They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

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

Release Date:

1 January 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War | Western

Tagline:

The heroic saga of Custer's Last Stand!

Plot:

Highly fictionalized account (see the IMDB 'goofs' for examples) of the life of George Armstrong Custer...

Plot Keywords:

West Point | Civil War | Cavalry | Little Big Horn | George Armstrong Custer

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 (uncredited)
Truman Bradley	...	7th Michigan officer (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	...	Ft. Lincoln Bartender (uncredited)
Steve Darrell	...	Officer (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Joe (uncredited)
George Eldredge	...	Capt. Riley (uncredited)
Martin Faust	...	Officer (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson	...	Grant's Secretary (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	Veteran (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Adjutant (uncredited)
Dick French	...	Officer (uncredited)
Alberta Gary	...	Jane (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	...	Ft. Lincoln Bartender (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 (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 (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		(screenplay) and
Æneas MacKenzie		(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		(director of photography)

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
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)
Fred Graham	....	stunts (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)
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (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 (presents)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1943) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• United Artists Films (1965) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1968) (Finland) (TV) (1978) (1988) (1991)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS) (colorized)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema Life (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

140 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S (1943) | UK:U | USA:Approved (Certificate No 7505) | Australia:G | Norway:16 (1947) | Finland:K-8 (1965) | USA:Not Rated (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:14 (original rating) (1947)

Filming Locations:

Lasky Ranch, Agoura, Los Angeles County, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

According to 'The Guinness Book of Movie Facts and Feats' a total of three men were killed during the cavalry charge scene. Bill Mead's horse tripped while riding alongside Errol Flynn. As he was going down, the stuntman had the presence of mind to throw his sword forward to avoid it, but bad luck caused the hilt to get stuck in the ground and Mead fell on it, impaling himself.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the final battle, a trooper struggling with an Indian is shot in the back with an arrow by another Indian. The outline of the square block under his clothes into which the arrow was fired can be clearly seen.

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:

Featured in The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)

Soundtrack:

Garryowen

Rousingly spirited but highly inaccurate account of the legendary Custer

The Custer Legend, a la Warner Brothers Epic. There's no casting against type here, with the flamboyant Flynn as the flamboyant Custer in this rousing tribute, not only to Custer, but to the men of the 7th Cavalry. The story traces the life of the famed 'Boy General" from his turbulent days at West Point to his final fight at the Little Big Horn. Great liberties are taken with facts here, and we are presented with a Custer that is much more sympathetic to the plight of the redman than history relates. But this one is done on such a grand scale, the battle scenes alone provided employment for every extra in Hollywood. Down beat ending and all, this is great fun!