How Howard Hughes engineered a national scandal to sell a mediocre Western film
In short: The Outlaw is remembered less for its plot than for the marketing genius of Howard Hughes. By manufacturing public outrage over Jane Russell's costumes and designing a cantilevered bra she refused to wear, Hughes turned a critically panned Western into a box-office phenomenon that defied censors across America.
When Howard Hughes produced the 1943 psychological Western The Outlaw, he was obsessed with marketing his lead actress, Jane Russell. Seeking to capitalize on her image, Hughes designed a complex, metal-supported underwire bra intended to emphasize her bust. However, Russell later revealed in her 1988 autobiography that the contraption was so painful she wore it for only minutes before discarding it, secretly padding her own bra with tissue to deceive Hughes throughout the production.
The film faced immediate friction with the Hollywood Production Code Administration, which demanded cuts to footage highlighting Russell's figure. Rather than backing down, Hughes intentionally leaked details of the 'lewd' film to women's clubs and ministers, successfully manufacturing a public outcry. This strategy created a massive demand for the film, which opened in San Francisco in 1943 without the Hays office seal. Despite being labeled 'indecent' by the Legion of Decency and facing bans in cities like New York, the film set house records in theatres across the country.
Critics were largely unimpressed by the final product. Reviews in Variety and The New York Times described the film as tedious, amateurish, and soporific, with The New York Times calling Russell 'hopelessly inept' as an actress. Nevertheless, the controversy fueled its commercial success; by 1968, the film had reportedly grossed $20 million. The Outlaw eventually entered the public domain in 1969 after failing to renew its copyright, ending a long legal battle over its distribution rights.
The film's legacy remains tied to its turbulent release history rather than its narrative quality. It was subjected to multiple cuts for different regional markets, and even featured a unique ending for its Australian release to ensure law and order prevailed. Today, the film serves as a case study in how manufactured scandal can override critical reception, transforming a 'second-rate' Western into a permanent fixture of Hollywood lore.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Outlaw
- Also: Wikidata — The Outlaw · CC0
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