The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill Film Company to Sue Col. Cody and Maj. Lillie

A damage suit is about to be brought against Col. Wm. F. Cody and Major. Gordon W. Lillie, jointly, by the Buffalo Bill & Pawnee Bill Film Company, of New York, for alleged proceedings which they deem injurious to their business. On June 14 of this year a permanent injunction was denied to Col. Cody and Major Lillie by Justice Gerard, of the Supreme Court of New York. The object of the injunction was to restrain the film company bearing their names from selling or exhibiting a motion picture entitled, "The Life of Buffalo Bill." The complainants declare that Buffalo Bill and his partner caused newspaper articles to appear in the trade papers to the effect that the pictures were not authorized by them. It is also claimed that Cody and Lillie stopped the sale of said pictures in States in which the exhibiting rights had not been disposed of and that they further intimidated exhibitors from displaying the pictures in States in which the rights have been sold. The Buffalo Bill & Pawnee Bill Film Co. also claim that they have full authority from the defendants to manufacture and dispose of said picture and that they will protect their clients from interference by the defendants.