Overview
A comedic take on the wild west where law and chaos collide in unexpected ways.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- grotesque
- classic western night
- paul newman film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Paul Newman's commanding performance and the film's robust entertainment value, while finding its episodic structure, overlong runtime, and tonal excesses uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Roy Bean's self-appointed authority and theatrical cruelty are presented through farce, violence, and mythic exaggeration.
Bean uses a law book, pistols, and arbitrary judgments to build his own legal order on the frontier.
The story proceeds through scenic vignettes and encounters spanning Bean's rise and rule.
Bean establishes his town in an isolated Texas territory described as being on the margins of civilization.
Films like The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, and why
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
A revisionist western blending frontier violence, eccentric lawmen, comedy, and historical mythmaking.
Little Big Man
A comic, episodic western portrait of an outsized historical figure with an irreverent relationship to frontier justice.
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
A stylized and revisionist western centered on a violent outsider who imposes his own social order.
Movie Details
- Director
- John Huston
- Release Date
- 1972-12-01
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (186)
Cast
- Paul Newman
- Victoria Principal
- Ned Beatty
- Matt Clark
- Roddy McDowall
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Bill McKinney
- Anthony Perkins
- Tab Hunter
- Stacy Keach
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean about?
- An eccentric outlaw transforms a remote Texas settlement into a personal courtroom where frontier justice becomes both spectacle and menace.
- What is The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean?
- Critics broadly praised Paul Newman's commanding performance and the film's robust entertainment value, while finding its episodic structure, overlong runtime, and tonal excesses uneven.
- Which films are like The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean?
- Films with a similar feel include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Little Big Man, and McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
- How long is The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean?
- The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean?
- In United States, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean streams on YouTube TV.
