Don Murray is Wild Bill Hickok, and he’s returning from the Civil War when he runs across a hostile band of Cheyenne Indians.
Chief Black Kettle, an old acquaintance, intervenes on his behalf, but those Cheyenne are armed with repeating rifles.
That’s an ominous sign, because Chief Crazy Knife (Henry Silva) isn’t nearly as peace-loving as Black Kettle.
And ominous turns deadly when the Indians attack and massacre residents of nearby town.
As Wild Bill sets out to find out who’s selling repeating rifles to the Indians, Buffalo Bill Cody (Guy Stockwell) is called out of retirement to lead the cavalry troop in pursuit of the hostiles. It’s led by Indian-hating Lt. Stiles.
Caught in the middle of the hostilities are Calamity Jane (Abby Dalton), who’s in love with Wild Bill, and Louisa Cody, Buffalo Bill’s new wife.
Guy Stockwell as Buffalo Bill Cody in The Plainsman (1966)
Review:
A good-natured remake of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1936 classic by the same name that starred Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur.
It’s entertaining enough, though far-fetched at times and some of the Indians’ dialogue will leave you shaking your head.
Abby Dalton plays the Calamity role purely for laughs while Emily Banks plays Mrs. Cody as the dutiful frontier wife, fearful yet for the most part understanding of her husband’s duty.
There’s a clever ending too, though that’s one of the plot changes that saps drama and emotion compared to the earlier film.
And, yep, that’s Leslie Nielsen who shows up late in the film in the role of Custer.
Abby Dalton as Calamity Jane in The Plainsman (1966)
Emily Banks as Louisa Cody in The Plainsman (1966)
Directed by:
David Lowell Rich
Cast:
Don Murray … Wild Bill Hickok
Abby Dalton … Calamity Jane
Guy Stockwell … Buffalo Bill Cody
Bradford Dillman … Lt. Stiles
Henry Silva … Crazy Knife
Simon Oakland … Chief Black Kettle
Leslie Nielsen … Col. George Custer
Ed Binns … Lattimer
Michael Evans … Estrick
Percy Rodriguez … Brother John
Terry Wilson … Sgt. Womack
Walter Burke … Abe Ireland
Emily Banks … Louisa Cody
Russell Thorson … Marshal Hart
Runtime: 92 min.
Simon Oakland as Chief Black Kettle in The Plainsman (1966)
Henry Silva as Chief Crazy Knife in The Plainsman (1966)
Memorable lines:
Calamity Jane, driving her coach, when Wild Bill flags down a ride: “Don’t get scared, folks. It ain’t a highway robber. It ain’t Indians. It ain’t nothin’ but a man.”
Calamity Jane, after Wild Bill wipes off her kiss: “You ain’t wiping it off, you dang mule. You’re wiping it in.”
Bradford Dillman as Lt. Stiles in The Plainsman (1966)
Leslie Nielsen as Col. George Custer in The Plainsman (1966)
Calamity Jane: “Bill, you look beautiful to me, but you are kind of raunchy. Do you need any grub money?”
Wild Bill Hickok: “Start borrowin’ from a woman and it’ll lead you straight to hell. I’ll auction off my clothes first.”
Calamity: “Let me know where and when.”
Wild Bill Hickok to Lattimer, after catching his cheating at poker: “I ought to notch your ears for you. A man like you ought to be marked.”
Ed Binns as Lattimer in The Plainsman (1966)
Russell Thorson as Marshal Hart with Michael Evans as Estrick in The Plainsman (1966)
Marshal Hart: “How about me deputizing you, Hickok, right now?”
Wild Bill: “No thanks. That badge would make me do a lot of things I don’t want to do. And keep me from doing a lot of things I’ve got a hankering to do.”
Hickok to Calamity: “It’s easier to slide up Niagara Falls than to figure out a woman.”
Crazy Knife and the Indians try to coax the troops’ whereabouts out of Wild Bill: “If truth is stronger than blood, then fire is stronger than Hickok.”
Emily Banks as Louisa Cody and Guy Stockwell as Buffalo Bill Cody in The Plainsman (1966)
Don Murray as Wild Bill Hickok and Abby Dalton as Calamity Jane in The Plainsman (1966)
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