Comparing the movie Young Guns with the true story of Billy the Kid

Chris Wimmer is the producer and host of the popular Infamous America podcast. He joins us today to separate fact from fiction in the movie Young Guns.

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[richardbrown]

New Mexico is mentioned during the narration wrap up saying billy continued to ride, never leaving New Mexico

[chulainn]

3 guys playing card someone comings running in shouting...."Hey, the world's coming to an end!" and the first one says, "Well, I best go to the church and pray, " and the second one says, "Well, I'm gonna go and buy me a case of Mezcal and six whores, " and the third one says "Well, I'm gonna finish the game."

I shall finish the game, Doc. I'm gonna finish the game.

[jimmylionstar]

Like the movie or not.. But, Young Guns are to this day the most accurate interpretation of the Lincoln County War..

[stuartmaclean]

They do mention new mexico, Albuquerque, lincoln county and the town of lincoln in the film at least once each in the film. This was one of my favourite films as a kid in the early 90s. And even then I knew the setting without any prior knowledge (we don't learn much about Billy the Kid in schools in the North East of Scotland).

[cooldad]

I actually enjoyed the part where he said mcsween was nonviolent. There's a part in the movie that portrays that. "Active involvement in a gun battle would negate my life insurance policy...we can't have that"

[stevensmith]

If you go to Lincoln today, it is just like stepping back in time. The structures are just like they were (for the most part). Great road trip!

[Westcoast_kings]

Great video but he got one thing wrong some of the Regulators really did carve out the word "PALS" over Billy Charlie & Tom's Tombstone in New Mexico. I saw it & took pictures of it when we went to visit their grave sight!

[lesliekendall]

A friend in Lincoln believes the photo of the people playing croquet is Billy. He says it looks like it's at the Tunstall store and would've been a game John Tunstall might've brought over from England. (Most sources say the game originated in Ireland in 1850 so makes sense it would've been popular in England at that time).

[tedbrogan]

You guys forgot to talk about the Gun fight with Buckshot Roberts at Blazer's Mill!

[steveneely]

The current tombstone does say “PALS” at the top and actually Charlie Bowdre was killed by Garrett in the area of Stinking Springs but his body was returned to Fort Sumner.

[badeggproductions]

New Mexico is mentioned as well as The Town of Lincoln, Lincoln County, Roswell, Alberqurque, Santa Fe and Fort Sumner.

I think the reason they made Tunstall older was purely dramatic effect to emphasize the fatherly role and to make the revenge mission The Regulators go on more of a powerful moment.
Murphy died from Cancer. By the time the events of the Lincoln County War happened JJ Dolan was running the outfit known as "The House".

Alex McSween was pretty much the main instigator of the whole thing. Not only did he bring in Tunstall but apparently he represented one of Murphys other partners a man named Fritz in an insurance settlement and may have confiscated or stolen the money which was supposed to go to Dolan for some reason.
after McSween was killed in his yard chickens pecked his eyes out...

As an 11 yr old when this movie came out I was not as learned in the geography or the history of the old west. To me and probablly many other Canadian 11 yr olds back then Young Guns was or is the reason we became interested and delved into it all.

In my opinion The Kid was the ultimate victim of circumstance he did what he had to do to stay alive during one of the hardest times in American history.
he could hold his own with a very rough bunch of hardened men. He stuck out because of this and his personality played a part as well....and that's why we are here talking about him today.

[rickgerrard]

This was really cool, well-done, and enjoyed it. Like how the researcher, despite knowing that parts of Young Guns are "movie hype", still loves those movies. What wasn't mentioned, was YG II, which I find to be just as intriguing as the first. Love the characters in all of them. Thanks for taking the time, we truly appreciate it!!

[kelblueskies]

There is rumor that Billy the Kid wasn't really killed by Pat Garrot, Garrot killed someone else and they claimed it was Billy, many years later a old man claimed he was Billy the Kid.

[d_ruggs]

the movie is definitely a dramatic interpretation of the facts but the writer knew the true story incredibly well and loved billy's story, but he knew to get across the right feelings and to convey it in an entertaining way that was time effective, he needed to make changes. but they tried to make sure nothing changed who the people were, or what it felt like to be in that time and place. I read an article from him awhile ago, and it was very interesting to learn about that process of changing the true story to make people understand the truth better and to have a better understanding of how it felt to be there.

[asullivan]

I had the good fortune to be able to spend time in the town of lincoln, n.m. seeing the structures that were there during the billy the kid era. a few very informative historians that were available to chat with. If ever I make it back to that neck of the woods. I would enjoy viewing the "billy the kid" statue. 🙂

[ricm]

At the end of the Young Guns, Kiefer Sutherland (Doc) is narrating that Billy never left New Mexico.

[keithdansby]

chris pod cast on billy is reaaally good

[maryellenshock]

I think I need to correct myself -i think I got the movie and the TV show confused, but I do remember a TV show where they where the pony express riders!

[ashtro]

Young guns 2... "I am new mexico"... New mexicans know stories about Billy very well... you mention which way his horse is heading, we automically know.

[Che_mo]

They did say new mexico, in young guns 2 when billy goes to collect some money he threatened billy and said " i am New Mexico".