Buffalo Bill (1944) User Reviews

As Buffalo Bill saw himself.

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 9 November 2004]

If William F. Cody had lived until 1944 he would have loved this film. Most of all he would have approved of the casting of Hollywood's most straight arrow hero Joel McCrea as himself. That's the image Cody liked to convey even if it wasn't exactly the truth.

The real Cody was a brave enough hero all right and this film does mention some of the highlights of his real life, the buffalo hunt with Grand Duke Alexei of Russia, the hand to hand fight with Yellow Hand at War Bonnet Gorge, and the formation of his wild west show.

The trouble was the real Cody got into show business and he was ballyhooed out of all proportion to his real accomplishments. And Cody was lent himself admirably to exploitation.

The movie is the kind of ballyhoo that Cody would have approved. Cody's chief publicist in real life was Ned Buntline who is faithfully portrayed here by Thomas Mitchell. Maureen O'Hara is Louisa Frederici Cody and she's the faithful, but eastern bred wife. No hint of the real marriage problems that plagued the Codys.

Linda Darnell and Edgar Buchanan are in this film and I don't really know why. Darnell is an Indian school mistress and Buchanan is a grizzled old army trooper. No real reason for either of them in the film. Darnell is killed at War Bonnet Gorge and she must have been the first squaw who rode into battle. Buchanan's character is also left hanging in the air. Anthony Quinn is Cheyenne chief Yellow Hand and is Cody's worthy adversary on the screen.

Buffalo Bill Cody's real contribution was the wild west show. Cody had many imitators, but he was the original. Until Hollywood took over with the making of the first silent westerns, these shows created the myths surrounding the winning of the west. Sadly that part of Cody's life is given short shrift.

But Buffalo Bill would have loved this film. Whether today's audience would is open to speculation.

Light as well as colorful biopic about the mythical hero taking on Indians and Cheyenne chief Yellow Hand

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 27 June 2016]

This is an entertaining chronicle of the noted frontier explorer . A simple story of William "Buffalo Bill" F. Cody (Joel McCrea) , legendary westerner , whose adventures made him a hero , this is a fictionalized account of the life and career from his days as an army scout or frontier hunter , his marriage to Louisa Frederici Cody (Maureen O'Hara) , to his later activities as showmanship . There happen sad events , as a lot of Buffalos had been exterminated , as hordes of eager hunters pursued the Buffalo herds in mass attacks and newspapers publicized special excursions to Buffalo grounds , including ¨the Great Russian Duke hunt¨ . Bill participated but also denounced these deeds . His hat along with a small part of his scalp was shot off by the Sioux Indians with their chief Crazy Horse and Cheyennes tribes , as in 1869 took place the action leading to a stunning victory over the Cheyenne at Summit Springs , Kansas . And there occurred his fight against ¨Yellow Hand¨ (Anthony Quinn) . Bill inspired dime novelist Ned Buntline (Thomas Mitchell) to write a serial featuring him and he began escorting hunting parties for rich men . The movie describes his rising and fall when Bill assaults an editor , denounced fraud , evicted from Astor ; though Bill , finally , accused Monied interests of instigating Indian wars . After winning a Congressional medal of Honor for bravery , then Cody left scouting and headed East to begin a theatrical career . Bill , subsequently , becomes a wealthy owner of a Wild West show , as a showman made him a legend.

Good biographic movie portraying the famous Wild West role . Well and lavishly directed by William A. Wellman with a great all-star-cast as Joel McCrea , Maureen O'Hara , Anthony Quinn , Linda Darnell , Edgar Buchanan , among others . Being emotionally right on the mark and there's precious action . The picture has an excellent Mise-En-scene with spectacular battles , big production design , thrilling score by David Buttolph and spectacular cinematography by Leon Shamroy .

During his 72 years Bill (1846-1917) enjoyed one of the greatest careers in Western history . Bill started early , by the age of 14 , he had already worked as drover , prospector , trapper and Pony Express rider . While grading track , and hunting Buffalos for the Kansas Pacific Railroad , after the Civil War , 21-year-old William F. Cody allegedly received the nickname ¨Buffalo Bill¨ after bringing down 11 of the beasts with 12 shots . Like his friend , ¨Will Bill Hickock¨ whom he met during the Civil war , Cody scouted for the Union in its wartime campaign against the Plains tribes and continued operating against Indians in the service of General Sheridan , General Carr's 5th Cavalry and other commanders . The dime novels and other popular entertainments of the time had already begun to be filled with rather fanciful accounts of Cody's exploits . And coming west on the newly completed transcontinental railroad . Shortly thereafter, the celebrated scout moved to Fort McPherson , Nebraska . In 1875-1876 he returned briefly to scouting in the Sioux Wars where he distinguished himself yet again . From then until his death in 1917 , Bill divided his time between ranching and producing Wild West Shows , in which Bill was cheered by crowds of enthusiastic citizens that made him wealthy and secured his everlasting fame .

Other films about ¨Buffalo Bill¨ are the followings : ¨Battling with Buffalo Bill¨ (1931) by Ray Taylor with Tom Tyler , ¨The Plainsman¨ (1936) by Cecil B. De Mille with Gary Cooper , James Ellison , Jean Arthur , ¨Buffalo Bill in Tomahawk Territory¨ by Bernard Ray with Clayton Moore , Chief Thundercloud , ¨Buffalo Bill rides again ¨ (1947) by Bernard Ray with Richard Arlen , ¨Buffalo Bill¨ by Mario Costa with Gordon Scott , Mario Petri and the historical pastiche as well as perennial underrated ¨Buffalo Bill and the Indians¨ (76) by Robert Altman with Paul Newman who appears as a charlatan and shameless exemplar of encroaching imperialism .

Very dated but has its moments

[frankfob · 6/10 · 30 July 2004]

Big, splashy spectacle benefits from absolutely beautiful photography and a truly outstanding finale that has hundreds of cavalrymen and Indians battling in the middle of a river. Joel McCrea's performance is okay--overacting is something he was never accused of--and Maureen O'Hara tries hard but is miscast (not, however, as badly as Linda Darnell, who is breathtaking to look at but totally wasted as an Indian maiden). The script takes liberties with the facts, which is to be expected, but its point of view is quite a bit more sympathetic to the Indians' plight than that of most westerns of the period. Overall it doesn't hold up all that well, but if you've never seen it it's worth a look.

Amazingly, a pro-Native Western from 1944

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 16 December 2014]

"Buffalo Bill" (1944) is a a fictionalized biopic of the life of "Buffalo Bill" Cody (Joel McCrea) who worked as a scout for the US Army and later traveled East, establishing his Wild West show and becoming an international sensation.

Director William Wellman and a writer worked for months on a script that told the true story of Buffalo Bill, including that he was a drunk, a charlatan and an unfaithful husband, but -- ultimately -- they said they couldn't destroy the legend, so they destroyed their screenplay and hired writers to write the myth.

This explains people's criticism of this classic Western, but if you can accept that it's more myth than fact it's quite entertaining, especially considering the time it came out. Several things surprised me about this movie. For one, it clearly takes a pro-Indian stance and this was a full two decades before it become "hip" to do so. Secondly, the depiction of the Indians is good and they used real Natives as peripheral characters. Although Anthony Quinn plays Yellow Hand, he looks convincing, probably because he had Native blood.

The Cheyenne and Sioux are portrayed in a noble manner as people protecting their way of life from the Europeans who don't keep their word and slaughter the buffalo en masse for no logical reason. There's a stunning scene when the Natives confront the cavalry and Yellow Hand stands up to Buffalo Bill. After the battle, Bill holds the body of an Indian woman he knew (Linda Darnell) and someone asks, "A friend of yours?" Bill sadly responds, "They were all my friends."

Interestingly, a black boy is shown in one of the carnival scenes and even has a line, which is notable considering this was a full two decades before the Civil Rights movement.

Some facts: The character of Yellow Hand was taken from the real-life Cheyenne chief Yellow Hair whom Cody shot, stabbed and scalped after Little Big Horn. As already noted, the movie is a whitewash and omits the fact that Cody sued his wife, Louisa Frederici (Maureen O'Hara), for divorce in 1905. They had four kids, but two died when they were young.

Some criticize the way Bill stands at attention while prince Yellow Hand walks in half-naked wherein Bill lifts his hand and says "How." My Response: Didn't the Europeans (sometimes) talk with half-naked Natives when they met, which was fitting since it was the heat of the summer? So what's the problem with depicting this in the film? And wasn't "Howgh" an actual greeting with some tribes? It was. "Hau" was a greeting of the Lakota/Dakota Sioux, which is one of the two tribes depicted in the film; in fact, this greeting is still used by Sioux people today. Other tribes had similar words for greetings. As such, what's wrong with depicting this in the film, particularly since the actors pulled it off? Besides, at that time in the early 40s it hadn't become the stereotypical cliché that it later became.

Bottom Line: Yes, there's some roll-your-eyes myth-making in "Buffalo Bill" (like the kid with crutches at the end), but the story maintains your attention and there's a lot of rollicking entertainment, especially the exciting Cavalry vs. Indians segments. Beyond that, McCrea and Quinn are great, the locations are spectacular, the women are beautiful and the Natives are presented in a respectable and believable way, particularly considering the picture was made in the early 40s.

The film runs 89 minutes and was shot in Utah, Arizona and Montana.

GRADE: B+

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY: "Buffalo Bill" was one of the first pro-Native Westerns, which came into vogue by the 60s/70s. This is a good thing because it's important to see the other side of the Indian Wars, but let's not whitewash history. The Black Hills were first inhabited by the Arikara tribe followed by the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Pawnee and Crow. These tribes were defeated by the Sioux, who migrated out of the Minnesota woods (actually chased out by their enemies, the Ojibwa and Chippewa). The Sioux then used their superior numbers to take the Black Hills from the other tribes that resided in the area.

I point this out because Native Americans were guilty of the very thing we accuse European settlers/soldiers/prospectors of doing -- invading lands that weren't theirs.

Furthermore, applying modern thinking is a dishonest tool when inspecting the relations between Native and settler/soldier/prospector.

We always hear of the injustices committed by the US Army or settlers and get a handful of examples: Wounded Knee, Bear River and Sand Creek. Yet we never hear the other side of what caused these events nor do we hear of the atrocities of Natives committed against New Americans. For instance, we never hear of the Dakota "War" of 1862 (Santee Sioux went on the war path and murdered between 600-800 white settlers, which constituted the largest death toll inflicted upon American civilians by an enemy force until 9/11), The Ward Massacre, The Nez Perce uprising which killed dozens of settlers in Idaho and Wyoming, and the Massacre at Fort Mims. We never hear of the countless innocent settlers who were murdered by roaming bands of young "warriors": While a chief was signing a peace treaty on the tribe's behalf they were out robbing, raping and murdering.

I'm just saying that it's easy to be pro-Native sitting on the comfort of your sofa, but not so much when you and your loved ones are threatened with slaughter.

The Europeans wanted the Native's land and resources while the Indians wanted the technology of the Europeans. Both sides used treaties to make peace while still trying to get what they wanted when war was too expensive. Both sides made war when they felt no other option.

I love Native American culture, but the whitewashing of Native atrocities and this revisionist history stuff is dishonest and unbalanced.

C.B.DeMille-style western

[gstevens-2 · 8 May 2003]

All the action in this movie is mostly towards the beginning-the indian vs calvary battle which bestows the famous reputation of indian-fighter on the main character, Buffalo Bill. The battle scenes are enhanced by the large numbers of real indians who were wearing real eagle feathers, and even the participation of a young indian woman in the battle(a similarity to the Custer battle, where indian women also participated). Staging a battle with large numbers of horses in the middle of a river must have been challenging. The indians would have probably chosen a much better site, but the storyline said they were in a hurry to get through a vital pass and so the clash.Buffalo Bill summarized his feelings for the indians by saying,"they were all my friends." the rest of the movie focuses on his personal life and tragedies. His final speech to his fans gave the viewer a feel for the about-to-be-lost glory and grandeur of the old west.It made me think of how far beyond anything C.B. DeMille ever did the true west really was.

Shoot Bill!

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 15 May 2021]

A lavish Technicolor potboiler shot by Leon Shamroy, who later collected that year's Oscar for colour cinematography for 'Wilson'; although here the most spectacular scenes are obviously the work of Otto Brower's second unit, with the close ups of the leads shot back at the studio.

It commendably takes the side of the American Indian (represented here by Anthony Quinn and Linda Darnell, the latter wearing lots of makeup and the former very little of anything) against the vested financial interests back East, and also gives the plight of the buffalo a nod.

Maureen O'Hara thought her first western "would be forgettable, but it turned out to be one of the biggest moneymakers 20th Century-Fox had that year" and that Joel McCrea although "a very nice man, a good actor, but not rugged like Duke or Brian Keith". He's likeable, however and as usual gives the film heart.

Not quite as inaccurate as most biopics of the day.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 February 2013]

"Buffalo Bill" is a highly romanticized picture of 'Buffalo' Bill Cody. While IMDb is correct that most of the things in this biopic are actually based on Cody's real-life exploits, most of the relationship between him and his wife was pure hooey. Sadly, there was no great love in Cody's life--or if there was, it wasn't his wife! Most of their life was spent apart by his choice--and there were other women in his life. But, this image of Bill would not have gotten past censors back in 1944, so the studio fictionalized this aspect of his life. The rest, however, is reasonably accurate--something that surprised me as I watched the film. He was a scout for the US Army in the west, he fought in the Indian wars and he did start up an incredibly successful Wild West Show.

Another aspect of the film that struck me was its treatment of the American Indians--particularly the Cheyenne. It was odd, as the major roles of the 'Indians' were played by Linda Darnell and Anthony Quinn!!! This insensitivity was pretty much the way American Indians were portrayed in American films through the 1950s. HOWEVER, despite this insensitivity, the film did correctly assert that the Indian wars were forced on these people due to how they were treated by the government. And, in this way, the film was much more balanced than many westerns of the day.

Overall, a somewhat inaccurate film that looked nice and featured the excellent acting, as usual, by Joel McCrea. Worth seeing--just not exactly the Gospel! And, the final line of the film might make you throw up--so when that little kid in the audience stands up, PLUG YOUR EARS!!!

By the way, the film made one HUGE mistake. General Sherman NEVER said "The only good Indian is a dead Indian". This quote was actually from General Sheridan--though it's not exactly what he said. When he was asked what a good Indian was like, he said very succinctly "...a dead one".

"They were all friends of mine".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 December 2016]

The real life Bill Cody must have been quite the conflicted character. While revering the Indian way of life, he took part in the Indian Wars and led buffalo hunts that wound up decimating the country's massive herds of the animal, helping destroy the lives of many tribes. The dichotomy in Cody's (Joel McCrae) character is given resonance following the Battle of War Bonnet Gorge, when he comments on the terrible loss of life - "They were all my friends".

For a while, I thought the introduction of Linda Darnell's character was intended as a romantic tease vying for Cody's affection for Miss Frederici (Maureen O'Hara), but that plot line wound up going nowhere. If Darnell's character name was mentioned in the story I had to have missed it, she's called Dawn Starlight on the credits page here.

Same thing with Edgar Buchanan's character, the Cavalry Sergeant Chips McGraw. He wound up not really having a lot to do in the story, eventually learning he was dismissed from the Army after serving for thirty years. Talk about your slow postal service. One thing you'll only catch in this picture though, it's the only time I've ever seen Buchanan with a white handlebar mustache!

As with most of these Western films of the era, there's not much to go by that's historically accurate, so the best thing to do is just settle back and enjoy it for what it is. McCrea seems to be unusually laid back in his role as the frontier hero, his best moments perhaps while dealing with Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hand (Anthony Quinn). But once again, any story that introduces Ned Buntline (Thomas Mitchell) as a character has to be taken with a grain of salt. He always did his best to sell newspapers and magazines, even if it meant streeeeetching the truth.

Buffalo Bill (1944)

[amazeika · 8/10 · 25 April 2005]

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.

Outstanding in a few ways

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 29 October 2018]

There's good news and bad news here.

Let's start with the bad news. Like many Hollywood biopics of the day, this one apparently strays a bit from being an authentic biographical sketch of WIlliam F. Cody. And it gives little more than lip service to the latter part of his life when he became the toast of half the world (his traveling shows are covered in less than ten minutes at the end of the film in a fairly meaningless way).

But there's plenty of good news here, too. For example...a movie about cowboys and Indians where most of the Indians were played by real Indians (except for the two main Indian characters played by Anthony Quinn and Linda Darnell). Nevertheless, the rest of the Indians seem to be real Indians...not white guys with heavy makeup. That's pretty impressive. And, the movie is relatively favorable to the plight of the Indians, something that was not yet in style in the mid-1940s. The scenery -- in Utah -- is quite beautiful, although the quality of the print shown on TCM indicates a real need for a restoration.

Joel McCrea was a fine actor, although I don't think that was his best performance. He's satisfactory. Maureen O'Hara is lovely as ever, although she didn't have enough really good scenes. Linda Darnell's role as an Indian girl is rather stereotypical. Thomas Mitchell is Thomas Mitchell, if you know what I mean. Edgar Buchanan has an interesting role as a veteran army man. And it's interesting to see Anthony Quinn as a hunky Indian at the age of 29.

The film was directed by William Wellman. I can't help but think that he must have wished he had had a bigger budget. This film could have been top-notch. It still has its positive attributes, but it doesn't do the man justice.

Joel McCrea is pretty monotone

[HotToastyRag · 2/10 · 20 April 2018]

If you grew up wanting to become a cowboy, following the legendary adventures of Buffalo Bill Cody, you'll definitely want to check out one of the several biopics made in Hollywood and on television. I've only seen the 1944 version and his fictional portrayal in the musical Annie Get Your Gun. Buffalo Bill follows his friendship with Native Americans and shows his courtship and marriage to Louisa, played by Maureen O'Hara.

Since this movie was made during the good ol' Hollywood era of racism, the Native American characters who were prominent enough to have dialogues with the leads were played by "ethnics" Anthony Quinn and Linda Darnell, who were subjugated to these types of roles throughout their careers. Maureen O'Hara's character is given a healthy dose of racism, but it's never really addressed, just accepted. As usual, she overacts every line, and contrasted with Joel McCrea's wooden, monotone delivery, both actors come across as incredibly mismatched. He's so incredibly boring, and the rest of the production values are pretty cheap. Unless you absolutely love Joel McCrea, check out another version.

A Great Adventure

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 3 March 2004]

The story of Buffalo Bill (Joel McCrea) is showed basically in two parts, beginning in 1877: in the West, when he meets his future wife Louisa Frederici Cody (Maureen O'Hara), his friendship with the Indians, specially with Yellow Hand (Anthony Quinn), and his work, as an explorer of the wild West, ending when his wife returns to the East with his baby son and with a battle against the Cheyenne. The second part begins when he moves to the East, loses his son, separates from his wife, defends the Indians in the civilized society until his retirement. I liked this movie a lot: the battle scenes are fantastic, the story has action, romance, drama and is not corny. I do not know whether the facts are correctly presented or not, but as a movie, it is a great entertainment, recommended for all audiences. Maureen O'Hara's beauty is stunning. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): `Buffalo Bill'

Killer Bill

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 22 October 2008]

The most noticeable thing about this fairly routine Western is its sympathetic portrayal of the native American – something of a rarity for a Hollywood film of the 40s. The white man is the villain here – or, more specifically, the white man from the East who is unfamiliar with both the culture of the Indians and their needs. Coming from New York in their droves, they decimate the buffalo population as part of a fashion fad and uncaringly leave the starving Indian nation with no option but to go to war. Despite this sympathetic portrayal, stereotypes still abound. Anthony Quinn plays the legendary Yellow Hand, one-time friend of Cody, who has been educated by the White Man but still talks in that curious pigeon-English so beloved of Hollywood film-makers. And for all the Indian's nobility, whiteness is still something to which Indian squaw Linda Darnell still aspires. It's difficult to understand why she is included in the plot because she has little to do other than gaze longingly at an oblivious Cody. Even the writers don't seem to know what to do with her and end up having her bizarrely taking part in a pitched battle between Indians and cavalry.

Joel McCrea plays Buffalo Bill and he is as reliable and unspectacular as you would expect McCrea to be. Cody himself is something of a paradox. Initially friendly with the Indian he sacrifices his position in order to save the father of the Eastern lass he has his eye on (a radiant Maureen O'Hara) and then helps organise guided hunting trips to give witless city types the opportunity to take part in the orchestrated massacre of the buffalo (perhaps, then, a better title for him would have been Buffalo-killer Bill?). Having helped drive his old friend Yellow Hand's tribe to the edge of extinction he then deliberately baits the Indian chief into a battle to the death to buy himself some time when out-numbered by the combined forces of the Sioux and Cheyenne. Despite later railing against the 'civilisation' that has claimed the life of his son, Cody then embraces that culture and finds a niche within it as an entertainer, recreating his exploits in a travelling sideshow before the titled heads of the world. When you think about it, this isn't exactly the most admirable of people we're learning about here, and you're left feeling that the writers really hadn't given much thought to the overall impression they were trying to give of the man.

Although the film overall is something of a dull affair it's lifted by some good action sequences and early use of technicolor.

Buffalo Bill

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 11 June 2019]

Tells the life story of the western legend.

Ramming a full life into under 2 hours is always going to present challenges and the film frequently falls back on montages to cover passages of time. The main part of the film ie out west does contain some strong set pieces but is overall rather dull. The film picks up when he goes east and faces problems in his life.

Factual Errors

[taklasek · 12 December 2005]

I enjoyed watching the film "Buffalo Bill." Unfortunately close blood relations of Buffalo Bill were still living at that time, and they should have made an effort not to make errors.

Louisa Frederici met Cody in Saint Louis, and served out the end of the war there planning on making her his bride. They were married in her father's home (John Frederici) on South 8th Street in Saint Louis. They left right away for a steamboat to Kansas. Her father did not go along, and was NOT a Senator.

It is a fine film, and entertaining. When Bill Cody returned to the West in 1866 he was married! There was no Linda Darnell's character. Just once I would like for Hollywood to do an exact biography without changing the facts!

I am a Frederici descendant. Terry Alan Klasek Saint Louis, Missouri

Glossy, Mild Entertainment

[FightingWesterner · 6/10 · 15 June 2014]

William Cody finds himself caught between angry Indians and a stubborn US government, while finding time to romance Senator's daughter Maureen O'Hara. Meanwhile, old friend Anthony Quinn and sister Joan Blondell prepare for war with the white man and the inevitable confrontation with Bill Himself.

While never boring, this is a fairly shallow biopic, with a dignified, laid back title performance by Joel McCrea. It benefits greatly by being filmed in blazing Technicolor, on some excellent, picturesque locations and by an animated performance by Anthony Quinn, though Blondell and her character are terribly wasted.

The exciting, well-staged action scenes fare better than story scenes. Unfortunately, the action ends about thirty-minutes before the picture does, leading to some meandering near the end.

Meandering Biopic

[kenjha · 6/10 · 30 December 2011]

This biopic looks back at the life of the legendary Buffalo Bill Cody. Given the subject, the fine cast, a veteran director, and the Technicolor cinematography, the film is a disappointment. The main failing appears to be the script, which is episodic and meandering. After focusing on Bill's frontier escapades, the latter part of the film dwells on his career as a showman, and this is where the film really bogs down. McCrea is believable, if a bit bland, in the title role. O'Hara is given little to do other than look lovely, which she manages quite well. Darnell is also little used as a spirited Indian. Mitchell, Buchanan, and Quinn round out the familiar cast.

Buffalo and Bison, Bison and Buffalo.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 27 June 2014]

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

Move, or be driven out!

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 6 October 2023]

This is one of the few classic westerns I recall taking a stand defending native tribes for what was theirs, ordered by the army to move and going into battle to protect their hunting grounds. Joel McCrea is the title character, William F. Cody, warning the general declaring war that the natives (in this case Cheyenne, led by Anthony Quinn) are unpredictable, and befriending Quinn's future chief Yellowhand with warnings from both of how their meeting in battle could end that friendship, eventually creating a treaty.

The film has a memorable scene between Buffalo Bill's future wife (Maureen O'Hara) and Cheyenne woman Linda Darnell where Darnell bitterly bemoans the fact that O'Hara will always view her as "Indian" even though she's wearing one of O'Hara's dresses. O'Hara is trying to be kind but Darnell sees through that, blaming her for not wanting her dress back because an Indian wore it.

Romantic scenes between O'Hara and McCrea are some of the most romantic I've seen in a 40's western, colorful and humorous as well. Edgar Buchannan isn't recognizable in old age makeup as a mail deliverer, but his voice sure is. Thomas Mitchell plays real life publisher Ned Buntline, and he's as blustery as he was as thar other O'Hara's father.

Moroni Olsen is commanding as Maureen O'Hara's father, and of course, she makes more of her role than was probably in the script. Quinn is quite sexy wearing very little, and makes his character quite honorable. Definitely altered from real history to be more cinematic, and certainly plagued by stereotypes. I cringed every time McCrea said "How!" to Quinn. But it's a promising advancement in the cinema's treatment of the natives, beautiful to look at and one of William Wellman's great directorial achievement.

The Greatest Western Movie Ever Made

[jayraskin1 · 10/10 · 22 November 2009]

This is one of the most underrated films of all time. It excels in every area - cinematography, acting, writing, direction, editing and production values. Yet, New York Times Critic Bosley Crowthers dismissed it as just a "colorful film" when it opened in 1944.

Yet, scene after scene is brilliant, the comedy works, the romance works, the action works, and the political/philosophical points about the American West work. For example take the comic second scene of the film where Bill Cody has to wait for a letter, while the postman delivers the mail according to rank. "There are many ranker than you," he says. Delicious. There is hardly any romantic scene in a movie that matches Maureen O'Hara being taught Native American mating customs by Joel McCrea. The Battle scenes between the soldiers and Native Americans are as good as anything until "the Magnificent Seven." Politically, it intelligently denounces racism and shows that the Native Americans fought largely in self-defense. At the same time, it shows Native Americans as both fierce in battle and dignified. It makes the point that the only Indian that the Euro-American ever cared about was the Indian inscribed on their money.

The movie has great writing and great lines. For example, after the army massacres a group of Native-Americans, Joel McCrea finds the dead body of Linda Darnell. She was his Native-American schoolteacher. He picks up the woman and carries her body in his arms. "A friend of yours?" quips a soldier. "They were all friends of mine," answers Bill.

McCrea and O'Hara are flawless in the leads, but the acting is great down the line. Anthony Quinn and Linda Darnell as native Americans have some great scenes. Before he is about to go into battle, Quinn tells himself, the grass will still grow, the sun will still shine and the river will still flow. It eloquently shows the way Native Americans see themselves as part of nature. Darnell is wonderful as she tries to fit in with Euro-American Society only to realize that they will only always see her as an "Indian." This is the perfect Western, both exciting and intelligent. It beats out "Stagecoach," "Cimmaron," "Once Upon a Time in the West," "the Magnificent Seven" and "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" as my favorite Western only because it seems so effortless and modest.

"The red man and whiskey don't mix, ma'am."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 23 July 2014]

Biopic of legendary frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody, ably played by Joel McCrea. He fights with and for Native Americans. The two women in his life are senator's daughter Maureen O'Hara and Cheyenne schoolteacher Linda Darnell. O'Hara gets the guy but Darnell is radiant in Technicolor. Her character's name is Dawn Starlight, which is possibly my favorite name ever. The rest of the cast is solid, with Thomas Mitchell, Edgar Buchanan, and Anthony Quinn offering fine support. There's more fiction than fact here, as is usually the case with Hollywood biopics. It's pleasant, straightforward storytelling. Good but never quite as good as you hoped it would be.

Well Maureen O'Hara is about the only thing holding this film up.

[PatrynXX · 5/10 · 9 April 2020]

Main problem with this film is whoever the joke of an editor who edited this thing was horrid. Wonder if he was flogged. Naturally I would click it has spoilers simply to cover my hide. Truth is though nothing of the sort. Did he ever see eye to eye with Native Americans ? Not this sort of movie. Just the editing ouch. I rated this the way I did more because of really awful editing. Sure it's eye candy. Best for those holed up in the house or Apartment etc But well Colorized Maureen 1944 is enough for me

Quality: 5/10 Entertainment 6/10 Re-playable: 2/10

A role McCrea was born to play

[frank4122 · 10/10 · 6 April 2021]

Joel McCrea is a natural to play William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The film adds nuance and authenticity to the struggles of settlers against the lives of the Indians and their battle for survival. Thus the accurate "battle" lives in the annals of Fox studios and not the true West, however here lies an astonishing storyline with amazing performances. Maureen O'Hara plays a complexed character as a wife and mother consumed by a survival instinct. As the consummate artist, O'Hara performs to perfection in every way. Of course the cast is superb with Anthony Quinn (Chief Yellow Hand), Linda Darnell (Dawn Starlight), Edgar Buchanan (Sgt. Chips McGraw) and Thomas Mitchell (Ned Buntline). From start to finish Buffalo Bill is a first rate production.

Goid story but bad special effects

[zola1936 · 6/10 · 15 March 2022]

This could have been a much better story and movie since it had the always reliable and likeable Joel MCCrea, but the movie gets bogged down with the romanticism between MCCrea and Maureen O' Hara. The special effects leave a lot to be desired. In one scene an arrow is horizontally shown hitting the inside of the wagon they are escaping in. Kind of hard when the Indians chasing them are behind them. When the wagon turns over the occupants not seen in previous scenes all pile out after it turns over and run to the other side to face the Indians. The other side would have had them facing nothing but rocks and clearly not the side from where the Indians were coming from. Lastly, in the scene showing the Indians burning crops and homes you can clearly see Mohawk Indians doing it, This was file footage from the movie Drums Along The Mohawk. Wellman could have done a much better job of special effects, as it clearly hurt the movie.

Noticeable Goof

[GASDOC · 21 February 2004]

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.