A Controversial (And Very Real) Story Behind Billy Bob Thornton's 1883 Character
Billy Bob Thornton played one of the most notorious gunslingers of the Wild West.
The prequel to the iconic Yellowstone, 1883, takes a more classic approach to the Western genre, telling the story of the ancestors of the Dutton family who now own their ranch. In the show, the characters make a long and arduous journey from Tennessee to Oregon and then to Montana, encountering a variety of individuals on both sides of the law along the way.
When they arrive in Fort Worth, Texas, the protagonists meet the local marshal, played by Billy Bob Thornton. Is his character based on a real person, you may wonder?
Thornton, who lived most of his life in Arkansas, is known for his southern charm, which allowed him to play criminals, lawmen, and adventurers in several hit Westerns such as Tombstone, Dead Man, and South of Heaven, West of Hell. In 1883, he portrayed Marshal Jim Courtright, the lawman who kept all of Fort Worth, aka Cowtown, on a short leash.
After James Dutton and Shea Brennan learn that a group of bandits attacked the wagon and killed some of the passengers, including James' niece, the men head to Fort Worth, knowing that the criminals settled there. As Courtright volunteers to help them find the gang, they go to the local saloon, where one of the surviving Germans identifies the bandits, and Marshal Courtright shoots several of them.
Turning to the real-life person Thornton's character is based on, Jim Courtright or simply Big Jim was probably an even more formidable figure than his fictional counterpart in 1883. This man was recognized as one of the fastest gunslingers in the Wild West, and at various points during his lifetime, he was a sheriff, marshal, private detective, bounty hunter, and just plain outlaw.
Big Jim was also Marshal of Fort Worth, but the Yellowstone franchise creator Taylor Sheridan actually altered his life's chronology in his show. In reality, Courtright served in that position a little earlier, from 1876 to 1879, before losing the election a third time and moving to New Mexico.
Courtright is remembered as a controversial figure in history. Although he reduced crime in the town by being the most skilled gunman, he also levied fines on local entrepreneurs who he thought were no better than the bandits themselves.
In 1884, Big Jim returned to Fort Worth to open his own detective agency. Three years later, he was killed in a gunfight with his former friend and fellow expert gunfighter Luke Short.