Little Big Man (1970)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Thomas Berger (novel)
Calder Willingham (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 December 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | History | War | Western

Tagline:

Either The Most Neglected Hero In History Or A Liar Of Insane Proportion!

Plot:

Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.

Plot Keywords:

Little Big Horn | George Armstrong Custer | Custer's Last Stand | Aged Person | Desertion

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Jack Crabb
Faye Dunaway	...	Mrs. Pendrake
Chief Dan George	...	Old Lodge Skins
Martin Balsam	...	Mr. Merriweather
Richard Mulligan	...	Gen. George Armstrong Custer
Jeff Corey	...	Wild Bill Hickok
Aimée Eccles	...	Sunshine (as Amy Eccles)
Kelly Jean Peters	...	Olga Crabb
Carole Androsky	...	Caroline Crabb (as Carol Androsky)
Robert Little Star	...	Little Horse
Cal Bellini	...	Younger Bear
Ruben Moreno	...	Shadow That Comes in Sight
Steve Shemayne	...	Burns Red in the Sun
William Hickey	...	Historian
James Anderson	...	Sergeant
Jesse Vint	...	Lieutenant (as Jess Vint)
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Major
Thayer David	...	Rev. Silas Pendrake
Philip Kenneally	...	Mr. Kane - Drugstore Proprietor
Jack Bannon	...	Captain
Ray Dimas	...	Young Jack Crabb
Alan Howard	...	Adolescent Jack Crabb
Jack Mullaney	...	Card Player with Full House
Steve Miranda	...	Younger Bear as a Youth
Lou Cutell	...	Deacon
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Shotgun Guard
Emily Cho	...	Digging Bear
Cecelia Kootenay	...	Little Elk
Linda Dyer	...	Corn Woman
Dessie Bad Bear	...	Buffalo Wallow Woman
Len George	...	Crow Scout
Norman Nathan	...	Pawnee
Helen Verbit	...	Madame
Bert Conway	...	Bartender
Earl Rosell	...	Giant Trooper
Ken Mayer	...	Sergeant
Bud Cokes	...	Man at Bar
Rory O'Brien	...	Assassin
Tracy Hotchner	...	Flirting Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Brodie	...	Stage Passenger (uncredited)
Mae Old Coyote	...	(uncredited)
Les Kimber	...	Trader (uncredited)
Herbert Nelson	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Annette O'Toole	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Douglas W. Randall	...	Town Little Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits
Thomas Berger		(novel)
Calder Willingham		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gene Lasko	....	associate producer
Stuart Millar	....	producer

Original Music by
John Paul Hammond		(music by) (as John Hammond)

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Jr.

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

Casting by
Gene Lasko		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Dean Tavoularis

Art Direction by
Angelo P. Graham		(as Angelo Graham)

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Lynn Del Kail	....	hair stylist
Terry Miles	....	makeup artist
Dick Smith	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hoffman

Production Management
Dick Gallegly	....	production manager
Les Kimber	....	second unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Moder	....	assistant director
Malcolm R. Harding	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jerry Preshaw	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
David M. Robertson	....	assistant director: Canada (uncredited)

Art Department
Roger Dietz	....	painter
Donald B. Nunley	....	property master (as Don Nunley)
Lloyd R. Apperson	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Craig Binkley	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bud Alper	....	sound
Marvin I. Kosberg	....	dialogue editor
Marc Laub	....	dialogue editor (as Mark M. Laub)
Al Overton Jr.	....	sound
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Richard	....	sound effects (as James A. Richard)
Frank E. Warner	....	sound effects
Walter A. Gest	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Curly Thirlwell	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects

Stunts
Hal Needham	....	stunt gaffer
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stan Barrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
William H. Burton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary Combs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jeannie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Gilbert	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Green	....	stunts (uncredited)
James M. Halty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Kent Hays	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (uncredited)
Loren Janes	....	stunts (uncredited)
Julie Ann Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred Lerner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gary McLarty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn Randall Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
J.N. Roberts	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Shannon	....	stunts (uncredited)
Fred M. Waugh	....	stunts (uncredited)
Walter Wyatt	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralph Gerling	....	camera operator
Clifford Hutchison	....	gaffer
Richard Craig Meinardus	....	assistant camera (as Richard Meinardus)
Charles J. Renaud	....	key grip (as Chas Renaud)
Mel Traxel	....	still photographer
Ernst Haas	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frank Delmar	....	wardrobe
Stephanie Kline	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Richard Marks	....	associate editor
Stephen A. Rotter	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Strauss	....	additional music arranger
Ted Whitfield	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Brad Thompson	....	transportation

Other crew
Charlsie Bryant	....	continuity
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	titles
Jerry Gatlin	....	advisor: cavalry
Alvin Joseph	....	consultant to producer
Kenneth Lee	....	railroad wrangler (as Kenny Lee)
Jean Sharpe	....	production assistant
Joe Thornton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cinema Center Films
• Stockbridge-Hiller Productions

Distributors

• National General Pictures (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1977) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• S.N. Prodis (1971) (France) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1971) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (laserdisc)
• Encore (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cheyenne Nation, The  filmed with the help of
• Cinemobile System  locations by (as Cinemobile Systems)
• Crow Nation, The  filmed with the help of
• Stony Nation, The  filmed with the help of

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense battle sequences and some sexual content. (2002 re-rating)

Runtime:

139 min | USA:147 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Spanish release) | Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | UK:15 (1987) | UK:AA (1970) | Sweden:15 | Argentina:M | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (2002)

Filming Locations:

Alberta, Canada

Company:

Cinema Center Films

Trivia:

The role of Chief Old Lodge Skins was initially offered to Marlon Brando, who turned it down.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Following the movie time line, Jack Crabbe should have been rescued from the Indians around 1865. When he enters his gunfighter period around 1866, Jack is carrying two 1873 Colt Peacemakers while Hickock's pistol is an 1882 Colt.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jack Crabb: I am the sole white survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Little Big Mom (#11.10)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Garryowen

One of the best indian-western ever!

I love western, and Little Big Man is one of the best. Like many other westerns from those ages, it has aged well. It`s funny, dramatic, exciting and sad at once. Many don`t like the comedian element in this movie, but I think it`s great and it works well (Like Forrest Gump and Terms of Endearment, who also are great). Check it out, I sure didn`t regret!

My rating: 10/10