YOUNG BUFFALO BILL (1940) Roy Rogers, George 'Gabby' Hayes & Pauline Moore | Drama, Western | B&W

Young Buffalo Bill is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes.

SYNOPSIS
In the rugged New Mexico Territory of the 1860s, Buffalo Bill Cody and his friend Gabby Whitaker arrive, initially dismissive of the land's worth due to its perceived emptiness of "Injins and rocks." Their arrival coincides with tensions brewing over mining lands and tribal disputes.

Bill and Gabby encounter Tonia Regas, a spirited woman embroiled in family tensions and ancestral land disputes. Tonia's grandfather, Don Regas, expresses disdain for American surveying efforts led by U.S. Colonel Joseph Calhoun, which threaten their land.

Meanwhile, trouble brews with a Native American medicine man, Akuna, colluding with Emelio Montez to exploit the land for gold. Montez seeks control of the Regas' gold-rich property, leading to conflicts and betrayals.

Jerry Calhoun, the Colonel's son, becomes entangled in gambling debts manipulated by Montez, who coerces Jerry into falsifying the land survey. This deceit triggers a chain of events culminating in an ambush on Don Regas and a siege on the Regas homestead by Akuna's men.

Bill, Gabby, and Colonel Calhoun unite to confront the threat. Amidst the chaos, Jerry's deception is revealed, and Tonia confronts Bill, only to reconcile as they thwart Montez and Akuna's plans.

In the end, with the adversaries defeated and peace restored, Bill serenades Tonia, symbolizing hope and reconciliation for the embattled community.

CAST & CREW
Roy Rogers as Bill Cody
George "Gabby" Hayes as Gabby Whittaker
Pauline Moore as Tonia Regas
Hugh Sothern as Don Regas
Chief Thundercloud as Akuna
Julian Rivero as Pancho
Trevor Bardette as Emelio Montez
Steve Pendleton as Jerry Calhoun
Wade Boteler as Colonel Joseph Calhoun
Anna Demetrio as Elena
Estelita Zarco as Dolores

Director: Joseph Kane
Screenplay: Harrison Jacobs, Robert Yost, Gerald Geraghty
Story: Norman Houston
Producer: Joseph Kane
Cinematography: William Nobles
Editing: Tony Martinelli
Production Company: Republic Pictures
Distribution: Republic Pictures
Release Date: April 12, 1940 (United States)
Running Time: Approximately 59 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English