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16SmokeSignalsresultedinherwinningthesecondBestActressAcademyAwardevergiven.AnInterestingaccountnotedinCopelandsbiographywasMrs.BrownafterobservingherhusbandinalovescenewithhisleadingladyinasneakpreviewsaidinhersweetSouthernvoiceWhyJohnnyMackyououghttobeashamedofyourselfsureenough.YouknowhowtokissagirlbetterthanthatWhydidntyoukissherlikeyoumeantitthiswayThenConniecommencedtoplantabigoneonherhusbandJohnMackBrownfollowedCoquettewithfivemorefilmsthreeofwhichhewasthemalelead.HisfirstroleasacowboywasinacontemporarymusicalcomedystarringJoanCrawfordMontanaMoon1930.HedemonstratedtoMGMthathecouldeasilymaketheswitchfromabowtietuxedoandpatentleathershowstoaStetsonhatLevisPendletonshirtandapairofcowboyboots.ThisledtohisobtainingamajorstarringroleinanAwesternforMGMtobedirectedbyKingVidoraveteranfilmmaker.ThephotoplaytobefilmedonactualhistoriclocationsinNewMexicoin70mmwasbasedonaquestionablehistoricalnovelbyWalterNobleBurnsBillyTheKid1930.SomecriticsquestionedthecastingofJohnMackBrownasoneofthemostdubiousantiherosinwesternhistory.EvenKingVidorinitiallybalkedasBrownlookedmorelikeavarsityathletethanaruthlessyoungoutlaw.HoweverJohnMackplayedtheroletothehilt.Todaythefilmmadeover80yearsagostillholdsupwell.Inthiswritershumbleopinionitisonmylistofthebestwesternfilmsevermade.JohnwonoverthepublicwithhispoliteboyishcharmSoutherndrawlandneverwaveringloyaltytohisbenefactor.HewassocharmingthatwhenthefilmwaspreviewedbyanaudiencetoseektheirreactiontheylamentedvociferouslyoverthedeathoftheaffableBillytheKidthatMGMorderedVidortofilmanalternateending.ThedeathsceneremainedintheEuropeanversionhowevertheonedistributedintheUSAhadPatGarrettallowingBillytoescapeJohnwasabletoholdhisownwiththeusuallyscenestealingcurmudgeonWallaceBerryasPatGarrett.ThecastalsoincludedfineperformancesbyseveralcharacteractorsofthedayhoweverRoscoeAtesafutureBwesternsidekickhadseveralhumorouspartsaswellasamovingscenewhereheriskshislifetoprovidewaterforhiscomradesinarms.Thisparticularsegmentofanextendedgunbattlebasedonfactwasquitememorable.NeartheendofthelengthysiegeweseeBillyandhispardstrappedintheburningbuildingforcingthemtotrytoescapethroughahailofgunfire.Mostareshotdowntryingtoescape.JohnMackBrownasBillythesoleremainingpistolerorollshimselfacigarettecheckshispocketsforamatchfindingnone.Thenaceilingbeamcollapsesnexttohim.BillycasuallyleansoverlightshissmokeofftheflamesoftheburningbeamandlooksuptotheheavenandsaysThanksHethenpreparestoattemptadeathdefyingescape.HehasatwogunrigwithholsteredColtPeacemakersandpicksuptwoHIGHNOON