A lesser-known John Wayne Western movie rewrote the legendary tale of William H. Bonney, best known as the infamous Old West outlaw Billy the Kid. Several films and television shows have often retold the mythical narrative of the real-life Bonney to fit new creative directions, including the current MGM+ series Billy the Kid. Wayne’s cinematic adaptation of the Billy the Kid legend heavily focused on one of the more overlooked figures of the historic Lincoln County War, who surprisingly does not make an appearance in the MGM+ Billy the Kid series.
Wayne, a landmark figure himself of the Western genre, plays wealthy cattle rancher John Chisum in the 1970 movie Chisum, which was written and directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Billy the Kid is more of a supporting character in the John Wayne-led film, portrayed by Geoffrey Deuel. While many of the real-life characters from the historical account of the Lincoln County War are included in Chisum, some of the most crucial events in the film were altered or even fabricated, rewriting the true story legend of Billy the Kid.
John Wayne’s Chisum Places The Wealthy Cattle Rancher In The Line Of Fire
The John Wayne movie Chisum places real-life cattle rancher John Chisum in the direct line of fire in the Lincoln County War. The true account of the Lincoln County War doesn’t feature Chisum’s direct involvement in terms of combat, as he was one of the wealthier members in Lincoln County who could afford to hire others to fight on his behalf. Chisum had business agreements with John Tunstall and lawyer Alex McSween, who squared off against Lawrence Murphy, James Dolan, and The Santa Fe Ring in real life.
In this way, John Wayne’s portrayal of John Chisum, particularly towards the end of the film during a gruesome shootout, indicates that the real-life Chisum was on the front lines of the Lincoln County War. Historically speaking, this is incorrect since Tunstall and McSween, and by association Chisum, would have paid Billy the Kid and the Regulators to fight to protect their interests rather than risk their own lives on the battlefield. Wayne’s prominence certainly made the real-life John Chisum in the film appear more directly involved in the Lincoln County War than he actually was, especially by the cattle stampede scene found at the film’s climax.
Chisum Made Billy The Kid & Pat Garrett Allies In The Lincoln County War
The 1970 movie Chisum also inaccurately made Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett allies in the Lincoln County War. Garrett, portrayed by Glenn Corbett, would eventually become the real-life killer of Billy the Kid. Although it is historically accurate that Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett used to ride and work together before the Lincoln County War and were widely considered friends, Garrett was actually not involved whatsoever in the Lincoln County War. In reality, Garrett’s association with the Lincoln County War only began in the aftermath of it.
As the legend goes, Garrett was elected Sheriff of Lincoln County New Mexico, two years after the height of the Lincoln County War had ended. As Sheriff, which officially began in 1881, Garrett was heavily encouraged to pursue the known fugitive Billy the Kid. Garret and his duties were successful in finding Billy the Kid and putting him in front of a judge, who charged him with the murder of former Sheriff William Brady and sentenced him to death by hanging. Garrett would eventually kill Billy himself after Billy escaped from jail weeks before his scheduled execution. Prior to being elected Sheriff, however, Garrett had no business in Lincoln County.
Billy The Kid Inaccurately Kills Jesse Evans In John Wayne’s Chisum
One other major way that John Wayne’s Chisum rewrote the Billy the Kid legend was by having the infamous gunslinger kill his old friend turned rival Jesse Evans. In reality, Billy never killed Jesse Evans either during the Lincoln County War or at any other time in his life. In fact, the question of whether Billy the Kid killed 21 men has been heavily disputed and debunked based on a misrepresentative myth. Regardless, Jesse was not one of Billy’s alleged or confirmed kills, and the two both walked away from the Lincoln County War with their lives intact. Billy the Kid would of course be killed by Garrett, and Jesse Evans faded into obscurity in 1882, making John Wayne’s Chisum entertaining but inaccurate.