The 1944 film "Buffalo Bill" is about the Western hero and Wild West Show promoter William Cody, known as "Buffalo Bill." The film shows an Indian Head cent, an unusual event at the time when the showing of actual United States currency or coins in films was prohibited by the US Treasury Department. The film stars Joel McCrea as William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody and Maureen O'Hara as Louisa Cody. The film also shows a "Congressional Medal", later known as the "Medal of Honor", and some other old US medals. The film is set in the 1880's, there are many American Indians in the story and the film portrays them sympathetically.

The film begins with an Indian attack on a wagon. Buffalo Bill Cody rides up and chases them off. He is well known as a man who has lived with Indians and knows their customs. He meets the beautiful Louisa Frederici, her father, and US Cavalry Sergeant Chips. He explains that the Indians were reservation Indians who had been drinking and were only fooling around.

Ned Buntline is a famous writer of Western stories. Bill meets him and Schyler Vandervere, an Eastern railway magnate.

Cody has known a Cheyenne Indian chief named Yellow Hand, and once saved his life. Cody negotiates a land treaty with Yellow Hand, which is soon broken by the whites. Large numbers of hunters have invaded the tribal lands and have begun shooting buffalo for sport.

The Indians are upset as they have many uses for buffalo. The Sioux and Cheyenne call a war party, led by Sioux Chief Crazy Horse and Cheyenne Chief Yellow Hand.

The two tribes decide to join forces to fight the white invaders. Crazy Horse reports that the Sioux have already dealt with Custer.

Cody reluctantly joins a Cavalry unit as a scout. His wife leave him and returns to her home in the East. The Cavalry rides out to battle the Indians.

During the battle Cody and Yellow Hand fight and Cody overpowers the Indian. Later Cody is invited to Washington, DC so that the US President can present him with the "Congressional Medal" for bravery during the battle. Sergeant Chips receives a notice that he is being retired.

His medals hang on a wall.

One medal has Abraham Lincoln on it. Cody has become a celebrity, thanks to Ned Buntline writing about him.

Cody is invited to give a speech to a group of businessmen led by Schyler Vandervere, who wants to develop the West.

Vandervere wears a gold octagonal watch fob which resembles a fifty dollar "slug." He quotes a general that "the only good Indian is a dead one."

Cody gives a speech defending the Indian and accusing the businessmen of causing the "Indian Wars" for profit.

Cody pulls an Indian Head cent out and tells the audience that:

He then throws the coin onto the table.

The date on the coin is 1880.

A United States 1880 Indian Head cent:

The Indian Head cent was minted from 1859 to 1909.

Vandervere tries to "ruin" Cody by encouraging stories that he was not a hero, and his agents damage Cody financially. Cody is broke and wanders into an amusement arcade which has a shooting gallery.

Cody throws his medal onto a table and bets that he can shoot all of the targets.

A policeman sees the medal and believes that the man is an impostor. Cody demonstrates his shooting ability.

The arcade owner makes Cody an offer.

The arcade owner has a standing offer of $1,000 to anyone who is willing to hold a silver dollar in their fingers and allow Cody to shoot it without harming the holder.

A woman steps up to take the challenge.

Louisa trusts Cody's shooting ability and she substitutes a smaller coin.

Cody and Louisa then get back together. Cody has become a hero to children.

Cody decides to open his famous Wild West Show.

The show runs for many years for audiences all over the US and Europe. Among the later watcher is US President Theodore Roosevelt.

Buffalo Bill decides to retire and he gives a farewell speech at his last performance.

Joel McCrea as William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody
Maureen O'Hara as Louisa Frederici Cody
Thomas Mitchell as Ned Buntline
Anthony Quinn as Chief Yellow Hand
Director: William A. Wellman
Writers: Aeneas MacKenzie, Clements Ripley, Cecile Kramer, Frank Winch