For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Bronco Billy is one of Clint's favorite films. It is also somewhat overlooked or under-appreciated. Bronco Billy is part of a traveling wild west troupe out to make a living by entertaining the kids. Sondra Locke is his love interest yet again and is joined by other regulars that appear in various Eastwood pictures . Also the great Scatman Crothers is joined also and delivers one of his best performances. This is more of a family friendly film and a change of pace to the usual violent Eastwood movie . That does not mean it lacks depth as the story is good and the characters are interesting.I find Bronco Billy somewhat similar to Overboard ,which is also a funny ,heartwarming comedy with another real Hollywood couple that is fun for the whole family . Bronco Billy really is a solid movie and proof to any naysayers that Clint is not a one dimensional filmmaker,or only good as action star. He made a lot of movies that drive that point home throughout his career , this is one of his best of those films.

Bronco Billy (1980) ** 1/2 (out of 4) The cowboy/dreamer Bronco Billy (Clint Eastwood) is barely keeping his Wild West show going but his luck's about to change when he gets involved with a woman (Sondra Locke) recently dumped by her husband. This is a rather interesting film as I've read that Eastwood says it's his favorite but at the same time I've read what a bomb it was at the box office when originally released. It's certainly understandable why most people would avoid this thing but that's a shame as it's a cute little film that manages to have enough charm but I doubt those wanting Dirty Harry will have much use for it. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the film all the way through as I did think there were some flaws including the ultra-long running time. A dreamy comedy like this one really didn't need to go on for nearly two-hours but some of that is due to the screenplay, which is quite predictable in regards to the ending. With that said one still has to admire Eastwood for trying a film like this because it's basically just about making your dreams come true. In the case of Eastwood's character, he always wanted to be a cowboy and he's doing whatever it takes to keep his show going even though modern audiences have grown tired of it. Eastwood gives a very good performance and once that will keep a smile on the viewers face. The actors hasn't had too many chances to play a nice and charming person but he handles the role very well. Locke is also quite good in her performance as the rich brat who eventually buys into the show of dreams. I found her performances to be quite good and she was very believable in the turns her character takes. Scatman Crothers. Geoffrey Lewis, Bill McKinney, Sam Bottoms and Sierra Pecheur all add nice support as well. I think a little editing would have helped the picture but then again I'm sure this is the type of film that would getting better on repeat viewings. I'm sure even today this isn't a title that Eastwood fans rush out to view but they should certainly give it a shot if for no other reason that to see the legend in a different light.

A heart-warming movie with plenty of wry humour and some absolutely hilarious moments. Who would have thought that a film starring Clint Eastwood roaming the Western states in cowboy gear could be so uncannily reminiscent of a classic romantic screwball comedy of the 1930s? In spirit, structure and message, not to mention the core protagonists and storyline it's a close bedfellow of It Happened One Night. That splendid entertainment was not without its gritty realism and depth, and here there is more - the acts in the Wild West show have just the right flavour of unpolished skill, the confrontation between Eastwood and the malevolent sheriff ends in resigned frustration at not being able to beat him to the draw and blow him away in the style to which we are accustomed. The juxtaposition between the itinerant performers scratching a living out on the road, setting up in one small town after another to deliver their unvarying yet fraught routines and the deliberately comic-strip avaricious urbanite rich, with Sondra Locke as the unwilling new member of the troupe caught between the two worlds is handled with considerable skill. The characters are nicely drawn, the plot is laced with a good smattering of ironic twist, the milieu is superbly evoked, and the overall effect is both light-hearted and sincere. A joy.

I thought this was a very good film. A pleasure to watch, not boring, fun, exciting and a good story throughout. It came on TV at like 2:00am and i sat up and watched it all and didn't get bored once.A rich woman is left in the lurch after her new husband runs off with all of her possessions, she's kinda mean to "poor" people but she joins Bronco Billy's wild west show to get from A to B. Gradually becomes likable. Sometimes you wanna slap her lol.I agree with the previous comment, its good to see Clint play another role rather than the stereotypical cowboy. Watch it!! I'm gonna see if i can find it on DVD.