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SummaryThe 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 kniv... Read More

Directed By:Clint Eastwood

Written By:Dennis Hackin

Bronco Billy

Metascore
Generally Favorable
66
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
66
70% Positive
7 Reviews
20% Mixed
2 Reviews
10% Negative
1 Review
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
88
Chicago Tribune
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]
80
Time Out London
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.
80
Film Threat
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.
70
Variety
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.
70
The New York Times
The best and funniest Clint Eastwood movie in quite a while.
40
Washington Post
The movie is so shabbily written (by Dennis Hackin) and unevenly directed (by Eastwood himself) that the traditional obstacles to romantic comedy consummation are overwhelmed by superfluous complications and imprecise calculations.
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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]
See All 10 Critic Reviews
User score
Generally Favorable
6.8
58% Positive
7 Ratings
33% Mixed
4 Ratings
8% Negative
1 Rating
  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
Jan 29, 2022
8
r96sk
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 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.
Jul 31, 2020
8
Robwinz
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 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.
See All 12 User Reviews
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  • Warner Bros.
  • Second Street Films
Jun 11, 1980
1 h 56 m
PG
The most outrageous of 'em all.
Razzie Awards
• 1 Nomination
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Nomination
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