The Plainsman (1966)

Returning home from the Civil War, "Wild" Bill Hickok (Don Murray) finds the Cheyenne Indians armed with repeating rifles and on the verge of a war with the settlers and the U.S. Cavalry and a rivalry between the Cheyenne chief (Simon Oakland) who wants peace and a white hating brave (Henry Silva) who wants war. Directed by David Lowell Rich (MADAME X), this is a remake of the 1936 Cecil B. DeMille film of the same name with Gary Cooper. That movie wasn't exactly Cooper or DeMille's shining hour so this film doesn't have big shoes to fill. It's a routine western, neither bad nor good, just sort of indifferent but inoffensive. The film looks good thanks to its Arizona and Utah locations (use of the Universal backlot is minimal) with lensing by Bud Thackery. There's an early underscore by a young John Williams (still billed as Johnny). With Bradford Dillman, Guy Stockwell, Abby Dalton as Calamity Jane, Leslie Nielsen as Custer, Edward Binns and Emily Banks.