If you were a fan of Westerns in the late sixties, you probably remember 1969 as a weirdly transitional year. It was the year of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a movie that basically rewrote the rules of the genre. But tucked away in the shadows of those giants was a gritty, somewhat eccentric flick called Young Billy Young. Honestly, if you look at the young billy young movie cast today, it feels like a "Who's Who" of Hollywood royalty before they were actually royalty—or in Robert Mitchum’s case, while he was trying to figure out if he even wanted to be an actor anymore.
There is a weird rumor that Robert Mitchum hated this movie. Well, it’s not really a rumor. He reportedly spent a lot of time on set swearing at the script. Yet, despite his grumbling, the chemistry between the leads is what keeps people coming back to this 1969 Burt Kennedy classic. It isn't just another shoot-em-up. It's a mentor-protege story that feels surprisingly modern if you squint hard enough. Don't miss our previous article on this related article.
The Heavy Hitters: Mitchum and Dickinson
Let’s talk about Robert Mitchum first. He plays Ben Kane. Kane isn't your typical white-hat lawman. He’s a guy driven by a cold, hard needle of revenge. His son was murdered years ago, and he’s basically using a deputy badge as a legal excuse to hunt down the killer. Mitchum does that "effortlessly cool" thing he always did. You know the one. He barely moves his face, but you know exactly how much he wants to punch someone.
Then you’ve got Angie Dickinson. To read more about the context here, Entertainment Weekly offers an excellent summary.
She plays Lily Beloit. Now, Lily is your classic "saloon girl with a heart of gold," which, yeah, is a bit of a cliché. But Dickinson brings this world-weary weight to it. She’s entangled with the local villain, John Behan, but when she meets Kane, there’s this spark. It’s not a teen romance. It’s two grown adults who have been kicked around by life realizing they might actually like each other. The heat between Mitchum and Dickinson is probably the best part of the film.
The Kid and the Villain: Robert Walker Jr. and David Carradine
The title role of Billy Young went to Robert Walker Jr. He’s the "Young" in the title, obviously. At the time, Walker was specializing in these rebellious, slightly hot-headed youth roles—he was in Easy Rider that same year. In this movie, he’s a sharpshooter who gets abandoned in Mexico and eventually ends up under Kane's wing. It’s a tricky role because Billy has to be naive enough to get into trouble but likable enough that we care when he does.
Then there is David Carradine.
Before he was the "Grasshopper" in Kung Fu, Carradine was playing Jesse Boone. Jesse is the son of the man Kane is hunting. He’s the catalyst for the movie’s big climax. Carradine has this quiet, intense energy even back then. He doesn't have a massive amount of screen time, but he makes it count. When he and Walker’s character finally face off, you can see the beginnings of the star power that would make him a household name a few years later.
A Quick Breakdown of the Main Cast
- Robert Mitchum as Ben Kane: The vengeful lawman who just wants his son's killer.
- Angie Dickinson as Lily Beloit: The entertainer looking for a way out of a bad situation.
- Robert Walker Jr. as Billy Young: The hot-tempered kid who needs a father figure.
- David Carradine as Jesse Boone: The rival and son of the primary antagonist.
- Jack Kelly as John Behan: The corrupt businessman who thinks he owns the town.
- John Anderson as Frank Boone: The man who started it all by killing Kane’s son.
- Deana Martin as Evvie: The doctor’s daughter (and yes, that’s Dean Martin’s daughter).
Why the Supporting Players Matter
You can't talk about the young billy young movie cast without mentioning the veterans in the background. Paul Fix shows up as Charlie. If you’ve seen any Western from 1930 to 1970, you’ve seen Paul Fix. He usually played the steady, reliable friend, and here he’s doing a bit of a "lovable old coot" routine that balances out Mitchum’s grumpiness.
And then there’s Jack Kelly.
Most people know him from Maverick, where he was the charming Bart Maverick. Here, he flips the script. He’s John Behan, the guy running Lordsburg. He’s smug, he’s corrupt, and he treats Lily like property. It’s actually really satisfying to see Mitchum’s character slap him around a bit. It gives the audience a clear "bad guy" to root against while the more complex stuff with the Boones plays out in the background.
The Weird Connection to Wyatt Earp
Here is something most people miss: this movie is basically a Wyatt Earp story with the names changed.
The director, Burt Kennedy, adapted it from a novel called Who Rides With Wyatt by Heck Allen. Originally, the story was supposed to be about the friendship between Wyatt Earp and Billy Clanton. For whatever reason—likely rights or just wanting to do something "original"—they changed the names. Kane is Earp. Billy Young is Clanton. Behan is... well, still Behan (there was a real John Behan who hated Wyatt Earp).
Knowing that changes how you watch the movie. It turns a standard Western into a piece of historical fan fiction.
The Production Reality
Filming took place at Old Tucson Studios in Arizona. If the jail set looks familiar, that’s because it’s the exact same one used in Rio Bravo. Hollywood was very efficient back then; they weren't going to build a new jail if a perfectly good one was sitting there.
Mitchum was famously professional but totally bored. He’d do his take, nail it, and then go back to his trailer or start cracking jokes that would make a sailor blush. His son, Christopher Mitchum, also appears in the film in a small role (he plays the son who gets killed in the flashback). It was a bit of a family affair.
The movie was released during a time when Westerns were becoming "Revisionist." They were getting darker, bloodier, and more cynical. Young Billy Young sits right on the fence. It has the DNA of an old-school John Wayne movie but the cynical edge of the late sixties. It’s not quite a masterpiece, but it’s a fascinating look at a genre in flux.
What to Watch For
If you’re going to sit down and watch it for the first time, keep an eye on the relationship between Kane and Billy. It’s not your typical "hero and sidekick" vibe. It’s more like an uncle who’s tired of his nephew’s nonsense but still doesn't want to see him get shot.
Also, pay attention to the music. The title song is sung by Robert Mitchum himself. Yes, the man could actually sing. It adds this strange, personal layer to the film that makes it feel like more of a "star vehicle" than just another studio assignment.
How to Appreciate Young Billy Young Today
- Look past the "TV Movie" look. Critics back in '69 complained it looked cheap, but the performances are cinema-grade.
- Focus on the character dynamics. The plot is standard, but the way the actors play off each other is top-tier.
- Check out the background. Old Tucson is iconic, and seeing it in its prime is a treat for any film nerd.
- Listen to the dialogue. Burt Kennedy was a great writer, and some of the one-liners from Mitchum are genuinely sharp.
To get the most out of this film, watch it alongside The Good Guys and the Bad Guys, which Mitchum and Kennedy made the same year. It makes for a perfect double feature of late-era Western grit. You can usually find Young Billy Young on most major streaming platforms or through specialty distributors like Kino Lorber, who put out a high-quality Blu-ray that really cleans up the desert scenery.
