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 | Female Gunfighter | Male Female Relationship | American Indian

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:

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: When Jack first sees Mr. Merriweather, Merriweather is using a bass drum pedal. The first bass drum pedal was not patented until 1909 by William F. Ludwig.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Dana Carvey/The Wallflowers (#26.3)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Garryowen

Great movie.

I love this film, and think it's a classic. More than just a western, more than history, it's an epic but it also has humour, which epics rarely have. Beautifully directed, amazingly acted (Dustin Hoffmans best work, I think) and shot with panache, this movie deserves to come out again on the big screen. If you see it, do the widescreen thing and treat yourself. I cannot say enough about this movie, it's politics and grace. My whole family loved it.