ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
Merolliv
I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.
Kien Navarro
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Staci Frederick
Blistering performances.
kevin olzak
The completion of "Buckskin" in Dec 1967 marked the end of the trail for Paramount producer A.C. Lyles, the last of his 13 B-Westerns over a four year period that provided employment for many veteran performers. No better or worse than any of the others, immeasurably aided by a solid cast assembled from previous entries: Barry Sullivan (second), Joan Caulfield (second), Wendell Corey (third), Lon Chaney (eighth), John Russell (fourth), Barton MacLane (fourth), Bill Williams (second, here joined by his wife Barbara Hale), Richard Arlen (eleventh!), Leo Gordon (second), and George Chandler (third). Top billed is Barry Sullivan, the buckskin-clad Marshal Chaddock, who arrives with his young son to Gloryhole, Montana, to rescue the homesteaders from evil land baron Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey), who has nearly succeeded in driving them all off by damming up the water supply. The townspeople aren't exactly grateful for the marshal's help, while Marlowe has in his pocket the local miners, the corrupt Sheriff Langley (Lon Chaney), and mysterious hired gun Patch (John Russell), who has a history with Chaddock. The final film for Barton MacLane, hereafter confined to I DREAM OF JEANNIE, and nearly the last for an ailing Wendell Corey, while Lyles' most frequent veteran, Richard Arlen, only appears in one short scene. Most shocking of all is the sight of grizzled, 61 year old Lon Chaney, his deteriorating voice affected by the same throat cancer that killed his father. The role of Sheriff Tangley is a major one, larger than any of the other villains, and the actor even performs all his own stunts, a remarkably effective performance considering he was still grieving his mother's recent passing, which is how he lost out on another Western, "Day of the Evil Gun," Paul Fix replacing him as Sheriff Kelso (unfortunately, only four more roles lay ahead for Chaney). Lyles still had a few more features to come, most notably the notorious 1972 "Night of the Lepus," but his successful run of old fashioned oaters came to its inevitable conclusion, only so many story lines to go around after TV Westerns got through with them all.
bkoganbing
Buckskin is yet another western where A.C. Lyles provides employment for famous Hollywood players past their prime. Barry Sullivan is the star here, a US Marshal come to a small Montana town with specific intent of taking down town boss Wendell Corey. For reasons I can't explain he brings his young son to the town and quite frankly had I been him I'd not have brought a child into harm's way. And since the child's mother who is deceased was an Indian all the more reason.I wasn't completely clear why Corey wants the homesteaders out of the area, he's dammed up the stream that they get water for their crops. We know a railroad is coming through the following year, but that's all.What Corey has done is pit the miners against the homesteaders and the homesteaders have their families. Not much of a fair fight, in the end though Sullivan has an ace.Some grievous plot holes is made up for a nice bit of action specifically when Sullivan blows up the dam and also in the final shootout. Joan Caulfield is the former schoolteacher turned saloon girl who Sullivan redeems. Such other A.C. Lyles regulars as Lon Chaney, Jr., John Russell, and Richard Arlen are in the cast. Bill Williams and Barbara Hale, husband and wife in real life, play a husband and wife here and I'm not sure if this isn't the only time that happened. I know Williams did a couple of Perry Mason guest shots while Hale was playing Della Street.I like the A.C. Lyles westerns even some of the bad ones and this is not a completely bad one.
Michael_Elliott
Buckskin (1968) ** (out of 4) A strong cast keeps this by-the-numbers Western from falling completely off the track. Marshall Chaddock (Barry Sullivan) arrives in a small Montana town that has the land owners moving because of a crooked gambler named Marlowe (Wendell Corey). The Marshall makes the people stay on their land while he tries to defeat the greedy man at his own game. BUCKSKIN is an old fashioned Western that featured a story that would tire people in the 1930s let alone in 1968. This is a hard film to enjoy because of how boring it all it but at the same time there's no question that it features a strong cast of veteran actors. The biggest problem with the film is the fact that the story itself is just something we've seen hundreds of times in countless "B" Westerns and not a single new thing is done with it here. Even worse is that most "B" films got this story told in less than a hour but the story here is padded down with so much junk that the 97-minute running time seems twice that. There are so many simple scenes that get dragged out to the point where you'll be wanting to cry as well as ask the screenwriter what the point was. Sullivan is good in the lead as he delivers a strong performance and Corey is a downright delight as the snake who will stop at nothing to win. Joan Caulfield plays a former school teacher turned prostitute trying to win back some dignity. John Russell plays another snake with perfection and we also have Barbara Hale, Leo Gordon and Bill Williams turning in fine support. Lon Chaney, looking extremely bad from his personal issues and declining health, still manages to deliver a great performance as the disgraced Sheriff. Chaney appears to be having a blast getting to play the bad guy. BUCKSKIN is a film that most people will want to skip but if you're a fan of these names then you might want to check it out once.
zardoz-13
Barry Sullivan of "Forty Guns" plays a buckskin clad lawman with a half-breed Indian son in director Michael Moore's hackneyed frontier western "Buckskin" who must clean up the town of Gloryhole, Montana. Meanwhile, Wendell Corey is the city slicker who owns this dusty little town and has built a dam to dry up the sodbusters and drive them away. The villain's plans appear to be working out nicely until Marshal Chaddock (Barry Sullivan) rides into the valley and on a crusade to bring law and order. The villain tries to bribe our stalwart hero, but Chaddock turns the money down cold. He has come to make a new start for himself after his Native American wife passed away from small pox. Furthermore, Chaddock is set on giving his own buckskin clad son a makeover into a white kid. Along the way, Rep Marlowe (Wendell Corey), tries to buck him. Paramount Pictures producer A.C. Lyles made this potboiler with six-guns in his usual style. He has resurrected several saddle sore stars for this 1968 production who made westerns in the 1950s. Joining Sullivan and Corey is veteran western character actor John Russell of the TV series "Lawman"; Russell went on to star opposite Clint Eastwood in "Pale Rider." He plays a vengeful, ex-cavalry officer named Patch for the patch he wears over his scarred face. He wants to kill Chaddock. Joan Caulfield is a dance hall girl who was once the town's school teacher. Lon Chaney, Jr., is the corrupt town sheriff that Marlowe keeps in his pocket."Killers Three" scenarist Michael Fisher's screenplay qualifies as predictable pabulum from star to finish with minor surprises. In other words, a couple of people that you don't think will bite the dust end up dead. The dialogue brims with clichés and sometimes these people wax loquacious. Half-way through the action, the grudge-bearing gunslinger named Patch changes sides before the big showdown. Marlowe has aligned the miners with him against Chaddock and the sodbusters and storekeepers. If you enjoy old-fashioned westerns (this one was lensed on the Virginia City set of TV's "Bonanza," then you will find this comforting and reassuring. Sullivan gives his usual amiable performance and Corey is dastardly as the well-heeled antagonist.