Bugles in the Afternoon is a 1952 American Western film produced by William Cagney, directed by Roy Rowland and starring Ray Milland, Helena Carter, Hugh Marlowe and Forrest Tucker, based on the 1943 novel by Ernest Haycox.

On the trip to Fort Lincoln, he meets a woman, Josephine Russell, when both are waiting to board a stagecoach to Fargo.

When they reach Bismarck in the Dakota territory, Shafter heads to Fort Abraham Lincoln and enlists in the 7th Cavalry.

Garnett deliberately puts Shafter, Donovan, and another soldier in danger by sending the three on a scouting mission, claiming there are no Sioux warriors in the vicinity despite having seen them through his binoculars.

The three see their company fall back as they discover a large Sioux war party in their scouting area.

It was the first of six films William Cagney was to make for United Artists;[5] the others were to be Blood on the Sun, Only the Valiant, Port Royal, The Stray Lamb and an untitled mystery romance.

[6] In August 1944 Ring Lardner Jnr was assigned to write the script, which was intended to star James Cagney.

[7] The movie was meant to follow Blood on the Sun, but was put back when Cagney elected to make The Time of Your Life instead.

[10] In February 1951, Warners, which hoped that Errol Flynn would play the lead, announced that Harry Brown and Geoffrey Home had written the script and that filming would start in May.

[12] In April, William Cagney announced he had signed Ray Milland to star and that Helena Carter, David Brian and Robert Preston would co-star.