Biography of a country girl who was an extremely sharp shooter, and became a show woman in Buffalo Bill's Wild West traveling show. There is a romantic entanglement with a fellow shooter.
Although it doesn't stray from biopic conventions, Stevens is remarkable for his perfect attention to details. Oakley's life per se I don't find particularly interesting, but the Wild West show as a phenomenon is interesting. Also interesting is the fame cycle, in each individual case and in each era. Cody's point of attraction was his real-life past. Thus, he became a famous star because he had done noteworthy exploits which had already bestowed him an amount of fame. The same goes for Sitting Bull. On the other hand, the contrast between Oakley's special talent and her former obscurity was a kind of point of attraction. The logic behind this film, however, is different: it awakens interest because these people were famous show stars of the past. It is show business feeding show business. In recent times, the Buffalo Bill phenomenon is reversed: people assume real life positions because of a show business career (for example, see some actors who become politicians).
Critic Dale Thomajan's number 5 of his 1935's top ten movies.
Rating: 61
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