The 1944 film "Buffalo Bill" is about the Western hero and Wild West Show promoter William Cody, known as "Buffalo Bill." The film stars Joel McCrea as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Maureen O'Hara as Louisa Cody. The film is set in the 1880's, there are many American Indians in the story and the film portrays them sympathetically. The film shows a United States 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 also shows a United States "Congressional Medal", later known as the "Medal of Honor", and some other American medals.

The film begins with an Indian attack on a wagon.

Buffalo Bill 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.

He sees Louisa and knows that she is the woman for him.

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

Bill has known a Cheyenne Indian chief named Yellow Hand, and once saved his life. Bill 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.

Bill 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 Bill and Yellow Hand fight and Bill overpowers the Indian. Later Bill 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. Bill has become a celebrity, thanks to Ned Buntline writing about him.

Bill 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."

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

Bill 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.

Bronze, 19.0 mm, 3.11 gm
Indian Head cents were minted from 1859 to 1909.

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

Bill 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. Bill demonstrates his shooting ability.

The arcade owner makes Bill 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 Bill to shoot it without harming the holder.

A woman steps up to take the challenge.

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

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

Bill 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.

For Victory - Buy U.S. War Bonds and Stamps - Buy Yours in This Theater

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