They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

Directed by

B. Reeves Eason, Raoul Walsh

Genre

Western film, war film, biographical film

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 20m

Rated

NR

Rating

6.7 of 10 from 122 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A highly fictionalized story of General George Armstrong Custer. It follows him from his time at West Point through the Civil War and ends with his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The film presents Custer as a dashing and honorable figure who fights corrupt politicians and a corporation.

romanticizedadventurousheroicmelodramaticfast-pacedfun-lovingidealistictragic

What happens

They Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 American biographical western war film by director Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland and Arthur Kennedy. It was made and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and produced by Hal B. Wallis and Robert Fellows. The film's storyline offers a highly fictionalized account of the life of Gen. George Armstrong Custer, from the time he enters West Point military academy through the American Civil War and finally to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Custer is portrayed as a fun-loving, dashing figure who chooses honor and glory over money and corruption. The battle against Chief Crazy Horse (played by Anthony Quinn) is portrayed as a crooked deal between politicians and a corporation that wants the land Custer promised to the Native Americans. The film was one of the top-grossing films of the year. They Died with Their Boots On was the eighth and final film collaboration between Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland in starring roles, although the two would guest star together in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943). The supporting cast features Arthur Kennedy, Sydney Greenstreet (in his second film role) as Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott, Anthony Quinn as Crazy Horse, John Litel as Gen. Phillip Sheridan, Regis Toomey as Fitzhugh Lee, Joseph Crehan as President Ulysses S. Grant, and Hattie McDaniel. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• The Scarlet West (1925)
• The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (1977)
• Custer's Last Fight (1912)
• The Great Sioux Massacre (1965)
• Custer of the West (1968)
• General Custer at the Little Big Horn (1926)
• Custer's Last Stand (1936)
• Son of the Morning Star (1991)