Buffalo Bill (1944)

Sorry, this movie sucks

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Buffalo Bill is directed by William A. Wellman and collectively written by Aeneas MacKenzie, Clements Ripley, Cecile Kramer and Frank Winch. It stars Joel McCrea, Maureen O'Hara, Linda Darnell, Anthony Quinn, Thomas Mitchell and Edgar Buchanan. A Technicolor production out of 20th Century Fox, with music by David Buttolph and cinematography by Leon Shamroy. The Sioux and the Cheyenne must strike together. No history lessons to be learned here, just the core essence of one William F. Cody and his life trajectory is used for entertainment purpose. Which if history is not what you are after, makes this a grandish production worth spending time with. 99% of the pic is given to his time out on the ranges as a pioneer, his romance with Louisa Frederici, and his political movements. His move into the Wild West showmanship that he would become famous for, is sadly dealt with in what is little more than a coda at story's end. Damn the East! As the story arc moves into the Indian War territory, this lets Wellman show his skills as a constructor of action sequences. The Sioux and the Cheyenne have joined forces and in spite of the arrogant claims by the army suits that the War will be over in a week, it proves to be anything but that. The battle here is that of Warbonnet Creek (AKA: Hat Creek), and it's brilliantly crafted by Wellman and his team, the highlight of the pic for sure, and a merciful change in direction after previously we had witnessed some on screen Buffalo killings, which while not shying from the reality of that moment in history, is still upsetting and tough to watch. I don't hold with General Sherman that a good Indian is a dead Indian. Other notable tech accomplishments are attained by Buttolph and Shamroy's respective work, while Wellman continues his fine direction with some nifty locomotive sequences. Acting wise the performances are just about good enough. McCrea and Quinn as Buffalo Bill and Yellow Hand (AKA: Yellow Hair) respectively, have the required amount of machismo and emotional fortitude to make the roles work, and crucially they convince in action scenes. O'Hara and Darnell get poorly written roles, but both are radiantly beautiful and costumed up to the nines, whilst Mitchell and Buchanan are solid as usual. Lively, colourful, emotional and fanciful, good entertainment for the Western movie lover, but maybe not the Western purists. 7/10

This bright and cheery western has a great sense of the outdoors, helped by good colour cinematography and locations.William F Cody "Buffalo Bill" (Joel McCrea) as the legend tells us was an army scout who then later rescues a Senator and his beautiful daughter, who he marries. He also came to be firm friends with Yellow Hand, who later became chief of the Cheyenne. Cody takes the side of the Indians when modern 'civilisation' moves in over the plains where the buffalo grazed, wiping out both the beasts and the habitat. He later took his Spirit of the Wild West worldwide with his Show, for which he gained international notoriety.McCrea is OK as Cody and as others have said, Anthony Quinn, now, looks faintly ridiculous as Chief Yellow Hand. Then, as a relative unknown, I suppose this gross miscasting wouldn't have mattered as much. However, it is the beautiful Maureen O' Hara as Cody's wife who holds the interest for many, as her loveliness radiates through from the screen.It's also been said that this William A Wellman directed biopic is fictionalised and cannot be considered accurate. That aside, there's plenty of good fighting action, battles on horseback and plains where real buffalo roam. All in all, a modest little western that's quite watchable, if you take it for what it is.

While as Biography, "Buffalo Bill" is probably as accurate as the depiction of Custer in "They Died With Their boots On", it is still excellent film making and a fine vehicle for stalwart Joel McCrea, who, despite performances in excellent non-westerns such as "Sullivan's Travels" and "Foreign Correspondent" was known primarily as a Cowboy Star.I would also hold this film up as another example, along with John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy, of a film which depicted Native Americans as a noble race, victimized by the march of western civilization, long before the advent of films such as "Little Big Man" or "Dances With Wolves" The White Man is clearly the villain in this and the Ford films. Early on, Cody admonishes a Government representative, telling him that Yellow hand (Anthony Quinn, who also plays Crazy Horse in "They Died With Their boots On") is a Prince of his people, and should be treated as such.Plus, if the reunion at the shooting gallery and the Wild West Show farewell scenes don't put a lump in your throat, better check your pulse.

I first saw this film in 1944 in Denver, CO., and the last time just recently. It is truly an excellent film. Having lived mostly in Arizona I can certainly understand the plight of the Native American Indian throughout the history of our country.There is a scene in the movie where Buffalo Bill is being honored at a dinner given by a Mr. Vandervere(George Lessey). During the introduction of Buffalo Bill, Mr. Vandervere attributes the quote, "The only good indian is a dead indian" to General William T. Sherman. Sherman may have uttered the quote but it is attributed to General Philip H. Sheridan.Actually, the quote,"The only good indian is a dead indian" is a historical proverb of unknown origin. Edward Ellis in his book, THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY: FROM THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA TO THE PRESENT TIME(1895) titles a short paragraph, "Sheridan's Bon Mot". Ellis relates an event from an eyewitness account of Captain Charles Nordstrom. It was the writer's good fortune to be present when General Sheridan uttered the Bon Mot in January of 1869 at old Fort Cobb in Indian Territory, now Oklahona, shortly after Custer's fight with Black-Kettle's Band of Cheyennes. Old Toch-a-way(turtle dove), a chief of the Commanches, on being presented to General Sheridan, desired to impress the General in his favor. Striking himself a resounding blow on the breast, he managed to say, "Me, Toch-a-way, me good injun." A quizzical smile lit up the General's face as he set those standing by in a roar by saying, "The only good indians I ever saw were dead." In later years,General Sheridan denied he ever made the comment.