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They Died with Their Boots On

  • 19411941
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 2h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.5K
YOUR RATING
Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
Trailer for this Civil War era adventure film
Play trailer2:46
1 Video
29 Photos
BiographyDramaRomance
A highly fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer from his arrival at West Point in 1857 to his death at the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.A highly fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer from his arrival at West Point in 1857 to his death at the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.A highly fictionalized account of the life of George Armstrong Custer from his arrival at West Point in 1857 to his death at the battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.5K
YOUR RATING
    • Raoul Walsh
    • Wally Kline(original screenplay)
    • Æneas MacKenzie(original screenplay)
    • Lenore J. Coffee(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Errol Flynn
    • Olivia de Havilland
    • Arthur Kennedy
    • Raoul Walsh
    • Wally Kline(original screenplay)
    • Æneas MacKenzie(original screenplay)
    • Lenore J. Coffee(additional dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Errol Flynn
    • Olivia de Havilland
    • Arthur Kennedy
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 122User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    They Died With Their Boots On
    Trailer 2:46
    Watch They Died With Their Boots On

    Photos29

    Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Errol Flynn, Jesse Graves, and John Litel in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Errol Flynn, Noble 'Kid' Chissell, Tex Cooper, Victor Cox, Wade Crosby, Russell Custer, Chick Hannan, Al Haskell, Arthur Kennedy, Robert Milasch, Frank Mills, Mike Morelli, Frank Orth, and Ray Teal in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Errol Flynn, William Forrest, John Hamilton, and Arthur Kennedy in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
    Olivia de Havilland and Errol Flynn in They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Errol Flynn
    Errol Flynn
    • George Armstrong Custer
    Olivia de Havilland
    Olivia de Havilland
    • Elizabeth Bacon
    Arthur Kennedy
    Arthur Kennedy
    • Ned Sharp
    Charley Grapewin
    Charley Grapewin
    • California Joe
    Gene Lockhart
    Gene Lockhart
    • Samuel Bacon, Esq.
    Anthony Quinn
    Anthony Quinn
    • Crazy Horse
    Stanley Ridges
    Stanley Ridges
    • Maj. Romulus Taipe
    John Litel
    John Litel
    • Gen. Phil Sheridan
    Walter Hampden
    Walter Hampden
    • William Sharp
    Sydney Greenstreet
    Sydney Greenstreet
    • Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott
    Regis Toomey
    Regis Toomey
    • Fitzhugh Lee
    Hattie McDaniel
    Hattie McDaniel
    • Callie
    G.P. Huntley
    • Lt. 'Queen's Own' Butler
    • (as George P. Huntley Jr.)
    Frank Wilcox
    Frank Wilcox
    • Capt. Webb
    Joe Sawyer
    Joe Sawyer
    • Sgt. Doolittle
    • (as Joseph Sawyer)
    Minor Watson
    Minor Watson
    • Sen. Smith
    Eddie Acuff
    Eddie Acuff
    • Cpl. Smith
    • (uncredited)
    Tod Andrews
    Tod Andrews
    • Cadet Brown
    • (uncredited)
      • Raoul Walsh
      • Wally Kline(original screenplay)
      • Æneas MacKenzie(original screenplay)
      • Lenore J. Coffee(additional dialogue) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To fill the background with "Indians", hundreds of Filipino extras were filmed while the 16 Sioux were used for the close-ups.
    • Goofs
      Among the many historical inaccuracies is the fact that Crazy Horse and Custer never met each other face to face. Given Crazy Horse's relative anonymity, it is also unlikely that he would have been recognized had he in fact been captured prior to the Little Big Horn.
    • Quotes

      George Armstrong Custer: Walking through life with you, ma'am, has been a very gracious thing.

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bugles in the Afternoon (1952)
    • Soundtracks
      Garryowen
      (uncredited)

      Traditional military song

      Played during the opening and closing credits and as background music aften

      Sung in the Monroe bar

      Reprised on piano by G.P. Huntley, with the soldiers singing in Ft. Lincoln

    User reviews122

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Custodian of the Custer Legacy
    Whether one views him as a gallant cavalier of the plains or a glory hunting egomaniac, debates about the life and military career of George Armstrong Custer continue down to the present day. They Died With Their Boots On presents certain facts of the Custer story and has taken liberty with others.

    He did in fact graduate at the bottom of his class at West Point and got this overnight promotion on the battlefield to Brigadier General. His record leading the Michigan Regiment under his command was one of brilliance.

    It was also true that his marriage to Libby Bacon was one of the great love matches of the 19th century. Libby and George were married for 12 years until The Little Big Horn. What's not known to today's audience is that Libby survived until 1933. During that time she was the custodian of the Custer legend. By dint of her own iron will and force of personality her late husband became a hero because she would not allow him to be remembered in any other way.

    I think Raoul Walsh and Warner Brothers missed a good opportunity to have the Custer career told in flashback. Olivia DeHavilland should have been made up the way Jeanette MacDonald was in Maytime, and be telling the story of her husband and her marriage from the point of view of nostalgia and remembrance. Even then the cracks in the Custer legend were appearing, but if done from Libby's point of view, they could be understood and forgiven.

    Sydney Greenstreet gave a fine performance as General Winfield Scott. The only problem was that Scott had nothing whatsoever to do with Custer, he was retired and replaced by George B. McClellan in late 1861 while Custer was still at West Point. I'm not sure they ever met. But Greenstreet does a good characterization of the ponderous and powerful Winfield Scott. A nice Mexican War story should have been what they gave Greenstreet instead for his very accurate portrayal of old Fuss and Feathers.

    The film though is carried by one of the great romantic teams of cinema, Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavilland. This was the last of eight films they did together. The last scene they ever did for the cameras was Libby's farewell to George as he leaves to join his regiment for what will prove to be his last campaign. Both their performances, Olivia's especially, was a high point in their careers at Warner Brothers. We know through history that Custer is riding to his doom, that and the fact that this was their last screen teaming give this scene such a special poignancy. If your eyes don't moisten you are made of marble.

    As history They Died With Their Boots On leaves a lot to be desired. As western adventure that successfully mixes romance with the action, you can't beat this film at all.
    helpful•26
    5
    • bkoganbing
    • Apr 14, 2007

    Details

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    • Release date
      • January 1, 1942 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 2 hours 20 minutes
      • Black and White

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