''Battling with Buffalo Bill'' is a 1931 American
pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
serial film
A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a film, motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater ...
directed by
Ray Taylor and starring
Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 ...
,
Lucile Browne
Lucile Ruth Browne (March 18, 1907 – May 10, 1976) was an American film actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1935 films '' Texas Terror'' and '' Rainbow Valley''.
Personal life
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harris L. Browne, ...
,
William Desmond,
Rex Bell
Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Bell primarily appeared in Western films during his career. He also appeared in the 1930 movie '' True to the Navy'', starring Clar ...
, and
Francis Ford.
Based on the book ''The Great West That Was'' by
William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the film is about a cowboy named Buffalo Bill who goes up against a shady gambler who is attempting to scare off the townspeople so he can gain possession of a gold strike. When a nearby Indian tribe is provoked into attacking the town, the cavalry rides in to the rescue. Cody's book was also used as the inspiration for the studio's highly successful 1930 serial ''
The Indians Are Coming
''The Indians Are Coming'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code
Universal movie serial based on ''The Great West That Was'' by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The serial was the first "all-talking" (complete sound rather than a silent movie with occasion ...
''.
''Battling with Buffalo Bill'' was
Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
's 78th serial, the 10th with sound and 4th with full sound, of the studio's total of 137 serials.
Plot
The plot is a variation on the standard B-Western "Land Grab" plot: Gold has been discovered in the area and gambler Jim Rodney intends to make sole claim to it by pushing the rightful owners off the land and taking it for himself. To do so he has his henchmen kill an Indian woman, provoking attacks from her tribe. This brings Buffalo Bill and the United States Cavalry into the town. Buffalo Bill proceeds to defeat Rodney and his schemes.
Cast
*
Tom Tyler
Tom Tyler (born Vincent Markowski; August 9, 1903 – May 1, 1954) was an American actor known for his leading roles in low-budget Western films in the silent and sound eras, and for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the 1941 ...
as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody
*
Lucile Browne
Lucile Ruth Browne (March 18, 1907 – May 10, 1976) was an American film actress. She starred opposite John Wayne in the 1935 films '' Texas Terror'' and '' Rainbow Valley''.
Personal life
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harris L. Browne, ...
as Jane Mills, Buffalo Bill's love interest
*
William Desmond as John Mills
*
Rex Bell
Rex Bell (born George Francis Beldam; October 16, 1903 – July 4, 1962) was an American actor and politician. Bell primarily appeared in Western films during his career. He also appeared in the 1930 movie '' True to the Navy'', starring Clar ...
as Dave Archer, Buffalo Bill's sidekick.
*
Francis Ford as Jim Rodney,
villain
A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
ous gambler trying to illicitly claim a local gold strike
*
George Regas
George Thomas Regas (Greek: Γεώργιος Θωμάς Ρεγάκος; November 9, 1890 – December 13, 1940) was a Greek American actor.
Biography
Regis was born in the village of Goranoi near Sparta, Greece, the brother of actor Pedro Regas ...
as 'Breed' Johns
*
Yakima Canutt
Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen in performing t ...
as Scout Jack Brady
*
Bud Osborne
Leonard Miles "Bud" Osborne (July 20, 1884 – February 2, 1964) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 600 films and television programs between 1912 and 1963.
Biography
Osborne was born Miles Osborne in Knox County, Texas, ...
as Joe Tampas, one of Rodney's
henchmen
A henchman (''vernacular:'' "hencher"), is a loyal employee, supporter, or aide to some powerful figure engaged in nefarious or criminal enterprises. Henchmen are typically relatively unimportant in the organization: minions whose value lies pri ...
*
Joe Bonomo
Joe Bonomo is an American essayist and music writer.
Life
Bonomo was born and raised in Wheaton, Maryland. He graduated from University of Maryland (BA) and Ohio University (MA and PhD).
His books include ''No Place I Would Rather Be: Roger Ang ...
as Joe Brady
*
Jim Thorpe
James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...
as Swift Arrow
Production
Along with the more successful ''
The Indians Are Coming
''The Indians Are Coming'' is a 1930 American Pre-Code
Universal movie serial based on ''The Great West That Was'' by William "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The serial was the first "all-talking" (complete sound rather than a silent movie with occasion ...
'' (
1930
Events
January
* January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
) this serial was based on the book "The Great West That Was" by
Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...
.
Stunts
*
Joe Bonomo
Joe Bonomo is an American essayist and music writer.
Life
Bonomo was born and raised in Wheaton, Maryland. He graduated from University of Maryland (BA) and Ohio University (MA and PhD).
His books include ''No Place I Would Rather Be: Roger Ang ...
*
Yakima Canutt
Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen in performing t ...
*
Cliff Lyons
Cliff Lyons (born 19 October 1961) is an indigenous Australian former international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. A Clive Churchill Medalllist and two-time Dally M Medallist, he made 309 first-grade appearances wit ...
Chapter titles
# Captured by Redskins
# Circling Death
# Between Hostile Tribes
# The Savage Horde
# The Fatal Plunge
# Trapped
# The Unseen Killer
# Sentenced to Death
# The Death Trap
# A Shot from Ambush
# The Flaming Death
# Cheyenne Vengeance
Source:
See also
*
List of American films of 1931
A list of American films released in 1931.
Cimarron won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
A-B
C-D
E-F
G-H
I-J
K-L
M-N
O-P
Q-R
S
T
U-Z
See also
* 1931 in the United States
References
External links
1931 filmsat the ...
*
List of film serials
A list of film serials by year of release.
1910s
1920s
1930s
Films still exist from this point on unless noted otherwise:
1940s
1950s
See also
* Serial (film)
* List of film serials by studio
References
{{reflist
External linksSerial ...
by year
*
List of film serials by studio
This is a list of film serials by studio, separated into those released by each of the five major studios, and the remaining minor studios.
The five major studios produced the greater number of serials. Of these the main studios are consider ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battling With Buffalo Bill
1931 films
1931 Western (genre) films
American black-and-white films
Cultural depictions of Buffalo Bill
1930s English-language films
Universal Pictures film serials
Films directed by Ray Taylor
American Western (genre) films
1930s American films