Sam Elliott is Hugh Cardiff, a young man with a .50 caliber plains rifle and a dream of using it to establish himself as the best shot in the West.
Few at the Tyree ranch would argue the point after Cardiff saves Vern Tyree (Bruce Boxleitner) from being dragged to death by a wild horse.
He accomplishes that by shooting the rope connecting the two. And from quite a long distance.
That shot earns Cardiff a job on the Tyree ranch, the admiration of foreman Henry Dreier (Cameron Mitchell) and the gratitude of ranch owner John Tyree (Leif Erickson), who had adopted Vern as a young boy and given him his name.
Cardiff also catches the eye of Tyree’s daughter Libby (Penny Peyser). She’s smitten by the handsome stranger and decides to seduce him.
When Vern catches them in a compromising position, Tyree kicks Cardiff off the ranch.
But he promises Libby he’ll return in a year, after making a name for himself as a marksman and earning enough money in shooting competition for them to start a life together.
Well, he makes a name for himself as a marksman. He makes two new friends in fellow sharpshooters Caleb Rice (Timothy Scott) and Dick Bogardus (Ben Johnson).
But it takes Cardiff more than a year to make it back to the Cardiff ranch. When he does, he learns John Tyree has died and Libby and Vern have married.
It’s a loveless marriage, at least from Libby’s viewpoint. She’s still prefer a life with Cardiff.
Then Vern learns that Cardiff has resurfaced and uses an old murder charge from a Civil War scrape to try to have him hanged.
He wounds Cardiff instead, forcing him to flee to Mexico and live under an assumed name while his well-connected friends try to arrange a pardon.
Sam Elliott as Hugh Cardiff, determined to make a name for himself as a sharpshooter in Wild Times (1980)
Bruce Boxleitner as Vern Tyree, determined to keep wife Libby from reuniting with Hugh Cardiff in Wild Times (1980)
Review:
Wild Times? They aren’t nearly wild enough to support three hours of screen times in a film that was originally shown as a two-part television mini-series.
The first half is much better than the second, which drags horribly as Cardiff recovers from his wound with the help of an Apache he once had branded a thief (really!) and becomes a dime novel hero thanks to his ability to weave tall tales.
He then joins with Bogardus, Rice and dime novelist Rob Halburton to launch a Wild West show, just like Wild Bill Hickok.
Way, way too much time is spent on the launch of that show. Way too little attention is devoted to the climatic showdown between Vern Tyree and Hugh Cardiff. Talk about anti-climatic.
Speaking of Wild Bill Hickok, L.Q. Jones plays that role and is on screen for just one scene as he introduces Cardiff and Rice to show business.
Dennis Hopper’s role also amounts to a cameo. His Doc Holliday tracks Cardiff across the border because of the handsome price on his head, but is quickly scared off by his prey’s shooting ability.
Penny Peyser as Libby Tyree, the rancher’s daughter smitten with Hugh Cardiff in Wild Times (1980)
en Johnson as Dick Bogardus, one of Hugh Cardiff’s partners in a wild west show in Wild Times (1980)
Directed by:
Richard Compton
Cast:
Sam Elliott … Hugh Cardiff
Ben Johnson .. Dick Bogardus
Bruce Boxleitner .. Vern Tyree
Penny Peyser … Libby Tyree
Timothy Scott … Caleb Rice
Dennis Hopper … Doc Holliday
Cameron Mitchell … Harry Dreier
Trish Stewart … Jeannette Fowler
Harry Carey Jr. … Fitz Bragg
Buck Taylor … Joe McBride
Pat Hingle … Bob Halburton
Geno Silvo … Ibran
Marianne Marks … Flower
Leif Erickson … John Tyree
L.Q. Jones … Will Bill Hickok
Runtime: 195 min.
Timothy Scott as Caleb Rice, an expert with a six-gun but a man with a gambling problem in Wild Times (1980)
Pat HIngle as Bob Halburton, the dime novelist who turns Hugh Cardiff and Caleb Rice into heroes in Wild Times (1980)
Memorable lines:
Hugh Cardiff to an Apache brave: “Knife against gun is a foolish notion.”
Libby Tyree: “Take a look. Do you see a child or a woman?”
Hugh Cardiff, stomping in the opposite direction: “Damn!”
Libby: “Damn, what?”
Hugh: “Damn near.”
Libby: “Damn near? Damn you. I am a woman, Hugh Cardiff. And I have feelings, just like any other woman.”
Hugh: “Take it easy, girl. Just take it easy. You’re gettin’ yourself …”
Libby: “What?”
Hugh: “You’re gettin’ yourself all heated up, that’s what.”
John Tyree to Hugh Cardiff after he’s caught kissing Libby: “You saved Vern’s life. Now I’m givin’ you yours. That cancels any debt between us. So you take your life, mister, and you go.”
Doc Holliday: “From what I read in the newspaper, you’re worth $2,000 alive or dead.”
Hugh Cardiff: “Man, I always knew I’d amount to something.”
Sam Elliott as Hugh Cardiff, forced to flee to Mexico to avoid a noose in Wild Times (1980)
Buck Taylor as Joe McBride, a ranch hand doing Vern Tyree’s bidding in Wild Times (1980)
Leif Erikson as John Tyree, ordering Hugh Cardiff off his ranch for getting involved with his daughter in Wild Times (1980)
Cameron Mitchell as Harry Dreier, foreman on the John Tyree ranch in WIld Times (1980)
Geno Silvo as Ibran, the Apache brave who helps Hugh Cardiff recover from a wound in Wild Times (1980)
Marianne Marks as Flower, the Indian girl Hugh Cardiff grows close to while recovering from a wound in Wild Times (1980)
Dennis Hopper as Doc Holliday, interested in the bounty on Hugh Cardiff in Wild Times (1980)
L.Q. Jones as Wild Bill Hickok, introducing Hugh Cardiff to show business in Wild Times (1980)
Sam Elliott as Hugh Cardiff, ready to launch his wild west show in Wild Times (1980)
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I found it truly out that this story places Wild Bill Hickock in a role usually reserved for Buffalo Bill Cody. Its especially concerning since Hickock, in real life, had a sincere disdain for show business, whereas William F. Cody had no such issues.
Like most enjoy have seen this, I found the costumes, props, and story rather good, at least during the first half of the show. During the second half however with our hero, Hugh Cardiff laid up and recovering from wounds, the story slows down to a nearly intolerable pace. Such a lull is essentially the kiss of death for a show such as this playing on YouTube. Now, in 1980, when this was initially broadcast, there wasn’t really anything to compete with this in many ways. Nothing else on broadcast TV had a cast as deep as this with Sam Elliot, Bruce Boxleitner, Penny Peyser, Ben Johnson, Timothy Scott (later to make a name for himself in Lonesome Dove as Pea Eye Parker), Dennis Hopper, and many others.
While the story holds together with action in the first episode this is an excellent piece of 1970s-1980s entertainment. I hold the director more responsible than the writer(s) for that lull I mentioned that pulls the show down during the second half. With all of the other pieces of the puzzle in place a smart bit of direction that would have kept our hero occupied enough to keep moving the story forward while he recovered would have maintained the pace and kept things moving.
It’s too bad because this is otherwise excellent in cast, production values, and story.
If westerns ever get hot again in the entertainment business this story is entertaining enough to be redone with a fresh cast. One thing is for certain, the market is by no means right for such a story right now, nor will it be likely enough in my lifetime. Should anyone have any interest in a wager on such an idea I am 64 years old this year, in 2023. I can not imagine the western begin such a salesble product again until after 2055 or perhaps even 2060, but we shall see.
Should anyone actually read my drivel here I wish that you and yours would be safe, be well, and be happy. ~KRM~
Who wrote the music? It sounds similar in style to the music of the Paradise *formerly The Guns of Paradise) series.
Music is credited to Jerrold Immel. He did music for several Western TV movies/series, including Paradise.