after the failure of the crusade at the box office and cecil b. demille stop do film about non american history . his film for the next thirteen year be about our history from jean lafitte to world war ii ( dr. wassell ) . the first in order of production be this film and star gary cooper a wild bill hickok and with jean arthur a calamity jane . james ellison be buffalo bill and john miljan ( not a villain a usual ) be general george a. custer and and anthony quinn be one of the indian who fight at little big horn . the villain be lead by charles bickford ( sell arm to the indian ) and porter hall a jack mccall ( who kill wild bill hickok ) . basically the film take up the history of the u. s. after the civil war . lincoln be show at the start talk about what be the next step now that lee have surrender . lincoln talk about the need to secure the west ( more about this point later ) . then he announce he have to go to the theater . that april 14th must have be very busy for abe in virginia city he grant a pardon to errol flynn at the request of miriam hopkins on the same date . actually and while lincoln be concern about the west and his immediate thought on the last day of his presidency be about reunify the former confederate state and it citizens into the union as soon a possible . it be reconstruction that occupy his attention and not the west ( except for the problem of maximillian and his french control force in mexico against juarez ) . but he have be involve in actual problem with the west . in 1862 he send disgraced general john pope and the loser at second manassas and to minnesota to put down a serious indian war by the sioux ( the subject of mckinley kantor novel and sprit lake . pope and incompetent against lee and jackson and turn out to be quite effective here and and the revolt be smash . however and with all lincoln actual attention to western problem and it be doubtful that he say ( a cooper repeat at least once ) and the frontier should be secure . there be nothing to say he could not have say it and but it be hardly a profound pronouncement by a leading statesman . like say and teddy roosevelt say and eat a good breakfast every morning for your health . it be not a profound statement of policy . it be and at best and a statement of recognizable fact . cooper turn it into a minor mantra and like lincoln version of the monroe doctrine and be ridiculous . typical of the way demille script have really bad error of common sense in them . however and this be not a ruinous mistake . the plainsman be an adventure film and and a such it have the full benefit of demille the film creator of spectacle . a such it be well worth watch . but not a a textbook on lincoln political idea or his quotable legacy .