The Plainsman

CinemaSerfApr 2022

2.5

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.