Buffalo Bill (1944)

William Wellman skillfully directs the life story of William F. Cody, who's better known as Buffalo Bill. Based on a story by Frank Winch, there is plenty of action as the stages of his life unfold. The journey begins with his early years as an Indian fighter, jumps to his days as a scout and campaigner for Indian rights, and culminates in a display of his later years of Wild West showmanship. The full-on conflict between the U.S. Cavalry and the Cheyenne tribe at War Bonnet Gorge, in which Cody finds himself going head to head with his former Indian friend, is one of the most riveting sequences in the film. Joel McCrea is completely convincing in the title role, and Maureen O' Hara is both earnest and sensual as the senator's daughter who becomes his wife. The film is escapist in the best sense, revealing a number of colorful exterior panoramas. The rest of the solid cast, which includes Linda Darnell as a schoolteacher who loves Cody, keeps this light fare worthwhile.