The Highwaymen on Netflix

[Wyatt Burp]

We just watched it and it was pretty good. In interviews the director talked of filming the B&C killings where it actually happened in Louisiana. But in modern vids the real place looks much widened than in 1934. The place it was filmed, probably in the neighborhood, looks exactly like the place did in old film footage. As probably mentioned, Hamer carried his Old Lucky Colt SAA .45, a 1911 .38 Super, and a Colt Monitor. Costner's gun is pearl handled engraved but that's cool since he owned such a gun, too.
If you like Woody Harrelson you must watch the "western" he was in called "The Hi-Low Country". He's excellent in it. Here's the guns of "The Highwaymen"...

Highwaymen, The - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Hi-Lo Country was written by Max Evans, a favorite son of NM.
Mostly filmed in NM, little bit in CO. Hi-Lo Country is NE NM and adjacent areas.
A tale of post war WWII when returning Vets find the world had changed while they were gone.

 

[tlawler]

Read up on this incident, Hamer allegedly fired two shots in the encounter with the Model 8. One head shot each, then sat down and lit a cigarette.

I remember reading that also. I'm not sure, but I think it was in an account told by Massad Ayoob in one of his Ayoob files story. It sounded reasonable to me, with Hamer being such a pragmatic and serious lawman. He doesn't seem to be the type who would angrily hose down B&C, no matter his personal feelings. Just two quick head shots to end the threat immediately.

 

[Kiwi cop]

I noticed that.
As I stated earlier in my post, I also wondered why on earth they went around carrying single-action sixguns when they had DA & semi-autos

Russ

Possibly because in Texas the .45 was considered better than the .38 caliber then available in double action revolvers, and the 1911 was considered "new fangled" and not reliable until well after WWI. There were a lot of SAA's still in everyday use when the depression struck and money was too tight (unless like Hamer was portrayed you were rich enough to buy out a whole guns store) to upgrade a pistol that was still considered better than adequate?

Remember there are a whole lot of J frame .38's riding in pockets and holsters today when sub compact 9mm pistols are available.

I watched The Highwaymen last night and it seemed to me, good story or not, that Hollywood has taken some liberties. After WW I the Texas Rangers became the detective division for the DPS, in essence the State's detective bureau, and learned about forensics. Apparently the Rangers were early converts to the science. So to have two old "cowboys" walk ramapant through the crime scene outside of Dallas on Easter Sunday mishandling evidence seemed to me to be an example of hyping up the "cowboy" aspect of Hamer.

I really need to read up on some of the B&C manhunt history.

 

[growr]

I watched the Highwaymen first and then noticed that Netflix just added the Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway version to the mix and watched that one last night for an interesting contrast......

Randy

 

[6thtexas]

The Rangers did not become part of DPS until 1935. IIRC they were moved to DPS to prevent the type of cronyism which occurred under the Fergusons. The Fergusons had pretty well run most the good Rangers off (like Hamer and Gault) and put in a butch of hacks.

Many of the Rangers stayed on top of firearms developments. When the 1895 Winchester came out, they dropped the old 1894. In the 1920s the Remington Model 8 were popular with them. One of the books around here has a photo of a bunch of Rangers on the steps of the capitol in Austin. Everyone of them had a Model 8 including Hamer who is in the photo.

Hamer had a custom Model 8 in .35 when he went after Barrow. It is modified to take 20 rd. detachable magazines. That rifle and the sawed off shotguns B&C had in the laps when they were killed should still be on display at the Ranger museum in Waco.

Speaking of books, AFAIK there have been two biographies of Hamer. The first was "I'm Frank Hamer" by Frost and Jenkins. It is a wonderful book if you are a 12 year old as I was when I bought it (in fact I bought it at the Ranger museum in Waco when my parents took me there). I think it is out of print but I still have my old copy.

"Texas Ranger" by John Boessenecker is a much better book. It is well researched and shows Hamer warts and all. It also make clear that Hamer was way more than just a shooter.

Sorry for the long post. When I was a kid, Hamer was a hero to me and probably one of the reasons I went into law enforcement. 21 years of carrying a badge, old age, and cynicism has really narrowed down my list of heroes, but Captain Hamer is still on that list.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Those weren't the only "Highwaymen." These four - Willie, Waylon, Johnny, and Kris - were also called that. They actually did a movie together called "Stagecoach."

John

 

[ddixie884]

I saw the death car up close and personal several times. Back when Whiskey Pete's was really just a fuel stop and casino with a hotel, it was in the main room with just some brass posts and a red rope pretty close around it. It was seriously shot up and was a soft light grey color. I always fueled my truck there when going up and down I-15.
I watched the movie and thought it was pretty good for Hollywood. I believe the shooting of the HP by Bonny was witnessed. The motor bandits were out of hand during this period, and something had to be done to stop the robbing and especially the killing. Drastic situations sometimes require drastic measures and most were killed. That is why the FBI brought several western lawmen in to help with the job. JMHO-YMMV.......

 

[Nevada Ed]

Wife and I watched it and enjoyed it.

Top of the line weapons and cars kept the BG's on top for a while.
Then the law finally got smart and got weapons to match and the 30-06 BAR.

As mentioned.. by 1935, all the bad crooks were dead !!
Plus the law now had the radio !!

So how did the BG's get their hands on a BAR?
Thought they were military or LE only ?? !!

Being a GM in the Navy, I worked on the BAR. Good weapon except for the gas port that would plug up, now and then.

Later.

 

[Old TexMex]

As a youngster I was introduced by my Dad to two Rangers, (Capt. Allee, who worked with Capt. Hamer, was one of them)working South Texas, they were older than my father. I felt scared and safe at the same time. Something about those men. Years ago when they made us get Conceled carry permit, my instructor was the late Ranger Jim Peters.
I liked the movie.

 

[keith44spl]

Wife and I watched it and enjoyed it.

Top of the line weapons and cars kept the BG's on top for a while.
Then the law finally got smart and got weapons to match and the 30-06 BAR.

As mentioned.. by 1935, all the bad crooks were dead !!
Plus the law now had the radio !!

So how did the BG's get their hands on a BAR?
Thought they were military or LE only ?? !!

Being a GM in the Navy, I worked on the BAR. Good weapon except for the gas port that would plug up, now and then.

Later.

I think the Barrow gang robbed/looted an nat'l guard armory
to get the heavier arms....

.

 

[31FordA]

Frank Hamer was also one of my hero's when I was a kid, and was one of the reasons for my going into law enforcement. When I was in Austin this past weekend I visited his grave to pay my respects. I plan to see the new movie as soon as I figure this Netflix thing out. Several colleagues have seen it and say it's great.

 

[keith44spl]

I can really relate to Harrelson's character.....

What with havin to take a leak every lit'l bit.....LOL

.

 

[rdcl]

Because of this movie I did a bit of searching and found many photos of the actual bullet-riddled Ford. both vintage & contemporary. Man, a LOT of rounds went into that car!!!

Here's the thing though.....from what I'm seeing in up close pictures.....very few of the rounds actually went completely through the car. While the drivers side was peppered with holes....the passenger side mostly had impact bumps seen from the outside . you can see from outside the car on the passenger side where the rounds stopped. One would think that those 30-06 BAR rounds would have gone completely through the car.

I'm guessing the steel body panels on those old 1930's era fords had much thicker steel than todays' cars.

Would I be correct? Anyone shed some light?

Russ

 

[Onomea]

I've read that the cars of that era had thicker steel than today's cars, and that the .357 was specifically invented to allow law officers to shoot through car bodies of the day to get at the gangsters inside. (I read this in connection with the history of the Registered Magnum.)

 

[ColbyBruce]

Seeing as Bonnie and Clyde were murdering thieves, they likely did not stop at Bubba's Ford and pay cash for a car. Who actually owned the car they died in? Where was it stolen from?

 

[Mitch_D]

Excellent Movie !

 

[31FordA]

Seeing as Bonnie and Clyde were murdering thieves, they likely did not stop at Bubba's Ford and pay cash for a car. Who actually owned the car they died in? Where was it stolen from?

The car was stolen, although I can't recall from where off the top of my head. After the shooting the Bienville Parrish Sheriff claimed the car. Unfortunately for him the original owner turned up wanting their Ford back. After some legal wrangling the Sheriff was compelled to return the car. The owner then promptly sold the car to a circus promoter, starting the car on it's new career as "the death car".

Frank Hamer was disgusted by the traveling circus featuring the car. He and Manny Gault actually turned up at one appearance in Texas to threaten the promoter.

 

[smoothshooter]

It is inconceivable to me that such a large portion of the population could worship murdering, thieving white trash and turn out in such large numbers for the funerals of those two.

Remember the Black thief and drug-dealing bully Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri a few years ago?
Quite a turnout for his funeral too, I think.

 

[smoothshooter]

Because of this movie I did a bit of searching and found many photos of the actual bullet-riddled Ford. both vintage & contemporary. Man, a LOT of rounds went into that car!!!

Here's the thing though.....from what I'm seeing in up close pictures.....very few of the rounds actually went completely through the car. While the drivers side was peppered with holes....the passenger side mostly had impact bumps seen from the outside . you can see from outside the car on the passenger side where the rounds stopped. One would think that those 30-06 BAR rounds would have gone completely through the car.

I'm guessing the steel body panels on those old 1930's era fords had much thicker steel than todays' cars.

Would I be correct? Anyone shed some light?

Russ

There's no way to know how many of the BAR rounds actually hit the car.
I'd say not many.
Most people can't hit **** shooting full-auto, unsupported, if that's the way the gun was being fired. Even up close. Most, if not all the ammo was almost certainly soft-point as well, reducing penetration.
My recently deceased brother had a 1929 Nash car that I have looked over closely a couple of times. The body, door panels, and window raising and lowering mechanisms were thicker and heavier than what is found on vehicles over the last few decades, but still not much of a match for high powered rifle rounds, I think.
I have fired a BAR full-auto and semi-auto, from prone and offhand positions.
This was not the first time I had fired a full-auto gun, and it was difficult to keep more than 3 rounds in a row on an old refrigerator at 12 to 15 yards I shot at first when firing 6 to 10 round bursts. With practice, much better shooting would be possible, but we don't know if any of the officers firing the BAR(s) had ever fired one before that day.