Cutting Room Floor

While establishing camp at Fort Sedgwick, Union Army Officer Lieutenant John Dunbar acquires dysentery from the stagnant waters of the nearby spring. Though Dunbar continues to scout the plains around the fort his days are increasingly interrupted by the nature's pressing call. After establishing a close friendship with Kicking Bird, the medicine man of the neighboring Lakota Sioux camp, Dunbar is eventually cured of his dysentery by the healing powers of native medicine. This doesn't stop Kicking Bird from having a little friendly fun while giving Dunbar the Lakota name "Runs Often to the Tall Grass."

The first cut of the film, clocking in at 236 minutes, was deemed too long by Orion Pictures executives so director Kevin Costner reluctantly cut all scenes relating to Dunbar's dysentery to bring the film down to a more audience friendly 181 minutes.

The Michael Blake novel from which "Dances with Wolves" is adapted retained the name "Runs Often to the Tall Grass" for the first and second printing but following the success of the movie its title was changed.