Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Arthur Kopit (play)
Alan Rudolph (screen story and screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Western | Comedy

Plot:

A cynical Buffalo Bill hires Sitting Bull to exploit him and add his credibility to the distorted view of history presented in his Wild West Show.

Plot Keywords:

Sitting Bull | Wild West Show | General Custer | Buffalo Bill Cody | Satire

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Paul Newman	...	The Star (William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody)
Joel Grey	...	The Producer (Nate Salisbury)
Kevin McCarthy	...	The Publicist (Maj. John Burke)
Harvey Keitel	...	The Relative (Ed Goodman)
Allan F. Nicholls	...	The Journalist (Prentiss Ingraham) (as Allan Nicholls)
Geraldine Chaplin	...	The Sure Shot (Annie Oakley)
John Considine	...	The Sure Shot's Manager (Frank Butler)
Robert DoQui	...	The Wrangler (Oswald Dart) (as Robert Doqui)
Mike Kaplan	...	The Treasurer (Jules Keen)
Bert Remsen	...	The Bartender (Crutch)
Bonnie Leaders	...	The Mezzo-Contralto (Margaret)
Noelle Rogers	...	The Lyric-Coloratura (Lucille DuCharme)
Evelyn Lear	...	The Lyric-Soprano (Nina Cavallini)
Denver Pyle	...	The Indian Agent (McLaughlin)
Frank Kaquitts	...	The Indian (Sitting Bull)
Will Sampson	...	The Interpreter (William Halsey)
Ken Krossa	...	The Arenic Director (Johnny Baker)
Fred N. Larsen	...	The King of the Cowboys (Buck Taylor)
Jerri Duce	...	The Cowboy Trick Rider
Joy Duce	...	The Cowboy Trick Rider
Alex Green	...	The Mexican Whip and Fast Draw Act
Gary MacKenzie	...	The Mexican Whip and Fast Draw Act
Humphrey Gratz	...	The Old Soldier
Pat McCormick	...	The President of the United States (Grover Cleveland)
Shelley Duvall	...	The First Lady (Mrs. Grover Cleveland)
Burt Lancaster	...	The Legend Maker (Ned Buntline)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Corrie	...	Rancher (uncredited)
Patrick Reynolds	...	President Cleveland's Aide (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Altman

Writing credits
Arthur Kopit		(play "Indians")
Alan Rudolph		(screen story and screenplay) &
Robert Altman		(screen story and screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Altman	....	producer
Scott Bushnell	....	associate producer
Jac Cashin	....	associate producer
Dino De Laurentiis	....	executive producer
Robert Eggenweiler	....	associate producer
David Susskind	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Richard Baskin

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann		(director of cinema photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Appleton
Dennis M. Hill		(as Dennis Hill)

Production Design by
Anthony Masters		(as Tony Masters)

Art Direction by
Jack Maxsted

Set Decoration by
Dennis J. Parrish

Costume Design by
Anthony Powell

Makeup Department
Monty Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Les Kimber	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Rob Lockwood	....	second assistant director
Tommy Thompson	....	assistant director

Art Department
Rusty Cox	....	scenic artist
Dennis J. Parrish	....	property master
Graham Sumner	....	assistant property master
Graham Sumner	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Chris McLaughlin	....	sound
Richard Oswald	....	sound editor
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer
William A. Sawyer	....	sound editor (as William Sawyer)
James E. Webb	....	sound (as Jim Webb)
Rob Young	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects
Terry D. Frazee	....	special effects (as Terry Frazee)
John Thomas	....	special effects
Bill Zomar	....	special effects
Joe Zomar	....	special effects

Stunts
John Forster	....	stunts (uncredited)
Greg Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Arthur Brooker	....	grip (as Art Brooker)
Edmond L. Koons	....	camera operator (as Eddie Koons)
J. Michael Marlett	....	gaffer
Jack L. Richards	....	camera operator (as Jack Richards)
Robert Reed Altman	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Peter Appleton	....	featurette cinematographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
J. Allen Highfill	....	costume assistant
Jules Melillo	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Stephen Altman	....	apprentice editor (as Steve Altman)
Mark Eggenweiler	....	apprentice editor
Tony Lombardo	....	assistant editor
Tom Walls	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lyn Austin	....	Broadway stage producer
John Bianchi	....	Buffalo Bill's gun belt by
John Binder	....	script supervisor
Dino De Laurentiis	....	presenter (as Dino DeLaurentiis)
Maysie Hoy	....	researcher
Dan Perri	....	title designer
John Scott	....	head wrangler
Oliver Smith	....	Broadway stage producer
Roger L. Stevens	....	Broadway stage producer (as Roger Stevens)
Tommy Thompson	....	production executive
Norman Walke	....	operator: titan boom
Joe Thornton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Dino De Laurentiis Company (as Dino De Laurentiis Corporation)
• Lion's Gate Films
• Talent Associates-Norton Simon

Distributors

• United Artists (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (as United Artists A Transamerica Company)
• Tobis (1976) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1978) (USA) (TV)
• Adams Filmi (1979) (Finland) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Playhouse Home Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1994) (Finland) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• H.O.M. Vision (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Mariann Video (????) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Nordic Video (????) (Finland) (VHS)
• Video Classics (????) (USA) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Makeup Effects Laboratories (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Calgary Stampede  hundreds of brave cowboys and fierce indians played by fierce indians and brave cowboys from (as the Calgary Stampede)
• Cody Production Co  production services by
• Lion's Gate 8 Track Sound  sound system by
• Raflyn Farms  brigham Pluto Calcedona on loan from
• Reynolds Museum  steam engines & other units on loan from
• Stoney Indian Reserve  hundreds of brave cowboys and fierce indians played by fierce indians and brave cowboys from (as the Stoney Indian Reserve)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

123 min | Finland:105 min (1979) | 135 min (video release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | Norway:12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | West Germany:6 (f)

Filming Locations:

Stoney Indian Reservation, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Dino De Laurentiis Company

Trivia:

Although set in Wyoming, the movie was made mostly in Alberta, Canada. The production crew bulldozed a remote field and constructed a full-sized copy of William F. Cody's outdoor theater complex.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Another flag with 48 stars is seen just prior to the Presidential scene. In the scene where Buffalo Bill plays for the President, the Presidential booth is adorned with 2 flags, each with 48 stars. The 48 star flag became the official flag in 1912.

Quotes:

Ned Buntline:I bring up this dream business because, well, because things are beginning to take on an unreal shape. Now I was thinking about Sitting Bull. Just put yourself in that Injun's place. You sit in your tepee and dream. And then yu go to wherever the dream may take you... it might come true. And you wait for real life to catch up.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Interesting, like all Altman films, but not his best.

This movie is certainly worth watching if you're an Altman fan, or a fan of revisionist Westerns. The performances are great (as per usual when Altman is at the helm) and the movie is entertaining enough on its own merits.

The two biggest flaws, though, are these: Compared to most of Altman's films, much of the dialogue in this movie is very "stagy" and theatrical. I suppose it's supposed to be that way because of the questions of "myth" and "legend" that the story concerns itself with, but my impression was that such theatrical-sounding dialogue didn't mesh well with Altman's typically naturalistic style of filming.

The other problem I had is that the whole subject matter -- myth vs. reality, history vs. reality, show business vs. reality, etc. -- isn't really explored with any depth or subtlety. We're constantly being reminded that Buffalo Bill is a man who created his own legend out of lies, and that that is the basis of modern show business to this day, but really, that just didn't strike me as being a particularly insightful observation. This is hardly the first movie to point out that lies are often more "real" (or more attractive) than the truth, and Altman doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table.

Still, it's Altman, which means it's well-made, entertaining and beautiful to look at. I don't think this will ever be considered one of his major works but it's certainly worth a look.