Mr. Horn (1979)

Now, I'm no expert on this gentleman, but fact, fiction or a combination of both (most likely) it is still superior effort from David Carradine in the title role as this pioneering individual whose versatility saw him carry out a wide range of jobs sometimes for and sometimes against Uncle Sam. Abetted by his cranky sidekick Al Sieber (Richard Widmark) this tall tale involves them both in just about every event from this period of expansionist American history from Geronimo to the railroads. It's quite a well slung together western adventure, there is plenty of action and for people who neither know (nor care) about the actual timeline of the events or the characters, it is just an opportunity to see both actors turn in strong performances, and to gel well together in a well paced, better looking television movie. The settings give the photographer every opportunity to convey the grandeur and the hostility of this epic environment, too. The film is way, way too long - it felt like a three parter rolled into one (perhaps it was?) with a dialogue that is pretty ropey at times - there are times when it isn't the most audible either, which is odd given it was made for a small screen with a speaker the size of a cigarette box. Still, it is an interesting template for the real adventures of a man who was one of those who made America what it became...