Custer's Last Stand (1936/I)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Elmer Clifton

Writers:

George Arthur Durlam (story) and
Eddie Granemann (story) ...

Release Date:

2 January 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | History | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

Based On Historical Events Leading Up To CUSTER'S LAST FIGHT

Plot:

When some men are attacked by Indians, a survivor obtains an Indian medicine arrow. An Indian tells...

Plot Keywords:

Indian | Scout | Killing | Gold | Attack

Cast

Rex Lease	...	Kit Cardigan / John C. Cardigan
Lona Andre	...	Belle Meade
William Farnum	...	James Fitzpatrick
Ruth Mix	...	Elizabeth Custer [Chs. 1,3, 8-11,15]
Jack Mulhall	...	Lieutenant Cook
Nancy Caswell	...	Barbara Trent
George Chesebro	...	Lieutenant Frank Roberts (as George Chesboro)
Dorothy Gulliver	...	Red Fawn
Frank McGlynn Jr.	...	General George A. Custer
Helen Gibson	...	Calamity Jane [Chs. 4-7, 10]
Josef Swickard	...	Major Henry Trent, MD
Chief Thundercloud	...	Young Wolf
Reed Howes	...	Tom 'Keen' Blade
Bobby Nelson	...	Bobby Trent (as Bobbie Nelson)
Robert Walker	...	Pete

Runtime:

USA:328 min (15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park - 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California, USA

Company:

Weiss Productions

Trivia:

Chapter Titles: - 1. Perils of the Plains - 2. Thundering Hoofs - 3. Fires of Vengeance - 4. The Ghost Dancers - 5. Trapped - 6. Human Wolves - 7. Demons of Disaster - 8. White Treachery - 9. Circle of Death - 10.Flaming Arrow - 11.Warpath - 12.Firing Squad - 13.Red Panthers - 14.Custer's Last Ride - 15. The Last Stand

Movie Connections:

Featured in Skagerrak (2003)

Serial Lasts Longer Than the Actual Battle

A tribe loses its sacred Medicine Arrow, which supposedly holds the key to the location of a cave of gold. Major Trent, a retired Confederate doctor, is in possession of the arrow and is heading west with his daughter & grandson. Keen Blade, co-owner of the local gambling house, has killed 3 other people who he thought had the arrow and teams up w/ renegade Indian Young Wolf, who is trying to recover the arrow to become leader of his tribe. Kit Cardigan, a scout for General Custer, is brought into the fracas trying to protect Trent, his daughter, Red Fawn (Young Wolf's brother) from the ramifications of the missing arrow, before these events lead to the infamous battle. The serial is actually better than its reputation has given it. There are very good performances by Cheseboro (as a disgraced soldier), Chief Thundercloud, and Mulhall, as well as an inspiring battle at the end of the serial. However the serial just drags on with too many story lines for so many characters, and when we get to the middle of the serial it becomes a back and forth story of "Who's Got the Arrow?" This is most likely the best of the 3 Stage & Screen serials. Rating, based on serials, 5.