Is Old Henry a True Story? Is Henry McCarty Based on a Real Outlaw?

Potsy Ponciroli’s western film ‘Old Henry’ charts the story of an unnerving encounter in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma, during the early 1900s. The titular character, Henry McCarty, is a man past his prime who has made a remote life for himself and his son as farmers. While the latter, young Wyatt, remains starved for adventure, the father, who harbors a dark past of his own, is determined to protect his new life and the safety it provides. Therefore, everything changes when the father-son duo stumbles across a stranger, who seems to be in dire need of help. This ends up bringing a whole posse of threatening riders to their humble abode, casting a looming cloud of danger at the small ranch. The film charts a story ripe with gunslinging actions, heartfelt family dynamics, and a nostalgic worldbuilding that strengthens its connection to the Western genre. SPOILERS AHEAD!

An Inspiring Location Led to the Inception of Old Henry

‘Old Henry’ presents an intriguing narrative that finds expansive roots in reality. The story, set in 1906, Oklahoma, retains a period setting as well as prominent historical references. Even so, the film’s storyline remains a work of fiction, penned by director/writer Potsy Ponciroli. Therefore, different aspects of the story exhibit varying degrees of realism and fictionality. The film came into development unexpectedly while Potsy Ponciroli was scouting locations for a different project. During this time, he came across a location in Watertown, Tennessee, that stirred his creativity. In a conversation with the National Board of Review, the filmmaker spoke about the same.

Ponciroli shared, “So we’re scouting for this other project, and this property is huge, 2500 acres, and we come over the hill, and we see this old house. It’s over a hundred years old, and it sits up on these stones, and we walked down and around and through it, and then it started to get dark out. I live near Nashville, and it’s more of a city/suburb, and I’ll say the country gets really scary at night. The sun started going down, and I kept thinking, what would you do if someone came right now? You’re out there alone. That was the genesis of the story, and it was built upon that location.” As such, the foundation of the narrative remains firmly rooted in the aesthetics and storytelling conventions of the Western genre. This contributes a huge sense of familiarity to the story. Additionally, the protagonist at the helm of the tale also possesses a unique and tangible connection with real life.

Old Henry Has a Surprising Connection to the Gunfighter Outlaw Billy the Kid

While the inception of ‘Old Henry’ came about from a location, the details of the film’s narrative possess an entirely different origin story. Originally, the project was being developed as “Old Dan” without any specific non-fiction element behind it. However, eventually the film started to turn into a Western with a prominent basis in one notable historical figure: Billy the Kid. Known by his aliases—including Henry McCarty, William H. Bonney—Billy the Kid, was an Outlaw from the time of the Old West. Over the years, he has become something of a mythological figure in the Western genre. Born in late 1859, The Kid ended up on the wrong side of the law early in his life. He was first arrested in 1875 for a robbery at a Chinese laundry operator, which earned him charges of larceny.

However, shortly after his incarceration, Billy the Kid escaped from the county jail and entered the life of an outlaw. In the following years, he engaged in various criminal activities, including theft, murder, and even got involved with gangs in Southwest and northern Mexico. He has also been associated with various murders as a suspected perpetrator. His involvement in around nine of these murders has been confirmed. Eventually, The Kid met his end in a violent confrontation against Sheriff Garrett and Pete Maxwell on July 14, 1881. Since then, he has become something of a legend and a myth in the world of outlaws. As a result, his memory and influence have inspired various creative works, including comic books, novels, films, and more. ‘Old Henry’ also takes inspiration from the life of Billy the Kid, imagining a life for the Outlaw beyond his death in the event that he might have survived. Thus, even though the story itself is fictitious, it holds on to a historically relevant background.

Old Henry Achieves Realism Through Historical Accuracy

Even though the storyline of ‘Old Henry’ is fictitious, its period setting and connection to a prominent historical figure necessitate a sense of realism in the film. The visual and textual aesthetic of the project certainly helps in imbuing the story with historical accuracy. Additionally, the film’s approach to Henry’s characterization, both as a former Outlaw and a man stuck in the turn of the century in the 1900s, also significantly informs the story’s overall sense of realism. This required notable research from filmmaker Potsy Ponciroli and the lead actor Tim Blake Nelson’s behalf. While the two collaborated to develop Henry’s character, they also individually engaged with history to ensure authenticity.

In a conversation with The Script, Potsy shared his approach to historical research and said, “The idea of this guy (the on-screen Henry McCaarty) that has a past, it’s his past that he’s corrected now, and this area of the country. I did a lot of research into Oklahoma in this time period, and actually, where we had to be in the timeline because this person was a historical figure, so that puts us in the modern world—there were cars, and there were tractors—so the only place that was still unsettled was Oklahoma territory and Indian Territory, it was still divided.” Apart from this, Potsy and his team also looked into historically accurate vocabulary and mannerisms to infuse in Henry’s character. Ultimately, this adds a sense of realism to the film, despite its fictionally speculative basis.

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