The Bull of the West (a.k.a. Hot Lead) is a 1972 Compilation Movie made by stitching together two episodes of The Virginian: "Duel at Shiloh" (2 Jan. 1963) and "Nobility of Kings" (10 Nov. 1965). Stars Charles Bronson, Lee J. Cobb, Brian Keith, Lois Nettleton, George Kennedy, James Drury and Doug McClure.
Whwn the American West was still a harsh and hazardous frontier, fencing the open range with barbed wire led to open warfare between contending cattlemen. Determined Homesteader Ben Justin (Bronson) sets out to cultivate his own spread, but faces many obstacles and personal conflicts along the way. Not until plenty of hot lead and fists fly does he finally resolve his problems.
- The Alcoholic: Determined Homesteader Ben Justin has a history of running away and crawling into a bottle whenever things go wrong. He is trying hard to break cycle and is refusing to drink, and nearly takes a bullwhip to his son Will when he catches will drinking.
- Animal Stampede: Georgia Price and Johnny Wade attempt to stop Judge Garth and his crew from fencing off the winter pasture by stampeding a herd of cattle through the fence and over the top of Garth and his men.
- Berserk Button: Texas cowboy Johnny Wade hates barbed wire, and is likely to murder anyone he finds using it.
- Cattle Baron: Judge Garth and Georgia Price operate the two biggest ranches in the district. Judge Garth is a Reasonable Authority Figure who sides with the smaller Ranchers surrounding him. Georgia Price, however, is ruthless and attempts to drive out the small ranchers by using the open range laws to destroy the pasture they are planning to fence off as winter pasture for their herds.
- Cattle Drive: At the end of the film, Ben is preparing to send his herd on a cattle drive to market when he discovers the herd is infected with aftosa and has to be destroyed.
- Determined Homesteader: Ben Justin has started a small ranch and is determined that no one is going to drive him off his land. However, his attitude quickly antagonizes the larger ranchers around him.
- Heal It with Booze: After Steve gets tangled up in barbed wire, Johnny swabs his wounds down with what he refers to as 'cleaning whisky'.
- Improvised Armor: When the drifter who murdered the brakeman throws a knife at him, Johnny Wade twists and catches the knife in the saddle he is carrying over his shoulder.
- Market-Based Title: Was released on DVD under the title Hot Lead.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Ben Justin, after some goading from a rival rancher, misinterprets his wife Mary secretly taking their son Will to the Shiloh ranch for riding lessons as her having an affair with the ranch foreman.
- Rancher: Much of the plot is driven by friction between between the various ranchers outside of Medicine Bow, Wyoming. Judge Garth and Georgia Price are big enough to qualify as Cattle Barons.
- Shoot the Dog: Ben is forced to shoot his entire herd, including his prize Angus Aberdeen bull, after one of the cows contracts aftosa.
- A Taste of the Lash: In an attempt to teach his son Will not to be weak like him, Ben Justin rips the shirt off his back and almost takes a bullwhip to him, but is stopped by the Terrible Ticking inside his head.
- Terrible Ticking: Whenever Ben is under stress he hears a rattlesnake rattling inside his head.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Will Justin is desperate to earn the approval of his father Ben, and secretly learns how to ride a horse to prove that he can help to run the ranch.
