as our bar room buddies brawl in the neighborhood saloon.

The DVD is not the best transfer I have seen. This film from 1980 appeared a little washed out, and the colors seemed somewhat dated.(Nothing to take away from the enjoyment of the film though.)It may be viewed in widescreen or the standard format. The sound was good in Dolby Dig Surround Stereo(but could be really great in 5.1). There are subtitles in English and French. Warner brothers...this one is really in need of a remastered Special Edition. (Of course, I always feel that Eastwood films should be given special treatment)

Rated PG, it's one for the family but there are some adult situations that border on PG13.

also available in a clint 6 pack(but compare prices)The Clint Eastwood Collection (In the Line of Fire/Unforgiven/Bronco Billy/Dirty Harry/The Outlaw Josey Wales/The Beguiled)

So saddle up partners and enjoy this ride. It's rootin tootin fun....Happy trails....Laurie

more western fun with Clint:Paint Your Wagon