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Son of the Morning Star (1991) (TV)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
3 February 1991 (USA)
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Tagline:
Two great warriors. One final confrontation. The last great battle for the American Frontier.
Plot:
The story of George Custer, Crazy Horse and the events prior to the battle of the Little Bighorn, told from the different perspectives of two women. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 4 Primetime Emmys.
Another 3 nominations
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User Comments:
A Sprawling Epic
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Gary Cole | ... | George Armstrong Custer | |
| Rosanna Arquette | ... | Libby Custer | |
| Stanley Anderson | ... | Ulysses S. Grant | |
| Edward Blatchford | ... | Lt. Cooke | |
| George Dickerson | ... | Gen. Sherman | |
| Rodney A. Grant | ... | Crazy Horse | |
| Tom O'Brien | ... | Charlie Reynolds | |
| Terry O'Quinn | ... | Gen. Alfred Terry | |
| Nick Ramus | ... | Red Cloud | |
| Tim Ransom | ... | Tom Custer | |
| Robert Schenkkan | ... | Capt. Weir | |
| David Strathairn | ... | Capt. William F. Benteen | |
| Buffy Sainte-Marie | ... | Kate Bighead (voice) | |
| Dean Stockwell | ... | Gen. Philip Sheridan | |
| Bryce Chamberlain | ... | Parsons |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
187 min
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Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Originally, Kevin Costner was to have played George Armstrong Custer, and NBC-TV had a "Costner is Custer" advertising campaign all set to go. When Costner was delayed on a film project, Gary Cole stepped into the part.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When major Marcus Reno begins the attack, he draws his revolver. Seconds after, he draws the revolver again.
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Quotes:
Kate Bighead:
They call it the Fetterman massacre, after the officer who swore that with 80 men, he could wipe out the entire Sioux nation. It was no massacre. Them soldiers were stupid, and they rode to their deaths.
[Indian warriors fire barrages of arrows at Fetterman's troops]
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[Indian warriors fire barrages of arrows at Fetterman's troops]
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (15 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Son of the Morning Star (1991) (TV)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
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| Goofs | Bobandtomrock |
| DVD Available | jimmy-ringo |
| The night this premiered | Briangus8 |
| Great Film | luciefilm |
| Objectionable Content? | bkutach |
| There surely must be a DVD soon... | Seanbutcher13 |
Recommendations
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"Son Of The Morning Star" is by all accounts and definitions an epic. With a period backdrop, compelling characters, a cast of thousands and a span of ten years, "Morning Star" fits the mold of almost every made-for-tv-mini series. Yet you can't help but feel it's being confined on the small screen like a belt that's too tight on you. It has the look and feel of a theatrical feature, and would seem so much bigger on the big screen. But Mike Robe's gigantic effort is no movie of the week basic network fodder. It's the post-Civil War story of General George Armstrong Custer, his lovely and loyal wife Libbie, and Custer's Indian equivalent Crazy Horse, and the interesting chain of events that lead the two warriors to the gentle slopes of the Little Big Horn, or, more popularly, Custer's Last Stand. But, as the Indian female narrator Kate Bighead tells us, "it was not [Custer's] last stand...it was ours". The first half of the film seems somewhat confused of its real direction, and it's pretty much the movies only flaw. We meet the characters, soak in the rich setting of the western plains of our country, and are led through such happenings as Custer's court martialing for his harsh treatment on deserters, the training of his 7th cavalry, the somewhat flawed presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, who, apparently, is quite the anti-Custer, and to a lesser extent to all of this, the early days of the Cheyenne warrior Crazy Horse, played by underrated Native American actor Rodney A. Grant (Wind In His Hair from "Dances With Wolves", which is what I believe ultimatly helped greenlight this production). But besides that jumbled storyline, which really isn't all that jumbled, there are first rate acting scenes displayed by Gary Cole as our arrogant blond hero, who seems to really know his stuff when it comes to first person impressions. Rosanna Arquette is just going through the motions, and so is Dean Stockwell as Custer's superior in Washington, General Sheridan. But the real reward for sticking through this movie is the heart-wrenching climax of all movie climaxes, the Battle of Little Big Horn. Custer's actual Last Stand isn't until the final half hour, but boy is it worth the wait. Mike Robe really deserves some, heck, A LOT of credit for this logistical nightmare of a production. He takes us through Custer's final moments with true skill and utter authority. Combined with the poetic and professional lens job done by director of photography Kees Van Oostrum, and a lush orchestral score by Craig Safan, "Son Of The Morning Star" is a real piece of work, and should be considered a genuine cinematic triumph in the annals of western and dramatic film. Kudos, guys.