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Warning - other posters have explained what this movie is about, this one does not. Instead, for something different, allow me to mostly tell the stories behind some of the actors in it. Originally a 1980 TV Mini Series, this movie is the series turned into a 3 hour video. At least that is what this VHS tape appears to be that I picked up at a local church rummage sale. I somehow missed this show when it was on TV, but I was happy I found it as many of the themes are reminiscent of Louis L'Amour stories. Some of my few commentaries, like this one, tend to go more into the histories of the actors in the movies than the movie itself (although some of that too). Therefore please excuse the history nut in me. This movie has so many top stars it is truly amazing. So who else for the lead but Sam Elliott, star of a number of Louis L'Amour stories turned to movies like The Sacketts and Conagher (in which he starred with wife Katharine Ross. They met on the set of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where Elliott had a bit part but Katharine took a shine to him and they are still married. That speaks well of them as real people in plastic Hollywood). Sam Elliott almost always plays the tough, wiry part and does it well. He was great in Gettysburg as Cavalry General John Buford. I like the fact that the Wild West Show that becomes part of this story first takes place in the changing West, to keep it a western and not have them running around in the East playing at being westerners. Penny Peyser is his love interest and I remembered that cute face from somewhere else, she was in a number of movies, but I remembered her from The Blue & The Gray where she played a daughter in the central family. For some reason she apparently didn't get much more movie work, but she deserved more as she plays her parts well. Bruce Boxleitner was the bad guy in this and he played it excellently but I like him better as a good guy. Just shows his good acting ability to play either well. He was married to Little House on the Prairie Laura star, Melissa Gilbert. You may remember Boxleitner in some of the Gambler movies with Kenny Rogers, General Longstreet in Gods and Generals and in Babylon 5. Ah and now to one of my favorites from way back, Ben Johnson. I remember him in the old John Wayne movies where he and Harry Carey Jr. (in this movie too) would ride like real cowboys - that's because they were the real thing. Ben Johnson first arrived at Hollywood by bringing in some horses for Howard Hughes and decided to stay and watch. He was a real cow hand and would one day win the World Champion Steer Roper. He played stand-in for John Wayne, Gary Cooper and James Stewart. John Ford gave him his start but then they had a falling out and Johnson didn't work for him for years. Ford could be nasty (there is now evidence of a letter written by John Wayne sent to the War Dept in WWII volunteering to work under Ford filming front line battles. Ford used his influence to have Wayne turned down). As a testament to Ben Johnson though, in The Last Picture Show, producers wanted him so badly that they agreed to let him take out the curse words from his part as they offended him. Well he showed them what is right and won an Academy Award for that part, so Hollywood take note against some the low class garbage put out as entertainment today. Dennis Hopper played Doc Holliday in this and I don't know why they bothered as it was just a couple minute cameo part where he went up against Elliott. An old timer who was a great actor was Cameron Mitchell who was on the TV show High Chaparral. He was a head hand on the Tyree ranch. I mentioned Harry Carey, Jr. who was in this and as always, a great actor and real person. Did you know that during WWII he was assigned to the O.S.S. and worked under John Ford, that he spoke Navaho and grew up on a cattle ranch? Do you remember him in Disney's Spin and Marty show? Then there is the fellow who played the foreman for Boxleitner, Buck Taylor. What a family history with this man. A good actor who played the blacksmith and sometimes deputy on Gunsmoke as Newly O'Brien. He is the son of Dub Taylor. Don't remember the name? Well you would know the face as he was in so many supporting roles. He played many parts including the father of Michael Pollard in Bonnie & Clyde. Buck is the father-in-law of actress Anne Lockhart from Battlestar Gallatica and her mother is June Lockhart from Lassie and Lost In Space and Anne's grandfather is the famous actor Gene Lockhart. The history in this family boggles the mind. By the way, I met Anne Lockhart and shook hands one time back in the early 90's and she is still just as lovely and ladylike as ever. There are so many good actors in the movie that I have to stop but first, let me mention Pat Hingle, another great actor. Did you know he was the Commissioner in two of the Batman movies? He stars in an Amish movie from about the 1970s too. Follow Sam Elliott and company through cow punching, sharp shooting, tall tale telling, Indian fighting, Indian friendships, bad guy fighting, fist fights and shooting, love interests, friendship, buffalo hunting, and Wild West Show. If you like westerns, especially ones that have parts that remind you of Louis L'Amour tales, and if you like top level acting, then this is a show you want to see.

Wild Times is a real piece of crap. A Don "Red" Barry movie from the early forties has more intelligence than this tripe. The dialogue was dumb, the storyline was dumber, and the acting was way below par. My wife and I got stuck watching all three hours and twenty one minutes of this valueless video on the Westerns Channel, hoping that as time wore on it would get better. It never did. It started out mildly okay, then went downhill from there. Some movie moguls must have had a lot of cash and nothing to do to waste their time and everyone elses with this worthless western. If you have the choice of watching Wild Times or rearranging your sock drawer - do the socks. It'll be more entertaining.

Some of the worst acting ever committed to film by name players. The story is weak, the score abysmal, the directing non existent. This may have been the film that doomed Sam Elliott to supporting roles, B movies and TV westerns following his bravura performance in "Once An Eagle." Dennis Hopper's mumbled lines take up about 30 seconds. Ben Johnson is sleepwalking through his role and the female lead would have had difficulty outshining the furniture. Poorly written, poorly directed and poorly acted. It is hard to understand the high ratings given by some reviewers. If the novel on which it was based was as bad as this two-part miniseries, it is hard to believe it was published. The horses were pretty good, however.

I like this movie not because of the acting but because of the technical aspects. The movie takes place in the blackpowder era. I look for technical mistakes like using a 1873 Colt Peacemaker revolver in the 1860's or using a Winchester 1894 in the 1870's. Cardiff used muzzle loading, blackpowder, Plains Rifle with a octagon barrel, percussion cap ignition, and looked to be about at least .50 caliber. A muzzle loader like that takes a cloth patch surrounding the ball and then a ball with a short projection that is used to start the ball down the barrel. That is called a ball starter and one the ball is started the ramrod takes over. On the chest of Cardiff was a white handled small knife. That is a patch cutter. The cloth patch is put in front of the bore and a ball put in. The excess patch is cut off using that knife. Cardiff also used a Colt 1860 blackpowder revolver with percussion cap ignition. In the bar scene during the fight the person behind the bar pulled out a rolling block rifle ( you never see these in westerns). During the first shooting scene, Ben Johnson used a Winchester 1894 rifle with the front hand guard removed so it would resemble a Henry rifle. Lastly, watching the movie was like watching a film of family members who are no longer living. These actors are movie icons the likes of which will never be seen again. They have gone to the great Big Wigwam in the sky!

I like this show, it has an outstanding cast, a good plot and a very interesting story line. This is a fun movie to watch. I just wish someone would start making movie and/ or mini series like this again. This is so much better than the stuff that passes for entertainment now that it's pathetic. I cannot understand how shows like Deadwood can endure and shows like this not be available at all. This is one of the shows that should be available on DVD. This is one of the great westerns made for TV that in someone's infinite wisdom isn't available yet and may never be. It joins a list including "How the West Was Won" (maybe the best western series ever), The Lazurus Man and Peacemakers. "How the West Was Won" would draw a premium price.Single episode VHS tapes recorded from television are bringing $18.