Buffalo Bill, l'eroe del far west

Released in 1965 and directed by Mario Costa, "Buffalo Bill, Hero of the West" stars Gordon Scott as the title character who is commissioned to avert an Indian war by stopping renegade Indians, led by Yellow Hand (Mirko Ellis), who are illegally sold guns by Big Sam Donaldson (Mario Brega). Roldano Lupi plays the rigid colonel of the local fort and Ingeborg Schöner his beautiful daughter while Feodor Chaliapin Jr. plays Chief White Fox and Catherine Ribeiro his daughter, Silver Moonray.

Gordon Scott's acting career only lasted a dozen years from 1955-1967. He was tall with a lean waist but with muscular bulk and a likable, almost innocent disposition (think Brendan Fraser with big muscles). He's perhaps best known for playing Tarzan six times in as many years from 1955-1960, but also known for sword & sandal roles, like Goliath, Samson, Remus and Hercules. I was curious to see how he'd do in a Western and was pleasantly surprised.

While this is a Spaghetti Western, it was made in 1964 and Sergio Leone's Man With No Name trilogy was just starting to skyrocket to popular success. As such, don't expect the items usually associated with Spaghetti Westerns, except badly dubbed dialogue, Spanish locations substituting for the American West and Spaniards playing Native Americans. Beyond these factors, this is more akin to American Westerns, like John Wayne ones and, of course, 1944's excellent whitewashing of the same Western icon, "Buffalo Bill," where Joel McCrea played the hero. Unlike that movie, which is biopic, this version is a slice-in-the-life of Buffalo Bill. Actually, the character of Yellow Hand was taken from that earlier movie, being based on the real-life Cheyenne chief Yellow Hair whom Cody shot, stabbed and scalped three weeks after Little Big Horn (!), or so he claimed.

At any rate, this ain't no cheapo flick. Yes, the Native dialogue is a tad stereotypical, but that was typical at the time and it's not as bad as you would think, like, for instance, in Elvis' "Flaming Star" (1960). The locations and sets are excellent, such as the Western town and the fort; and the costuming is quite good as well. On top of all this, Scott shines as the winsome protagonist and you'll find yourself rooting for him and his sidekick. Not to mention the two women are quite fetching. The only problem I had with this movie is the poor dubbing and the washed-out (non) colors of the public domain DVD I viewed. To add insult to injury it's a pan & scan version where one person talking in a scene might be totally off camera but, thankfully, I only really noticed that in one scene near the end. I would love to see a widescreen version with brighter colors.

The movie runs about 90 minutes and was shot in Spain and Elios Studios, Rome.

GRADE: B-

BUFFALO BILL, HERO OF THE FAR WEST is a typical western that has more in common with the Winnetou films coming out of West Germany than the new-fanged spaghetti westerns that followed in the wake of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. It stars former Tarzan and peplum actor Gordon Scott as the upstanding titular hero, who must tackle a sinister plot that involves renegade cowboys and ruthless Indians, and offers plenty of bang for your buck.

This is a film which is neither particularly good nor particularly bad. It just sort of exists, and remains watchable thanks to an emphasis on action. The requisite shoot-outs are present and correct, but there's a greater focus on drawn-out and dragged-out slug-fests between Scott and the villains. Mario Brega makes for a great hulking brute and Scott's endless fist fight with him is a highlight, as is the climactic battle. Elsewhere there's time for a little romance and time for a little plotting, alongside the usual trappings of gorgeous scenery and bad dubbing (including that of Scott himself).

A note about Catherine Ribeiro (cast as "Moonbeam" );her film debut was Godard' s "Les Carabiniers" ;in the mid-sixties,she wound up in this spaghetti western : her acting is quite disastrous, a wig is not enough to make us believe she's an Indian ;Primarily a Chanteuse ,she became a leftist well-respected Latin progressive rock singer,in the seventies ,along with her group "Alpes" ;She was then one of our best French artists - her peak is arguably her 1972 album ,"Paix",which contains her most memorable track " Un Jour La Mort" .

The hero is called "Buffalo Bill ",but they could have chosen Davy Crockett or Hopalong Cassidy or any legendary wild west character;after Tarzan and the sword and sandals flicks,and before becoming ,in the wake of James Bond ,a secret agent ,Gordon Scott (essentially remembered for his part opposite Steve Reeves,in an estimable "Romolo E Remo")was cast as the fearless horseman ,on the right side of the law ;here he is friend with the Indians (particularly Moonbeam and her father "Wise Fox" ),the good ones that is :some of them buy weapons from a white villain.(Buffalo Bill supported the native American rights )

The movie borrows a little from many American movies :of course ,there's a fort with a bossy colonel who does not want his daughter to marry a nice captain -because marrying a military man would make her a widow too soon;a final fight between Bill and the nasty Indian is the Pièce De Résistance of a harmless entertaining western,with a rather nice cinematography and a good sense of space which makes up (a little) for the triteness of the plot.

Although "Buffalo Bill, Hero Of The West" is a western made by European filmmakers, it isn't quite like what you usually associate with spaghetti westerns. The movie plays out like it was made by American filmmakers, from the standard western plot right down to the musical score. That doesn't mean that spaghetti western fans won't find anything to enjoy here. For starters, this movie clearly had a budget; there are dozens of extras, as well as a complete replica of an army fort built. Also, the action sequences, from hand-to-hand combat to gun battles, are pretty well done. However, the story, despite the presence of the colorful wild west figure Buffalo Bill, is often kind of flat and predictable. Still, if you are a spaghetti western fan, the movie has enough interesting elements to make it worth a look. However, if you do decide to watch it, seek out a copy that presents the movie in its true widescreen format - the pan and scan editions frequently cut off speaking characters photographed to the far left and right.

Muscleman Gordon Scott swaps his loincloth/tunic for a buckskin fringe jacket, jeans and a six gun in this entertaining euro western. It classed as a spaghetti western, but it eschews the gritty and anti-hero elements of that ilk. This western is a traditional shoot-em up a la John wayne-style with colourful locations, and there's plenty of intense action. Every western lexicon is covered here: barroom brawls, saloon shoot em ups, and exciting staged Indian fort attack. There's a naive charm about it with a lot of colour and energy.