BRONCO BILLY

In 1980, Eastwood directed Bronco Billy, the heartwarming tale about a New Jersey Salesman impersonating a Cowboy in a Wild West Rodeo show. Like Every Which Way but Loose, these films shows a softer, more comedic quality as both Director and actor. Bronco Billy shares a lot of similarities with the underdog in the films of Frank Capra.

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With Capra films usually carrying a definite message about the basic goodness of human nature as well as showing the true value of thoughtfulness and hard work, that the different person is always the right person, for example: Mr Deeds giving money away. These distinctive traits were represented through Eastwood’s character as a shoe salesman who shot his unfaithful wife, served time in jail and eventually meets his future members of his traveling Wild West Show. From his jail sentence, the audience believe Billy McCoy came out a stronger person believing he can make a difference to people’s lives and doing his best to bring honesty and integrity by the rules, which he lives by.

This can also be shown through Sondra Locke’s character – again, Eastwood shows the value of women in his films and Locke is a dramatic contrast as Antoinette Lilly, stuck up, rude and almost the exact opposite to Eastwood’s sincere and gentle character. Sondra Locke is effective as the cold newcomer who slowly changes from a mean-spirited, sarcastic woman to a caring person who ends up falling for Billy.

Eastwood communicated motivation for the characters through position and angle of the camera rather than vocal cues. He found their identities by finding what the material means to the actors, what connects them both physically and emotionally to the role – a characteristic Eastwood learned from Capra. The rest of the Billy’s gang have their flaws too. For example, Bill McKinney plays a hand hooked fraudster, but the strong theme, which relates to Capra about the redemptive possibilities of the ‘All American Dream’ - that everyone in Bronco Billy’s show have troubled pasts and have recreated themselves as better, more positive individual in his show. The Rodeo performance is where Billy belongs; the dream of performing to low-key crowds, orphanages and mental institution is what keeps their dream alive, inspiring the less fortunate, but enduring the failures within his group. The scene were Billy shoots the robbers in the bank is both heartwarming, yet sad because Billy McCoy represent an individual who is out casted in modern society, yet as the audience sympathizes for Billy, they understand his child like ambition to be a somebody rather than disheartening his group.

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Again, the location was key to Eastwood creative style; Boise was practical for allowing the background to change, as they needed to be to invoke the wayfaring of the travelling show. Another reason, which links to the Capra’s theme is the open spaces revealing the protagonist needs for freedom, Billy’s escape from one room tenement in New Jersey or the Prison Cell block was crucial for Eastwood character to be challenged in the outside world in normal circumstances.

Another crucial factor for establishing Eastwood mood was the cinematography. Eastwood choose a cinematographer who can adapt to the changes, which were happening to Billy’s shows. David Worth’s crisp, lush colours brought out distinct styles for the show whenever the camp was depressed or happy. For example, the scene where Eastwood and his group chase after the train trying to rob it, both Director and the Cinematographer worked together creating the frustrations of the travelling show, but also showing Billy’s true cowboy fantasy as audience laugh and sympathize with Eastwood’s character.

‘I try to get the cinematographer involved with the story, I tell him what I want to accomplish and try to convey a feeling for what I think it should look like, because the style grows out of the material’ (7)

During the 1980’s came one of Eastwood best attributes, his loyalty to using the same cast and crew in many of his projects, an influence from his late father. The late Henry Bumstead, Art Designer had worked with Eastwood for more than 30 years, Joel Cox, Eastwood’s main Editor, Bruce Surtees, the gifted Cinematographer dubbed ‘The Prince of Darkness’ and Eastwood recent Director of Photography Tom Stern are just a few who still works with Eastwood today. One of the connections that shares the Malpaso Company with Bronco Billy is the loyalty that Eastwood helps create and develop both in front and behind the camera.