The filming of THE BALLAD OF BILLY BLUE was a sincere effort to proclaim the atonement offered by Jesus Christ. The story-line successfully achieves its goal.
Eric Estrada starred in THE CROSS AND SWITCHBLADE and did a fantastic job. Because of that he was sought out to be in the Ballad of Billy Blue as a trial run to also star in the life story of Nicky Cruz, which the producers had the contract to produce.
Before the BBB was released, word got out that THE CROSS AND SWITCHBLADE was in financial trouble, which had the ultimate effect of drying up funding the the Nicky Cruz film--never produced.
Meanwhile Eric Estrada went on to make it big on his own, and has earned the respect of everyone involved in the efforts to make two films total. The "preacher" was played by the Executive Producer of the film and author of this review. The movie is in the hands of Dr. Ken Curtis in Valley Forge, PA and he is the distributor of it today. (2008).
Signed: Dr. Robert J Plekker, Executive Producer of THE BALLAD OF BILLY BLUE.