Little Big Man (1970)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Thomas Berger (novel)
Calder Willingham (writer)

Release Date:

23 December 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Western | Adventure | War

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:

Native American Captive | Centenarian | Little Big Horn | Kidnapping | Polygamy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Dustin Hoffman	...	Jack Crabb
Faye Dunaway	...	Mrs. Louise 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 - 'I got a 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:
Mae Old Coyote
Don Brodie	...	Stage Passenger (uncredited)
Les Kimber	...	Trader (uncredited)
Herbert Nelson	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Annette O'Toole	...	Passerby (uncredited)
Douglas W. Randall	...	Town Little Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
Arthur Penn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Thomas Berger		novel
Calder Willingham		writer

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

Original Music by
John Paul Hammond		(as John Hammond)

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Jr.

Film Editing by
Dede Allen

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
David M. Robertson	....	assistant director: Canada

Art Department
Roger Dietz	....	painter
Donald B. Nunley	....	property master
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
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Hal Needham	....	stunt coordinator
M. James Arnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Denny Arnold	....	stunts (uncredited)
Stan Barrett	....	stunts (uncredited)
William H. Burton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roydon Clark	....	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)
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	....	wardrober
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	....	title designer
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)
• CBS/Fox (laserdisc)
• Centfox (1971) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Encore (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Paramount Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | 70 mm 6-Track (Spanish release)

Certification:

UK:AA (1970) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (1987) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | West Germany:12 (f) (re-rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | 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:

Near the site of Custer's Last Stand, you will find a village named Garryowen, the name of the jig played by Custer's cavalry.

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 Boum 2, La (1982)

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