classicsoncall Even avid Dennis Hopper fans may not have seen or heard of this one, a turn of the century Western in which Hopper's character Bick Waner, tries to turn his back on a life of crime and go straight. Things go inauspiciously for him as one job after another goes down in flames, either due to his temper or the whims of his boss. However once it becomes known that he's the former outlaw and train robber Kid Blue, the die is cast and The Kid decides to pull one last job.It was cool to see some of the stellar character actors of the era here - Warren Oates as a wistful dreamer of the ancient Greeks with their notions of man love, Ben Johnson as an arrogant sheriff, and Peter Boyle in an early role as Preacher Bob, an eccentric inventor with unusual insights into the gospels. The film has an interesting share of comedic elements, mostly involving Boyle's character and an Indian named Old Coyote (Jose Torvay), who's made it his mission to get 'pushed under the water' by the preacher. For those not in the know, he wants to be baptized so he can claim his earthly riches.There's no pretense of Western film greatness with this flick, but it is entertaining enough, taking place in the old West town of Dime Box, home of the Great American Ceramic Novelty Company. The story sheds light on the dawning of American capitalism and how small, dusty towns of the era managed to get lucky when an aspiring businessman made his enterprise the center of town life. One has to get a kick out of Reese Ford's (Oates) purchase of a new fangled steel bathtub for $12.29 (without freight charges), as the film tiptoes around the edges of homo-eroticism when Hopper and Oates climb into the tub together to relive the ancient Greek baths. Personally, getting soaped down by the lovely Molly Ford (Lee Purcell) would be a much better deal.Best line of advice comes from Old Coyote discussing menu options with his Indian cohorts and Kid Blue - "If you're hungry, don't eat cow sh_t". I'll be keeping that in mind.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear fans of 70s American movies, Kid Blue is a nice little eccentric (or should I use the often used word quirky?) Western (?) from the 70s. Some of the movies Dennis Hopper did early in his career are really worth checking out. The film has a pretty stellar cast - Hopper, Warren Oates, Peter Boyle, Janice Rule, Ben Johnson and Lee Purcell.A small time robber played by Hopper decides to turn a new leaf and goes to an American small town (called Dime Box) in search of a job in the early 20th century. Over there, he comes across an eccentric bunch of characters including a melancholic factory worker (Oates), his flirtatious wife (Purcell), an unconventional preacher (Boyle) and a strict sheriff (Johnson).The film is very liberal in spirit and deals with a variety of themes like the beginning of mass production, the ending of the old West, racism against native Indians and the binding force of evangelical Christianity. The anarchic ending underlines the film's stance against mass production. Despite the light-hearted tone, the film pulls no stops in portraying the violence and narrow mindedness that was prevalent during the period.Dennis Hopper is very likable as the innocent, open-minded and big-hearted robber. Warren Oates plays a rare subdued role. Boyle wasn't really convincing as the over the top preacher. Purcell was unremarkable.The film begins with a hilarious train robbery scene. I recommend it.Best Regards, Pimpin. (7/10)

godfreydaniels I saw this movie when it first came out in the theater in 1973. Everyone I knew who saw it loved it. Then it disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Never available on VHS nor DVD, so your chances of ever seeing this great movie are nil. However, as I write this in November 2005, the movie is available on Comcast On-Demand Free Movies! With a memorable supporting cast including Peter Boyle, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson and the beautiful, young Lee Purcell, Dennis Hopper turns in one of his best performances. You'll never forget Ben Johnson as Mean John Simpson. Nor Peter Boyle as the ascetic high-tech, high-flying Preacher. Although it is set in Texas around the turn of the century, the social commentary that is critical of religion, racial prejudice, the establishment's compulsion to force conformity on everyone, the inequality in the workplace, and the hypocrisy of the elite ruling class and their control of law enforcement, is still relevant today. Perhaps even more so than when it was released in 1973. With comedic undertones, the movie manages to combine action/violence, drama and an implied steamy sex scene without ever becoming too serious. It pits the individual against the mores and values of the group (in this case the town of Dimebox, Texas and it's biggest employer, the All American Western Novelty Company). And guess who wins?Don't miss this movie if you have Comcast Digital. It's available until March 2006.

zap644 The first half of this seemed kind of slow to me and a couple of times I only watched about 10 minutes of it when it came on IFC, telling myself I'd rather watch it all the way through from the beginning.I was glad I did. Bickner (Hopper) is a godless, but sincere former outlaw trying to live a straight life under tough conditions and a mean sheriff in a small town where the factory turned out to be his only hope for work.Though I thought it a bit slow at first, about halfway through, I found I was into it and the ending actually made me smile.My favorite line is easily Hopper's when he tells Warren Oates, "A man's gotta kill his own snakes.", which I found to have meaning on multiple levels.