Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) meets the notorious Billy the Kid (Jack Beutel), who has stolen his horse. Doc's old friend Pat Garrett, now a sheriff, wants to arrest the Kid for murder, but Doc helps his young friend flee to a hideout, where Billy meets Rio (Jane Russell), a beautiful young woman who soon finds herself falling in love with him. As Doc and Billy try to evade the law, they run into a series of adventures involving Indians and gunfights, culminating in a fierce showdown. Under the control of director/ producer Howard Hughes, THE OUTLAW became both a classic Western and a tribute to the charms of its leading lady, 19-year-old Jane Russell, whose cleavage was featured prominently in the film's publicity. As a result, THE OUTLAW became one of the most controversial films of the 1940s, leading to a protracted battle with censors that only added to the film's allure.
