Little Big Man (1970)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Thomas Berger (novel)
Calder Willingham (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 December 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | 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 | Revenge | Sister | Preacher

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

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:

In order to get the raspy voice of a man who is supposed to be over 120 years old, Dustin Hoffman sat in his dressing room and screamed at the top of his lungs for an hour.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Custer approaches the Little Big Horn he is mounted on a white horse. It subsequently changes to a brown horse.

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 Girl (#18.12)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Garryowen

My favorite movie.

The story of Jack Crabb, "last of the old timers" is the funniest, most moving, and enlightening history lessons you'll ever experience. This is a beautiful, sometimes tragic story of the west as told by Little Big Man, who managed to see some of the most important moments in America's history, most notably Custer's Last Stand. Dustin Hoffman gives his best performance. Chief Dan George as his grandfather will make you cry. And Richard Mulligan pulls off an incredible performance as General Custer.

The book is often taught in High School; I hope teachers also show the film because it is a rare example of a movie doing a classic justice.