Deadwood '76 tells the half-baked tale of young Billy May, a Civil War vet who in three days time is mistaken for Billy the kid, buys and sells a gold mine, captured by Indians, reunited with his estranged (and strange) Confederate father, avenges the rape of his new girlfriend, forced by the town of Deadwood to square off with none other than Wild Bill Hickock, and hung by an angry mob!
This was the final film of Arch Hall Jr., who is fondly remembered by fans for starring in half a dozen fairly entertaining drive-in movies of the early to mid-sixties, his best being the titular character in the taut thriller, The Sadist.
Despite some bad acting by mostly bit players, this is entertaining at times and it tries hard to create a tale of western mythology but it's done in by a very (and I mean VERY) unsatisfying ending.
I would have preferred that the end have Billy's father and his Indian followers massacre the town in response to Billy's death, as it was stated earlier in the film that it was his plan to do just that as part of the elder May's plan to resurrect the Confederacy!
Co-stars Robert Dixon (Bill Hickock) and John "Bud" Cardos (Hawk Russell the rapist cowboy) were reunited along with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond five years later in another drive-in western, Five Bloody Graves.
This was the final film of Arch Hall Jr., who is fondly remembered by fans for starring in half a dozen fairly entertaining drive-in movies of the early to mid-sixties, his best being the titular character in the taut thriller, The Sadist.
Despite some bad acting by mostly bit players, this is entertaining at times and it tries hard to create a tale of western mythology but it's done in by a very (and I mean VERY) unsatisfying ending.
I would have preferred that the end have Billy's father and his Indian followers massacre the town in response to Billy's death, as it was stated earlier in the film that it was his plan to do just that as part of the elder May's plan to resurrect the Confederacy!
Co-stars Robert Dixon (Bill Hickock) and John "Bud" Cardos (Hawk Russell the rapist cowboy) were reunited along with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond five years later in another drive-in western, Five Bloody Graves.