Bronco Billy

Name: Bronco Billy
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: June 11, 1980
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Bill McKinney, Clint Eastwood, Dan Vadis, Geoffrey Lewis, Sam Bottoms

1980

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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Bronco Billy

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: June 11, 1980 | PG

Starring: Bill McKinney, Clint Eastwood, Dan Vadis, Geoffrey Lewis, Sam Bottoms, Scatman Crothers, Sierra Pecheur, Sondra Locke, Walter Barnes, Woodrow Parfrey

Summary: The Wild West has been tamed, leaving no place for a group of romantic roustabouts except their small traveling show. Meanwhile a desperate heiress (Sondra Locke), who has been left stranded by her con-artist husband, will do anything for a ride to the next town—even if that means allowing a blindfolded Bronco Billy (Clint Eastwood) toThe Wild West has been tamed, leaving no place for a group of romantic roustabouts except their small traveling show. Meanwhile a desperate heiress (Sondra Locke), who has been left stranded by her con-artist husband, will do anything for a ride to the next town—even if that means allowing a blindfolded Bronco Billy (Clint Eastwood) to throw knives at her for a scant audience. So begins a tumultuous relationship and roller coaster adventure.… Expand

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Western

Rating: PG

Runtime: 116 min

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Critic Reviews

Gene Siskel

Clint Eastwood's most entertaining film in years, a whimsical fable about a Wild West showman with a dream of turning his rag-tag employees into one big happy family. Great country music mixed with Eastwood's natural charm. [11 July 1980, p.8]

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

Basically, it's the charming tale of a New Jersey shoe-salesman who fantasises about being a cowboy, and takes a group of assorted weirdos on the road with a travelling show. Not a lot to it in terms of plot, but Eastwood manages to both undermine and celebrate his character's fantasy life, while offering a few gentle swipes at contemporary America (the Stars and Stripes tent sewn together by mental hospital inmates). Fragile, fresh, and miles away from his hard-nosed cop thrillers, it's the sort of film only he would, and could, make. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Bronco Billy is an odd salute to those clean hearted good guy cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, and Clint manages to revel in the glory of that myth despite the fact that he is probably more responsible for making that kind of Western unworkable in modern cinema than anyone else I can think of. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Bronco Billy is a caricature of many of the strong heroes whom Eastwood has played in other pix and he's obviously having a wonderful time with the satire.

Janet Maslin

The best and funniest Clint Eastwood movie in quite a while. Read full review

David Ansen

Sweetness is not a quality one normally associates with Clint Eastwood, but true sweetness is precisely what Bronco Billy aspires to -- and occasionally achieves. At once sentimental, arch and harmlessly good-natured, Eastwood's latest is a romantic comedy in which Clint appears as the fast-drawing, trick-riding star of his own Wild West show. [23 June 1980, p.77]

Jay Scott

Casting Eastwood in a friendly, bumbling, light romantic lead is like asking Ethel Merman to sing a lullaby: in the end, nothing is forthcoming but overkill. Clint Eastwood was already famous for that. [16 June 1980]

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User Reviews

Robwinz

Jul 31, 2020

Bronco Billy is a decent western movie, the cast are great, especially Clint Eastwood and Scatman Crothers they're brilliant throughout this movie. Also, the plot is pretty good but there's a few stupid scenes later on throughout the movie. Finally, the action in this movie is really goodBronco Billy is a decent western movie, the cast are great, especially Clint Eastwood and Scatman Crothers they're brilliant throughout this movie. Also, the plot is pretty good but there's a few stupid scenes later on throughout the movie. Finally, the action in this movie is really good and there's enough to keep you entertained. Overall, it's a decent western film with a good plot, great cast and enough action to keep you entertained.… Expand

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r96sk

Jan 29, 2022

A fairly triumphant circus flick.

'Bronco Billy' is enjoyably paced and features good onscreen talent, as we see Clint Eastwood continuing his work with many familiar faces from his other films - including Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis and Bill McKinney; shame about the ill-fitting castingA fairly triumphant circus flick.

'Bronco Billy' is enjoyably paced and features good onscreen talent, as we see Clint Eastwood continuing his work with many familiar faces from his other films - including Sondra Locke, Geoffrey Lewis and Bill McKinney; shame about the ill-fitting casting of Dan Vadis and Sierra Pecheur, mind.

Naturally it isn't the perfect film, given the aforementioned and the nosedive of Locke's character from being strong-minded to being a cliché dainty love interest, but it succeeds in making its story gain a bit of feeling. It also feels a tiny bit of a different role for Eastwood, given his character is quite caring - as opposed to the usual self-indulged roles, which he does very well of course.

It kinda gives me 'Toby Tyler' vibes, though this 1980 production is most definitely better than that average 1960 Disney release.… Expand

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