The White Buffalo

"Two legendary enemies unite to fight the charging white beast!!"

1977 1h 37m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 150

WesternAdventureAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this strange western version of Moby Dick, Wild Bill Hickok hunts a white buffalo he has seen in a dream. Hickok moves through a variety of uniquely authentic western locations - dim, filthy, makeshift taverns; freezing, slaughterhouse-like frontier towns and beautifully desolate high country - before improbably teaming up with a young Crazy Horse to pursue the creature.

“Two legendary enemies unite to fight the charging white beast!!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Charles Bronson
Wild Bill Hickok/James Otis
Jack Warden
Charlie Zane
Will Sampson
Crazy Horse/Worm
Kim Novak
Poker Jenny Schermerhorn
Clint Walker
Whistling Jack Kileen
Stuart Whitman
Winifred Coxy
Slim Pickens
Abel Pickney
John Carradine
Amos Briggs

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: J. Lee Thompson
Writers: Richard Sale
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by J. Lee Thompson, shot by Paul Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Michael F. Anderson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Charles Bronson and Jack Warden and Will Sampson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Two legendary enemies unite to fight the charging white beast!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0076915 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

J. Lee Thompson directs. Paul Lohmann behind the camera. John Barry scores. Michael F. Anderson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by J. Lee Thompson, shot by Paul Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Michael F. Anderson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Charles Bronson and Jack Warden and Will Sampson carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Two legendary enemies unite to fight the charging white beast!!".
7IMDB entry: tt0076915 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 9 themes, including "wyoming, usa", "saloon", "based on novel or book", "buffalo".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Lohmann
Original score: John Barry
Editing: Michael F. Anderson
Production design: Tambi Larsen
Costume design: Eric Seelig
Makeup / hair: Phil Rhodes
Sound: Lyle J. Burbridge
Stunt coordinator: Bennie E. Dobbins
Runtime: 97 min · 1h 37m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The White Buffalo (1977)

Also by

J. Lee Thompson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2021-04-11
★ 5/10
This is what-were-they-thinking bad, but sorta enjoyable if you can acclimate Wild Bill Hickok (Charles Bronson) is haunted by nightmares involving a legendary white buffalo and so travels to the Black Hills region to hunt the creature with his old geezer pardner (Jack Warden). The problem is Crazy Horse (Will Sampson) is seeking vengeance on the beast for killing his daughter. Meanwhile Clint Walker appears as a heavy. "The White Buffalo" was ready for release by 1976, but was withheld for over a year before being dumped into the general-circulation market. Based on a 1975 book, Director J. Lee Thompson described it as Moby Dick of the West. There’s also a “Jaws” (1975) angle with the three guys teaming up to find and slay the beast. The wintery outdoor locations are wonderful and the cast is great, also including notables Kim Novak, Stuart Whitman, Slim Pickens, Ed Lauter and John Carradine. I also appreciate the sensitive story of Wild Bill and the great chief Crazy Horse overcoming prejudice to discover common ground and friendship of sorts. In addition, there’s some profound explorations of finding yourself, seeking your destiny, ridding yourself of fears to become more human. Regrettably, the indoor sets are too artificial and the bison animatronics leave a lot to be desired, resembling a giant shaggy toy, but I guess producers had limited options in the pre-CGI era, especially if they lacked the necessary funds. These elements plus the comic book vibe will leave you wondering “What were they thinking?” The white bison’s godawful attack on the Oglala camp is Exhibit A. Another glaring issue is that not enough backstory is given for Hickok’s nightmares that would provoke him to suddenly wake-up all guns blazing and travel to some remote area to slay this legendary beast (I’m assuming such scenes were cut). But, if you can adjust, there’s a lot to enjoy here. It’s basically a cult Western — bad, for sure, but somehow entertaining and profound, IF you can adapt to its peculiarities. The film runs 1 hours, 37 minutes, and was shot partially in the studio & Bronson Canyon, Los Angeles, but also in Colorado, Arizona & New Mexico. GRADE: C

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