Former "Tarzan" star Gordon Scott swapped his loin cloth for Levis and joined a short list of famous actors who have portrayed the legendary frontier scout and showman. "Buffalo Bill, Hero of the Far West" epitomizes the Italian western before Sergio Leone revolutionized the genre. Indeed, most of the pre-Leone westerns resembled conventional 1950s era Hollywood horse operas, and "Buffalo Bill" proves no exception. Mind you, Scott is more than rugged enough for the larger-than life role and his goatee imparts a roguish appearance. Our buckskin clad hero is investigating the illegal sales of Winchester repeating rifles to renegade redskins. For the record, this was "Gladiator of Rome" director Mario Costa's first and only cavalry versus the Native American epics. Costa doesn't let his actors stand around and chew the scenery. He stages quite a bit gunplay, and "A Fistful of Dollars" lenser Massimo Dallamano makes everything look spectacular. The big showdown at the end of the action takes place in a cavalry fort with the Indians scaling the walls and giving our heroes hell to pay. The chief suspect is an obnoxious hulk named Sam (Mario Brega of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly") and at one point, he trades blows with brawny Scott. Reportedly, Brega smashed Scott's nose and neither man got along with the other. Unlike later Spaghetti westerns, Scott is not working for himself to obtain vast sums of money like the bounty hunters who would come to dominate the genre. Instead, he is on a mission of mercy authorized by the President to root out injustice. The scenery, the dames, and the tough dudes all look exciting. This made-in-Spain shoot'em up boasts lots of action, but everything is formulaic with few narrative surprises. My chief complaint is the voice that they have used to dub Scott so that he sounds like an older man. Our hero has no romantic love interest, but he runs into several pretty ladies. Gordon Scott fans will savor this sagebrusher.
Review of Buffalo Bill
