A good many movies are misjudged at the time of their release--sometimes overpraised, such as DeMille's elephantine The Greatest Show On Earth, and sometimes undervalued or not valued at all, such as this oddball revisionist Western. Director Altman had just finished Nashville, and folks expected another blockbuster that wove a wide tapestry of the modern world; Paul Newman was churning out rather bloodless blockbusters like The Towering Inferno, and nobody expected a commitment to a wild west character who lives a dark lie. Many reviews of this film are appropriately appreciative of its quirks, not expecting a traditional western, but accustomed to the oddities of Altman's usual style. This film is jammed with wonderful character portrayals, and not only gives a willing viewer a fascinating look at what traveling vaudeville was like in the old West, but tosses out some food for thought. Though towards the end it betrays its theatre origins with some talky excess, I found Buffalo Bill colorful, entertaining and unusually satisfying