James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876)—known as "Wild Bill" Hickok—was a folk character of the American Old West. Some of his exploits as reported at the time were fiction, but his skill as a gunfighter and gambler provided the basis for his fame, along with his reputation as a lawman.
Hickok was born and raised on a farm in rural Illinois. He went west at age 18 as a fugitive from justice, first working as a stagecoach driver, then as a lawman in the frontier territories of Kansas and Nebraska. He fought (and spied) for the Union Army during the American Civil War and gained publicity after the war as a scout, marksman, actor and professional gambler. Hickok was involved in several notable shootouts.
He was shot from behind and killed while playing poker in a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota) by an unsuccessful gambler, Jack McCall. The card hand which he supposedly held at the time of his death (aces and eights) has come to be known as the "Dead Man's Hand".
Wild Bill Hickok is a 1923 American Western silent film directed by Clifford Smith and written by William S. Hart and J.G. Hawks. The film stars William S. Hart, Ethel Grey Terry, Kathleen O'Connor, James Farley, Jack Gardner, Carl Gerard and William Dyer. The film was released on November 18, 1923, by Paramount Pictures. A print of the film exists in the Museum of Modern Art film archive.
William Orville "Wild Bill" Hickok III (August 23, 1874 – September 4, 1933) was an American football player and industrialist. Inevitably nicknamed "Wild Bill" for the folk hero of the American Old West, and also known as "Hickey", he starred at Yale in track as well as football and was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. After his athletic career, he became the president of his family's manufacturing business.
Hickok was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to William Orville Hickok, Jr., and Louisa Harrison Anderson Hickok. The family was prominent in Harrisburg civic life through his grandfather's machinery business, W.O. Hickok Manufacturing Company.
Bill played guard at Yale and was twice selected as an All-American. In addition, he set records in the shot put and hammer throw for the track team.
After completing his studies, Hickok returned to Pennsylvania. In 1896 he was asked by another Yale graduate from Harrisburg, Vance McCormick, to coach the football team McCormick had organized at the nearby Carlisle Indian School. The team went 5-5 against a challenging schedule that included the leading Ivy League powers.
Wild Bill may refer to:
Wild Bill is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is the G.I. Joe Team's helicopter pilot and debuted in 1983.
His real name is William S. Hardy, and his rank is that of army chief warrant officer CW-4. Wild Bill was born in Brady, Texas. His primary military specialty is helicopter pilot and his secondary military specialties are fixed wing pilot and aircraft armorer.
Wild Bill served as a combat infantryman and participated in LRRP operations during the Vietnam War. He reenlisted for Flight Warrant Officer School and has remained in service since, but his specialized training records are classified. Wild Bill joined the G.I. Joe Team as the pilot of the "Dragonfly" helicopter. He is a qualified expert in the M1911A auto pistol and the XM-16 attack rifle, but prefers single action .45 long colt revolvers.
Wild Bill is the original helicopter pilot for the G.I. Joe team, and is also an expert tracker and can function on the ground as well as any trained infantry scout. He is able to adapt the hunting skills he learned as a boy whenever he's tracking the enemy, saying that sneaking up on a Cobra is easier than sneaking up on most 'critters'.
Wild Bill is a 1995 Western film about the last days of legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok. It stars Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt and Diane Lane. The film was distributed by United Artists. It was written and directed by Walter Hill, with writing credits also going to Pete Dexter, author of the book Deadwood, and Thomas Babe, author of the play Fathers and Sons.
A well-known lawman and scout of the 19th Century's western frontier, Wild Bill Hickok (Jeff Bridges) has drifted to Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Jack McCall (David Arquette) is a young man whose mother and family have been slighted by Bill in the past, and is out for revenge.
Troubled by his on-again, off-again relationship with a woman called Calamity Jane (Ellen Barkin), haunted by the ghosts of his past, and struggling with failing eyesight, Wild Bill faces with grave concern the arrival of this dangerous newcomer to town.
In a torrid little cabin 'neath Aurora Boreeay
Wild Bill waxed his whiskers, dabbed perfume behind each ear
From a flask of Spanish lotion that he'd had for many years
Kept it for occasions when he went to see his dear
When he went down to see that little girl
Slipped off a ring of silver, slipped on a ring of gold
With a twenty-carat diamond that was carved into a rose
An ivory-stemmed revolver was reflected in his boots
That glittered like the cuff studs setting off his lovin' suit
When he went down to see that little girl
Threw a handful of ash on the fire
Made his way out through the snow
To the finest cuisine south of Canada
The finest north of Mexico
The lady who was his intension
With the look fit to fetch or to kill
Had tattooed 'neath the lace on her bosom
'Wild Bill Loves Diamond Lil'
She was not just the girl of his dreams
He was not only fond of her charms
She could knock down a man at ninety paces
While he rolled her around in his arms
Shot a hole through the hand of Michael Miller
As he crept up behind Wild Bill
She said, "Now share a little of the life I've saved you
Where you know you can relax and not get killed"
Jacob nailed the ladder to the floor
Now we can't move the ladder 'round no more
Sunday is the day I go to church and pray the Lord
Take me when I die to golden shores
Monday is the day I go to work and pay our bills
Saturday I go and spend what's left at Diamond Lil's
Yeah, that's the day I go to Diamond Lil's
In a torrid little cabin 'neath Aurora Boreeay
Wild Bill waxed his whiskers dabbed perfume behind each ear
From a flask of Spanish lotion that he'd had for many years
Kept it for occasions when he went to see his dear