The Outlaw, directed by Howard Hughes, was a significant project for him, as he signed a contract with Pat Garrett’s surviving children for the rights to their father’s story. Filming began in Arizona in the early 1940s. Hughes was the first to ignore production code from the Hays office. The film caused controversy as the amount of skin shown in Miss James Russell’s bust was deemed offensive by many state censor boards under the Production Code Authority. Despite legal complications, United Artists eventually took the film on a roadshow in 1946 and 1947, setting high attendance records. The ban imposed on the film and Miss Russell’s features was lifted on September 11th, 1947, and was finally shown in New York. Although a classic tale of Billy the Kid, the movie stirred controversy over censorship, and Pat Garrett’s children unsuccessfully attempted to sue Hughes. The Outlaw starred Jack Buetel as Billy the Kid, Thomas Mitchell as Pat Garrett, Water Husten as Doc Holliday, and Jane Russell as Rio.