They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Wally Kline (original screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie (original screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

1 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

The heroic saga of Custer's Last Stand!

Plot:

This is the story of General Custer from the time he enters West Point military academy, through the American Civil War...

Plot Keywords:

Civil War | West Point | Little Big Horn | Crazy Horse | Cavalry

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	George Armstrong Custer
Olivia de Havilland	...	Elizabeth Bacon
Arthur Kennedy	...	Ned Sharp
Charley Grapewin	...	California Joe
Gene Lockhart	...	Samuel Bacon, Esq.
Anthony Quinn	...	Crazy Horse
Stanley Ridges	...	Maj. Romulus Taipe
John Litel	...	Gen. Phil Sheridan
Walter Hampden	...	William Sharp
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott
Regis Toomey	...	Fitzhugh Lee
Hattie McDaniel	...	Callie
G.P. Huntley	...	Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler (as George P. Huntley Jr.)
Frank Wilcox	...	Capt. Webb
Joe Sawyer	...	Sgt. Doolittle (as Joseph Sawyer)
Minor Watson	...	Sen. Smith
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eleanor Parker	...	Bit part (scenes deleted)
Eddie Acuff	...	Cpl. Smith (uncredited)
Tod Andrews	...	Cadet Brown (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Uniform salesman (uncredited)
Walter Baldwin	...	Settler (uncredited)
Roy Barcroft	...	Officer (uncredited)
Hank Bell	...	1st Michigan officer (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Well-wisher (uncredited)
Hobart Bosworth	...	Mr. Cartwright (clergyman) (uncredited)
Virginia Brissac	...	Woman (uncredited)
Walter Brooke	...	Cadet Rosser (uncredited)
Jack Budlong	...	Cavalryman (uncredited)
Lane Chandler	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Spencer Charters	...	Station master (uncredited)
G. Pat Collins	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Train conductor (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	President Ulysses S. Grant (uncredited)
Wade Crosby	...	Bartender in Ft. Lincoln (uncredited)
Steve Darrell	...	Officer (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Joe (bartender in Monroe) (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Capt. Riley (uncredited)
Martin Faust	...	Officer (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson	...	President Grant's secretary (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Veteran (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
Dick French	...	Officer (uncredited)
Alberta Gary	...	Jane (kitchen maid) (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	Black servant (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Weldon Heyburn	...	Staff officer (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Newsman (uncredited)
Russell Hicks	...	Colonel of 1st Michigan (uncredited)
Max Hoffman Jr.	...	Sergeant reading telegraph copy (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	Nurse (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Lt. Frazier (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	Capt. McCook (uncredited)
Annabelle Jones	...	Bacon's maid #2) (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Congressman (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Bartender at Ft. Lincoln (uncredited)
Joe King	...	Chairman of hearing (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Officer (uncredited)
Harry Lewis	...	Youth (uncredited)
Vera Lewis	...	Head nurse (uncredited)
Arthur Loft	...	Tillaman (uncredited)
Ian MacDonald	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Waiter serving Custer (uncredited)
Patrick McVey	...	Cpl. Jones (holding the horse) (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Telegraph operator (uncredited)
George Murphy	...	Cavalryman (uncredited)
Anna Q. Nilsson	...	Mrs. Taipe (uncredited)
Frank Orth	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Eddie Parker	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Officer (uncredited)
Aileen Pringle	...	Mrs. Sharp (uncredited)
George Reed	...	Charles (waiter serving Gen. Scott) (uncredited)
Renie Riano	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Addison Richards	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
John Ridgely	...	2nd Lt. Davis (uncredited)
Virginia Sale	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Robert Schoenhut Sr.	...	Sioux warrior (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Lt. Walsh (uncredited)
Garland Smith	...	Officer (uncredited)
Hugh Sothern	...	Maj. Smith (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Ray Teal	...	Barfly (uncredited)
Jim Thorpe	...	(uncredited)
Minerva Urecal	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	SSgt. Brown (uncredited)
Gig Young	...	Lt. Roberts (uncredited)
Victor Zimmerman	...	Colonel of 5th Michigan (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Wally Kline		(original screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie		(original screenplay)
Lenore J. Coffee		(additional dialogue) uncredited

Produced by
Robert Fellows	....	associate producer
Hal B. Wallis	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
William Holmes

Art Direction by
John Hughes

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist
Ward Hamilton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Nellie Manley	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Bill Phillips	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Archer	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
B. Reeves Eason	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Arthur Lueker	....	first assistant director (uncredited)
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robey Cooper	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Eddie Edwards	....	props (uncredited)
Budd Friend	....	assistant props (uncredited)
William Wallace	....	assistant props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dolph Thomas	....	sound
Everett A. Hughes	....	cable person (uncredited)
Ned O. Nair	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Dick H. Williams	....	boom operator (uncredited)

Stunts
Fred Graham	....	stunts
George Barrows	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jane Bill	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Jack Budlong	....	stunts (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Iron Eyes Cody	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bruce Gailbraith	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Howard Hill	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hoffman	....	stunt double (uncredited)
Herbert Holcombe	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	stunt double: Anthony Quinn (uncredited)
Leo J. McMahon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Mead	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Murphy	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunt double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
William Classen	....	grip (uncredited)
Benny Cohan	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ellsworth Fredericks	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
Mickey Moran	....	best boy (uncredited)
Fred Morgan	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ralph Owen	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathrin Grams	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Dick Moder	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Don Siegel	....	montage (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Edward A. Blatt	....	dialogue director (as Eddie Blatt)
J.G. Taylor	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. J.G. Taylor, Retired, U.S. Army)
Jane Bill	....	double (uncredited)
Eugene Busch	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Bruce Gailbraith	....	double (uncredited)
John Hoffman	....	double (uncredited)
Cliff Lyons	....	double (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS) (colorized)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1943) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1968) (1978) (1988) (1991) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

To the Last Man (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Norway:16 (1947) | Finland:K-8 (1965) | Finland:S (1943) | UK:U | USA:Approved (PCA #7505)

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

This was the eighth and final film pairing of Errol Flynn with Olivia de Havilland. The last scene they filmed together was Custer's parting with his wife before his final campaign.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Several tire tracks can be seen towards the end of the movie when the 7th Cavalry is chasing Crazy Horse and the Indian war party.

Quotes:

[Custer addresses the officers after his arrival at Fort Lincoln]
George Armstrong Custer: We're responsible for the protection of 100,000 square miles of territory. And against us are ranged thousands of the finest light cavalry on earth. I found that out this morning. It's a big job, gentlemen... and it's gonna need a fine regiment. Our job is to make this the finest regiment that the United States ever saw...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Creeping Terror (#7.6)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

I Wish I Was in Dixie's Land

Hollywood history a real 'hoot' of a film

This film covers George Armstrong's life ('Auty' to his family and friends) from his induction to West Point to ..... well ...... when he gets the chop.

It is a well researched film where the film makers chose to ignore almost all of the facts .... while referring to them at a 'safe distance' (but nonetheless it manages to include a lot that is 'reasonably' factual), and is played with much humour by the late great Australian actor, Errol Flynn.... until the last scenes, of course.

Its many faults accepted, the scope of the film far exceeds any other depiction of Custer yet made, including some of his Civil War exploits and in part explains why his defeat had the impact on US society at the time, as it did, and has been and still is, the subject of fascination by so many for so long. (But the film sells him short here, glossing over his many remarkable civil war exploits, including the fact that it was Custer's Michigan Cavalry Division which defeated the legendary Confederate General J. E. B. ('Jeb') Stewart, in an engagement in which Stewart was killed. It also does not acknowledge that Custer was a '2**', or Major Gen (at age 23!), depicting him as Brig Gen - or '1*'. And he was not accidentally promoted to General as portrayed - but the hillarious scene in the mess tent when news of his promotion arrives, is by all accounts, true - as apparently is the equally funny first encounter in a saloon with his father-in-law to be.)

As to the film ...... its a 'hoot' .... and correctly captures Custer's 'dashing' personality. While the final battle scene is incorrect (better portrayed in TV's 'Son of the Morning Star') the action is excellent. The poignant scenes with Olivia de Havilland at the end as he departs for his final, fateful journey illustrate the magnificent chemistry between these two actors in the last film in which they played together. (The scene with the pocket watch is correct also .... I have seen the watch at the battlefield museum..) The Garry Owen is a star of the film and is still the marching song of the present day 7th.