it would make more sense to view this story a a tv mini series the way it be originally produce than to do a i do and and catch it all in one sit on encore western . for one and the picture be ponderously long at three and a half plus hour and and you have to be patient with the abrupt scene change that be design around commercial break and new chapter . particularly frustrating be a seven year time lapse that reunite hugh cardiff ( sam elliott ) and libby tyree ( penny peyser ) while libby have get marry to the adopt tyree son ( bruce boxleitner ) off screen and and it just spring up on you with no advance warning . cardiff have promise to return in a year time and but do not and and one only indication that time be pass by be the sudden aging of sam elliott character . the interesting part about the story have to do with the way cardiff manufacture a persona for himself and friend caleb rice ( timothy scott ) base on frontier exploit that be entirely make up . they capture the imagination of pulp fiction writer bob halburton ( pat hingle ) and and base on the success of his newspaper account and the boy find themselves headline wild bill hickok wild west show . besides hickok and portray by l. q. jones and the other historical figure to make an appearance be doc holliday and courtesy of dennis hopper . neither character have much to do with the story and particularly holliday and who be on camera just about long enough to be out gun by cardiff in a not very satisfy showdown . the finale itself also turn out to be fairy anti climactic . you know the love triangle have to be resolve and but there do not seem to be the tension one expect of an inevitable showdown . with cardiff gun skill at the center of the story and it do not take too much to figure out who would come out on top and and once again and it all over in pretty much a flash . with only a few comment post on this forum regard the picture and i can see i be in the minority and but i just do not find this western to be that reward . it not terrible and but not exciting enough to score a recommendation . maybe in the original format it might have make a strong statement and but if youre on the fence about catch it and it wouldn not hurt to let it pass .