The Outlaw movie poster.

The Outlaw is a 1943 American Western film directed and produced by Howard Hughes. The film stars Jack Buetel as Billy the Kid, Jane Russell as Rio McDonald, Thomas Mitchell as Pat Garrett, and Walter Huston as Doc Holliday. The Outlaw was highly controversial upon its release due to its emphasis on Jane Russell's figure and its suggestive themes. It faced numerous censorship battles and was re-edited several times before finally being released in the United States on February 5, 1943.

The film tells a fictionalized story of Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, and Pat Garrett, focusing on a love triangle between Billy, Doc, and Rio. The Outlaw is known for its lush cinematography by Gregg Toland, its score by Victor Young, and its sexually suggestive themes that pushed the boundaries of the Hays Code, the censorship guidelines of the time. Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, The Outlaw was a box office success. While it wasn't nominated for any Academy Awards, it has become a cult classic, remembered for its provocative content and its role in making Jane Russell a star.