General Custer is on trial for the deaths of his men at the Battle of Little Bighorn.General Custer is on trial for the deaths of his men at the Battle of Little Bighorn.General Custer is on trial for the deaths of his men at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
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Douglas C. Jones book and this film came out at about the time of the Cuter Centennial in 1976. This Hallmark Hall of Fame movie dares to ask the question what if? What if General Custer had survived the Battle of the Little Bighorn and stood trial for negligence. You have to keep reminding yourself this didn't acutally happen. I guess that is the greatest compliment you can pay. THe actor playing Custer really doesn't bring him to life, but Brian Kieth and Ken Howard are great as opposing counsel especially in their great summations. Was Custer a great leader or a glory-hungry fool who risked his men's lives. This movie lets us be the judge. Not as good as The Caine Mutiny Court Martial or The Andersonville Trial (or A Few Good Men) but definitely worth your time. Look for an early performance by Blythe Danner.
Suppose Custer survived his Last Stand? Other reviewers summed up Custer's post-war career but to make a long story short, the man made no friends in the Grant administration. So, looking for scapegoats after the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and hoping to bury a political enemy (an idea ripped right out of modern headlines), President Grant and other military men upon whose toes Custer has tread cook up a trial for Custer for disobeying orders.
As I mentioned in the title, the cast is top drawer. Unfortunately, some have little to do. Blythe Danner, one of the better actresses of those days who could pass for a lady, until the end is reduced to looking noble. She does it well, but I feel sorry for her.
Good actors with lots to do include Ken Howard, who soars above the material; and Brian Keith, who appears almost embarrassed by his bad wig and his limp (Keith would outshine most all comers ten years later in the starry miniseries "Centennial.")
Smaller roles are filled with the likes of William Daniels, Anthony Zerbe and J. D. Cannon. Susan Sullivan was never more alluring.
The biggest disaster was James Olsen's Custer. Even just sitting at the defendants' table, he ought to exude some of the famous Custer charisma that inspired men (above their duty) to follow him to their deaths. He doesn't.
Overall, this videotaped presentation looks quickly made and under rehearsed. The direction of the camera work is occasionally sloppy. Parts of it look like amateur theater that might've been staged in a high school lunch room. That the fine actors weren't buried altogether proves how well-chosen they were.
As I mentioned in the title, the cast is top drawer. Unfortunately, some have little to do. Blythe Danner, one of the better actresses of those days who could pass for a lady, until the end is reduced to looking noble. She does it well, but I feel sorry for her.
Good actors with lots to do include Ken Howard, who soars above the material; and Brian Keith, who appears almost embarrassed by his bad wig and his limp (Keith would outshine most all comers ten years later in the starry miniseries "Centennial.")
Smaller roles are filled with the likes of William Daniels, Anthony Zerbe and J. D. Cannon. Susan Sullivan was never more alluring.
The biggest disaster was James Olsen's Custer. Even just sitting at the defendants' table, he ought to exude some of the famous Custer charisma that inspired men (above their duty) to follow him to their deaths. He doesn't.
Overall, this videotaped presentation looks quickly made and under rehearsed. The direction of the camera work is occasionally sloppy. Parts of it look like amateur theater that might've been staged in a high school lunch room. That the fine actors weren't buried altogether proves how well-chosen they were.
if i could give this movie a negative score i would. One example of the book being greater than the movie. The books is great. the movie brought up the standard for sucking. A friend who has rad the book and heard about the movie says i should cut it a break because hallmark made it and kept it family friendly. OK i get that. But why hasn't anybody tried to do a remake? do it like north and south and do it as a miniseries. anything but this travesty of the book. They didn't have benteen, they didn't have custer actually do much, the actor while most of them are good actors didn't really do the movie justice. do this as a mini series or not as a hall Mark movie i'd of given it a 10 out of 10. And don't even get me started on no battle scene. that would have made the movie from great to among best of all time.
I've watched this film on numerous occasions due to its alternative take on the aftermath of Little Bighorn 1876. Films depicting famous battles becomes tiresome after a while, that any new angle on the story is truly fresh and intriguing. I'd like to see a similar concept used about an officer in my own subject of interest. This film could do with a remake with the actors of today, but with more in the way of accuracy of character portrayals and more engaging dialogue in the courtroom. I feel it could really compete with the likes of the 'Breaker Morant' film which is outstanding. I find this Custer film a real gem and an interesting talking point.
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- TriviaThe UCLA Marching Band appeared as the soldiers marching in formation on the drilling field.
- ConnectionsEdited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)
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- Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer (#27.2)
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