The Plainsman (1936)

Director:

Cecil B. DeMille

Writers:

Courtney Ryley Cooper (story)
Frank J. Wilstach (story)

Release Date:

16 November 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | History | Romance | War | Western

Plot:

Wild Bill Hickok attempts to stop an Indian uprising that was started by white gun-runners.

Plot Keywords:

Rifle | Wild Bill Hickok | Buffalo | Repeating Rifle | Calamity Jane

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Jean Arthur	...	Calamity Jane
James Ellison	...	William "Buffalo Bill" Cody
Charles Bickford	...	John Lattimer
Helen Burgess	...	Louisa Cody
Porter Hall	...	Jack McCall
Paul Harvey	...	Yellow Hand
Victor Varconi	...	Painted Horse
John Miljan	...	Gen. George A. Custer
Frank McGlynn Sr.	...	Abraham Lincoln
Granville Bates	...	Van Ellyn
Frank Albertson	...	Young trooper
Purnell Pratt	...	Capt. Wood
Fred Kohler	...	Jake (teamster) (as Fred Kohler Sr.)
Pat Moriarity	...	Sgt. McGinnis (as Pat Moriarty)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

UK:U | Norway:16 | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #2597)

Filming Locations:

Birney, Montana, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The script originally had Anthony Quinn's character entering the campsite with no concern because he thought it was the camp of another Indian. Quinn told Cecil B. DeMille that a real Indian would know the difference between a white man's camp and that of another Indian's, and should show caution when entering. When Quinn insisted, DeMille thought about it and agreed that's how the character ought to react.

Goofs:

Factual errors: According to the film, Custer's Last Stand and the establishment of the boom town of Deadwood occur shortly after the end of the Civil War in 1865. In actuality they happened 11 years later in 1876.

Quotes:

Calamity Jane: Bill Hickok, you ornery son-of-a-mule. You wouldn't give a bad dime to a sick kid, would you?
Wild Bill Hickok: You might be right, Calamity.
Calamity Jane: No, I ain't. I know I ain't worth a bad dime.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Golden Saddles, Silver Spurs (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When Johnny Comes Marching Home

not bad

This movie has Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill and General Custer all together. Gary Cooper plays Wild Bill and Jean Arthur plays Calamity Jane and Charles Bickford plays the bad guy who sells weapons to the Indians and you can hardly recognize him. This was the first time Cecil B. DeMille and Gary Cooper worked together and the next movie the made was basically the same but set in a different time. This movie starts out with Lincoln's assassination and it also deals with an Indian war. Calamity Jane is in love with Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill has gotten married and now wants to stay home. This movie also deals with Custer's last stand and is far from accurate. Gary Cooper is good as usual and i usually don't like Jean Arthur but i liked her here.