Wild Bill

[Pukin Dog]

I always heard negative things about this movie, but finally got it from the library to view (didn't want to waste money on a bad movie)

I was kinda surprized.  It has some excellent gun fight scenes in it (right in the front) and some of the opium vigenettes (although a bit on the artsie fartsie side) are interesting.  From what I'm reading now, opium was not that scarce in the old west and I'm sure some cowboys really got messed up on it.

The last scenes with the NY thugs "capturing" Hickock in a deserted Deadwood was totally non-historical so I could see how folks are down on this flick.  But other than that, I was rather pleasantly surprized by how well the town and fight scenes were done.

Just my $.02

What are your opinions on this movie?

[Pukin Dog]

Nobody seen this movie?  Or nobody cares?

[The Arapaho Kid]

Well....iffen you'll tell me the name of the movie...I'll go rent it and put my "critical eye" on it.

[Advertising]

[Pukin Dog]

It's called "Wild Bill"

Thats why I chose that title to my subject

[Russ T Chambers]

This has been on STARZ cable stations several times now, and I don’t think I’ve made it through yet.    I’ve seen it all, but in bits and pieces.  I agree with what you said about the gunfights.  The final scenes in the saloon were blatantly made up.  Calamity was way too pretty to be historically accurate.  (Not withstanding the pretty CJ’s we’re currently surrounded by. )  There is something about the overall movie that just can’t keep my attention throughout it.  If it wasn’t for the repeats, I probably could say I’d seen the entire thing.

[Pukin Dog]

It certainly isn't a classic, but it wasn't near as bad as what I had heard.  I've seen far worse Westerns that didn't get tarred and feathered near as much as this movie. 

It's almost like the movie has a split personality. . . . the first half is not bad and actually has some great scenes, but the last half is totally fictional.  But why? Wild Bill led such a fabulous life that it didn't need to be gussied up by hollywood.

Just my $.02 worth.

[Pukin Dog]

Apparently "Wild Bill" didn't leave much of an impression on anybody

[Danny Bear Claw]

I liked the movie, in spite of all the historical inaccuracies in it.  Wild Bill happens to be my personal favorite old west character and if they would make a movie as accurately as possible about his life it would be a great movie.  Same can be said of Jerrimiah Johnson.  In real life he was known as "Liver-eating Johnson".  I suggest you all read about him and then think about how much better a movie it would have been had they stuck to the facts.  Of all the movies made about Will Bill Hickok I think the best one is the most recent one which is Wild Bill starring Jeff Bridges.  Jeff looks more like the real Wild Bill than anyone else who's played him before.  I agree with the remarks made about Calamity Jane... if she looked as good as Ellen Barkin, maybe Bill wouldn't have denied having had an affair with her.  Now in the movie Wild Bill, most of what happened in Deadwood was pure fiction.  In fact, there were no recorded shootings by the real Will Bill after he had accidentally killed his own deputy, one Mike Williams, ( the night Bill shot Phil Coe).   There are only 7 documented killings attributable to Hickok including the accidental killing of Deputy Williams.  The McCannelles killings are also loosely covered in the movie.  California Joe says, "Ten men lay dead or dyin' when the smoke cleared".  Wild Bill says, "I think maybe it was 5 killed".  In reallity 2 men died at the so-called McCannelles shooting and only one was actually killed by Hickok and that was McCannelles himself.  It seems Hickok shot him from an adjoining room which sort of makes it an ambush I think.  Anyway, Wild Bill is still an entertaining western, the best one made about Hickok IMHO and I watch it about every 3 or 4 months.

[Scattered Thumbs]

  Jeff looks more like the real Wild Bill than anyone else who's played him before. 

I have to agree with you on that.

[Cheyenne]

PD, sorry, hadn't made it this far down in the forums in a while.....I saw Wild Bill on the "big" screen, and promptly bought it on DVD. I've watched it many times....though I will admit that I most times skip the end except for when he shoots the heck out of the thugs in the barn!  I like the early parts of the movie best, but it's a fairly good Hollywood movie...it met it's goal, it's entertaining!

Jeff Bridges is the best Wild Bill, though Kieth Carradine's portrayal on Deadwood is very good too.

[Second Creek Sam]

I didn't care for it.  The ending was boorish.

Some good scenes in it, though.

A bad Western is better than no Western at all.

[Bear Rider]

I didn't care for it.  The ending was boorish.

Some good scenes in it, though.

A bad Western is better than no Western at all.

Ever see "Heller in Pink Tights"? That might change your mind.

[litl rooster]

Wild Bill was good had a good cast.  It's not the worst movie done on Him, try thr one where Charlie Bronson played Wild Bill.  I think plenty of pipes were smoked in Chinatown making that one

[Cheyenne]

Yeah, maybe that's what was wrong with the ending....all the writers were trying the chinese pipes!  Ending, and the whole section with the thugs taking WB captive in the No.10 was stoopid.....I'm sorry, WB was disarmed, and you can't tell me that some of tjhem thug characters wouldn't have just shot him down......plus, I don't like the Arquette guy as an actor......after seeing his 'poor-trayal' of a young 'Gus' in Dead Man's walk...well, I just don't care for him much.....almost as bad as the Mexican officer who walked across the desert with a Walker in his boot!

Who came up with that idea??  You wouldn't get far before you came up lame....but then, that underscored the whole DMW experience....LAME! 

[thehairlessone]

I watched it just the other day. I hadnt seen the entire movie that I can remember just bits and pieces.

I liked it pretty well. I didnt know how historical it all was but I liked it. I especially liked the scene when he strarted brawling with the confederate soldiers and was holding his own but there was just too many of them so a guy handed him his pistols and he started blasting.

rick

[tarheel mac]

Don't forget...Guys got along with Calmaity just fine...it was women that had the problem...

And I haven't seen this particular movie, but until I do, I am gonna have to go with Keith Carradine as the most authenic-looking Will Bill...

[Cherokee Jem]

Carradine is great.. And Wild Bill wasnot a horrible movie. Much better than Cold Mountain!!!
Jem

[B. Butch Cavendish]

 It's a great movie. It has verry little to do with the  facts. But good anyway. In its own way it captures Wild Bill. I never could understand why they messed with the facts. I mean wasn't wild bill's real story exicting enough for them?

[Crooked River Bob]

I liked it.  I'll agree that they played fast and loose with some of the historical facts, but Jeff Bridges was very well cast in the leading role.  I'll second all the comments made by Danny Bearclaw above.

Wild Bill was known to have visual problems, as in the movie.  Usually, you hear it was glaucoma, but I recently read it was probably trachoma.  He was a troubled man, and I think Bridges played the part well.

The partners were another thing.  I think the historical Hickok's pard was "Colorado Charlie" Utter (as on the HBO series, DeadwooD).  This movie has him traveling with a sidekick named California Joe, and another named Charles Prince.  There were two California Joes that I know of in history, and one of them very likely knew Hickok, although I doubt they were traveling buddies.  I don't know where they got Charles Prince.

Good movie. 

[Tommy tornado]

I thought it was entertaining.  I still think Wild Bill is one of the most interesting characters in the old west.  Bridges looked good as Bill.