I am a fan of the Cowboy/Western genre. I've watched a lot of Western movies, from the 50's B movies to the John Ford masterpieces and Clint Eastwood's honest portrayal. This is a very good Western, it has some great powerful performances from Peck and Arnaz Jr who was truly very watchable and conveyed a lot of underlying emotions. The movie concerns the relationship between diverse characters, Peck's humorous kind portrayal of a man who has turned to crime to ensure a living, to Arnaz's contained portrayal of a man caught between two worlds, perhaps his two hats nomenclature is a euphemism for the two worlds he straddles. The supporting characters are no less interesting with Jack Warden as the relentless sheriff who doesn't understand the relationship between the two and David Huddlestones Store owner who was a buffalo hunter sharpshooter in the recent past and who can see the new future promised by the railroad and the advent of civilization to come. The move itself is quite metaphorical and symbolic but doesn't lose sight of the main thread, that of the growth of Billy Two Hats in the company of his wise mentor. I really enjoyed it, and I hope you will too. The only downside was Gregory Peck's dreadful Scottish accent which appears and disappears randomly throughout.

Old Scottish bank robber and young 'half breed' accomplice on the run after the former mistakenly killed (only meant to wound) person during the bank robbery. Determined and ornery lawman goes after them with the help of a friend. Older bank robber is injured when the friend takes a very long range shot at him with his Sharps 'buffalo' rifle (also see 'Valdez is Coming' for more Sharps action).Anyway the other reviews do a good job summarising the rest of the film. Highlights for me: - Peck's Scottish accent is quite good, no surprise as he was brought up by his grandmother who was Scottish. - long range Sharps action - lawman treating his friend poorly, his friend can't believe it... - lawman tussling with some unsaid contradictions he has to consider - Indian is a good guy (pity he was not played by a first nation actor still it was 1974).Do watch it and reflect on some of the odd moments and interactions.

See it – One of the best of Gregory Peck's later westerns, this is actually a very underrated movie. Also, if you like listening to Peck speak in a Scottish accent, that'll give you another reason to like it. Not particularly unique or smart, but an enjoyable western with a classic feel just the same. Peck and his young half-breed sidekick, Billy Two Hats, are outlaws on the run. We never hear much about their past, but their camaraderie is evident as they save each other's lives multiple times while being chased through the desert by a relentless lawman. When things turn south, they'll have to use their wits, not just their guns, to survive. 3 out of 5 action rating.

I evoke the name `Slim Pickens,' because it is both slang for what best describes `Billy Two Hats' and is the name of the actor who could have done the most to improve the movie. As fine an actor as Jack Warden is, substituting Slim Pickens for Warden as the racist Marshal obsessed with capturing Billy (Desi Arnaz, Jr.) and Arch (Gregory Peck) would have provided a more proper sense of menace. Pickens would also have made the dialogue which bogs down the first third of the film, a lot more palatable.However, as presented, nothing would have made `Billy Two Hats' any more than a routine western. Omitting the bank robbery, which motivates the story's action, was a major miscalculation. Having Peck and Arnaz spend so much time apart, without providing better motivation for their friendship, was another. The bland Israeli desert is a poor substitute for the American West and the music is inappropriate and forgettable.Fine performances by Gregory Peck, Jack Warden, David Huddleston and Sian Barbara Allen don't entirely compensate for Arnaz, who seems out of his depth. I felt neither conviction nor consistency in his performance.WARNING: SPOILERSTWO BEST SCENES: 1) Peck and Arnaz hearing the discharge of the buffalo rifle at least a second or two before Peck's horse is knocked out from under him. I don't know if there is that much delay between the sound and the arrival of such a high caliber, low velocity round; but, hey, all those unrealistic ricochets in the Italian westerns were neat, too.2) Peck near death hearing the muffled, distant sounding conversations around him. BOTH of these major accomplishments belong to the sound department of `Billy Two Hats'. I just wish the rest of the movie rose to the same standards.