Les Fusils du Far-West

This is a road-company version of the Cecil B. deMille original, utilizing second-string actors and borrowing footage and plot elements from a number of earlier movies. You can't really call it bad because it aspires to be nothing more than one of those forgettable time-killers you might half-way watch on an in-flight movie.

Abby Dalton overplays her role as Calamity Jane and a mis-cast Don Murray (still boyish at age 37) lacks the frontier edge you'd expect to find in Wild Bill Hickok. He does have a fresh-from-the-bath scene in which he wears nothing but a towel -- a scene which sparks pleasant memories of a similar moment he played in 1956's "Bus Stop." Even after ten additional years Murray still looks fit enough to carry off a "beefcake" scene but one can't help noting that his pecs have gotten a lot hairier with the passage of time. And does he have to wear that towel so high that it covers up his navel?

Later in the movie Murray falls into the hands of Indians who proceed to torture him in the hopes of forcing information from him. They hang him by his wrists over a fire-pit but, curiously, they leave all his clothes on -- even his neckerchief! -- with his shirt-tail neatly tucked into his pants and his boots still on. This awfully-polite torture scene cries out for a big helping of sweaty "beefcake" and since Murray proved he still looks good with his shirt off, one questions the decision not to use his physique in this scene for visual appeal. Did someone decide that since Murray had taken off his shirt earlier in the movie, he couldn't do it again?

Leslie Nielsen pops up toward the end as General Custer. He's burdened by a laughable hair-do and beard and looks uncomfortably like the American history teacher who's been pressed into service in the high school play when Billy Bob called in sick.

Well, let's face it: this film will never win an academy award, but it's still a nice decent entertainment with humour touches. Fine acting and a typical plot make this film a good Indians and cowboys one. This is a remake of 1936 Cecil B. De Mille's The Plainsman with Gary Cooper. Here Don Murray plays Will Bill Hickok, Guy Stockwell William Cody and Abby Dalton Calamity Jane. All of them do it all right although no sparkling. Leslie Nielse appears in the end of the movie as col. Custer. Beautiful scenery (the opening credits and first meeting between Hickok and chief Black Kettle specially) and nice script (see the scene where Calamity Jane talks with Cody's wife about men). So do not expect a ten star film but still worth watching.

Average Western , being uneven , regulary directed and full of figures from history , along with the North American Indian upheavals . This ordinary western contains a story full of adventure , up and downs pace , thrills and so-so direction .This is a mighty adventure when America's destiny rode in the saddle bags of the US cavalry from Fort Hays . Dealing with the heroic courage of two men and a woman that will set your blood tingling and with the grandest love story ever told . With the end of the American Civil War, the manufacturers of repeating rifles find a profitable means of making money selling the arms to Cheyennes by smuggling . As Bill Hickok attempts to stop an Indian uprising that was started by white gun-runners . Bill Hickock (Don Murray) , a tomboy Calamity Jane (Abby Dalton) and a serious Buffalo Bill (Guy Stockwell) team up for brave feats in this empty , simple venture . Later on , Calamity Jane is driving a stagecoach and across the desert she meets Will Bill .Then , the girl is kidnapped by Cheyennes (Henry Silva , Simon Oakland) and Bill attempts to free her ; of course , both of whom fall in love again . There emerges a feeling love of an impetuous girl for a strong man who couldn't speak his heart . Along the way they must battle hostile Indians and outlaws who intent on gunrunning . As the film happens in an on-again, off-again romance between Will Bill and Calamity Jane .When the land needed law... When the West needed taming... When adventure needed a giant... They sent for the Plainsman!

This breeze-fresh movie filled with get-up-and-go , noisy action , go riding , shootouts , Indian assaults and fun . A little too self-consciously mini-epic and much too reliant on historical roles and back-projection, but still a colorful though regular western which rambles through the familar parade of epic characters , Cheyennes and their uprisings , gun-runners , and other baddies . Badly telescoped to get them all in , including a brief acting from Leslie Nielsen as heroic General Custer . However , it results to be a very mediocre and ordinary Western . It's a thrilling western with spectacular outdoors and breathtaking confrontation among badly-dressed Indians and cavalry soldiers . Acceptable action sequences with rousing Indian attacks against a surrounded detachment on a ridge and little realistic shootouts . Guy Stockwell's passable , and silly portrayal of Will Bill/Don Murray lumbered with a skittishly , romantic as well as irritating Calamity Jane . Abby Dalton stars as the gun-toting , rip-snorting Calamity Jane of Western lore , but overacting , she gives a funny portrayal of the famous frontier wilcat and she certainly puts full of fire and mirth into the role . As Calamity seems to come from another , altogether less trivial film . They are well accompanied by a pretty good support cast , such as Bradford Dillman , Henry Silva , Simon Oakland ,Leslie Nielsen as Col. George Armstrong Custer , Terry Wilson , Walter Burke and Percy Rodrigues . Special mention for the enjoyable musical score for the great master and incombustible John Williams in one of his first works . This plain and simple western movie was regular though professionally made . Just about what you'd expect from splashy director David Lowell Rich .

Other films about Will Bill Hickcok , Calamity and Buffalo Bill are : first version ¨The plainsman¨ 1937 with Gary Cooper , Jean Arthur , James Ellison , Charles Bickford , Anthony Quinn , james Mason , being filmed on the tremendous scale only Cecil B DeMille could achieve ; ¨Calamity Jane and Sam Bass¨ 1949 by George Sherman with Yvonne De Carlo , Howard Duff ; ¨Calamity Jane¨1982 by James Goldstone with Jane Alexander , Frederic Forrest ; ¨Wild Bill¨1995 by Walter Hill with Jeff Bridges , Ellen Barkin ; ¨Seven hours of gunfire¨ by Joaquin Romero with Gloria Milland , Rik Van Nutter , Adrian Hoven .

Although the events are fictious , the picture is partially based on relationships among Calamity Jane , Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill . The real happenings are the following ones : At the beginning , 1858 , Buffalo Bill and Wild Bill Hickock work to establish the Pony Express join forces to establish a mail route that can get mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, as well they fight Indians and enemies who seek to destroy it . While Martha Jane Canary or Cannary (May 1, 1852 - August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman and professional scout known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok and fighting against Indians. Late in her life, she appeared in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. She is said to have exhibited compassion to others, especially to the sick and needy. This facet of her character contrasted with her daredevil ways and helped to make her a noted frontier figure .She was also known for her habit of wearing men's attire.Much of what she claimed to have witnessed and participated in cannot be proven. It is known that she had no formal education and was an itinerant alcoholic.. In 1876, Calamity Jane settled in the area of Deadwood, South Dakota in the Black Hills . There she became friends with Dora DuFran, the Black Hills' leading madam, and she was occasionally employed by her. She also became friendly with Wild Bill Hickok and Charlie Utter, having traveled with them to Deadwood in Utter's wagon train.Calamity Jane does seem to have had two daughters, although the father's identity is unknown. In the late 1880s, she returned to Deadwood with a child whom she claimed to be her daughter.Jane also claimed that, following Hickok's death, she went after his murderer Jack McCall with a meat cleaver, since she had left her guns at her residence in the excitement of the moment. Rating : 4.5/10 . Average Western

I don't know who wrote or got this turkey produced; but it was a colossal waste of time. Leslie Neilson as George Custer LOL. Guy Stockwell as Buffalo Bill Cody LOL. Don Murray was more concerned flashing his pearly whites (ala Burt Lancaster), than he was trying to convince mature audiences he was Wild Bill Hickok. And the worst sin of this Hollywood History fantasy was the portrayal of Calamity Jane by some B actress who wore more eye makeup in one day than the real Calamity Jane would have worn in her whole lifetime. She was too good-looking to be Calamity Jane. Calamity Jane was butt-ugly and didnt wear make-up. The whole premise rang false. Don't waste your time on this turkey. Watch the original with Gary Cooper.

This is one of these really rather poor remakes that isn't up to much. "Wild Bill Hickok" (Don Murray) is determined to stop a war between the soldiers and the Cheyenne. The latter have found a source of powerful rifles now that the US Civil War is over and the manufacturers are looking for new customers. Soon he has "Calamity Jane" (Abby Dalton) and "Buffalo Bill" (Guy Stockwell) on his side as he tries to thwart the smuggling - at no small peril to "Calamity". The production is really quite cheap and cheerful. Plenty of horse chases and rifle play but equally plenty of back-lit stage bound scenarios that are actually more funny then adventurous. The three stars here are mediocre, with as lacklustre a dialogue and though it doesn't hang about, it is all just a bit too light and fluffy. Not a patch on Gary Cooper's 1936 iteration. Keep an eye out for a fleeting contribution from Leslie Nielsen ("Custer") - that's about all this film can lay claim to fame for.