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Legends & Lies
S1.E8
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IMDbPro

George Custer: A General's Reckoning

  • Episode aired May 31, 2015
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
23
YOUR RATING
Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
DocumentaryBiographyHistory

A profile of George Armstrong Custer, a Civil War commander in the Union Army, who later died at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.A profile of George Armstrong Custer, a Civil War commander in the Union Army, who later died at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.A profile of George Armstrong Custer, a Civil War commander in the Union Army, who later died at the Battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.

  • Director
    • Kevin R. Hershberger
  • Writers
    • Jason Broome
    • Claire Callahan
    • David Huntley
  • Stars
    • Kelsey Grammer
    • Dermot Mulroney
    • Bradley Barnett
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    23
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Kevin R. Hershberger
    • Writers
      • Jason Broome
      • Claire Callahan
      • David Huntley
    • Stars
      • Kelsey Grammer
      • Dermot Mulroney
      • Bradley Barnett
    • 3User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos24

    Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb and Jack Powers in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb and Jack Powers in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb and Jack Powers in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)
    Jon Cobb in Legends & Lies (2015)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kelsey Grammer
    Kelsey Grammer
    • Self - Host
    Dermot Mulroney
    Dermot Mulroney
    • Self - Narrator
    • (voice)
    Bradley Barnett
    • Native American Man #4
    Jesse Birster
    • Native American Man #2
    Christina Carlos
    • Black Kettle's Wife
    Jon Cobb
    • George A Custer
    Robert Coppage
    • Deserter #2
    Tommy Cramer
    Tommy Cramer
    • Scout
    Diane Curley
    • Libbie Custer
    Alicia Doxtator
    • Native American Woman
    Sasha Gheesling
    Sasha Gheesling
    • Young George Custer
    • (as Alexander Gheesling)
    Chance Gibson
    • Union Scout
    Mark Gibson
    • Mounted Scout
    James Goucher
    • Cheyenne Chief
    Joe Grepiotis
    • Native American Man #6
    Mike Gysel
    • Native American Man #5
    Jonathan Hardison
    • Joel Elliot
    John Hilowitz
    John Hilowitz
    • Custer's Lieutenant
    • Director
      • Kevin R. Hershberger
    • Writers
      • Jason Broome
      • Claire Callahan
      • David Huntley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      General George Armstrong Custer is correctly shown to be carrying a Webley Royal Irish Constabulary Revolver. He was most likely shooting a Remington Rolling Block sporting rifle chambered in .50-70 due to some of the shell casing being found under his body.
    • Goofs
      Captain Tom Custer was dressed like his older brother George. He wore a blue Fireman's/Bibbed shirt, a red tie, Buckskin Pants, and according to some sources, a Buckskin Jacket. Tom did not wear the regular uniform.

    User reviews3

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    1/10
    Lies is a good Description
    No one expects too much from documentaries these last few years, but sometimes they just need to be called out for their absurdity. The Custer episode of Legends & Lies: the Real West, well qualifies for this treatment, for it is nearly all lies.

    This is not to say that General George Custer wasn't a controversial figure with many personal flaws. There is plenty of material on that. So it's a wonder that this documentary, narrated by Kelsey Grammar and featuring several prominent historians, felt a need to tell lie after lie about it's subject.

    Not to get crazy, but it shows Custer ordering Major Elliot to pursue fleeing Indians at the Washita battle. Never happened. It shows Captain Benteen warning Custer not to split his troops at the Little Big Horn. Never happened. It tells of Custer's expedition to Montana without ever hinting that General Alfred Terry was in command, not Custer. The list goes on. One factual error after another.

    I am reluctant to blame the historians. I once had a conversation with historian Paul Hutton, who is featured in this documentary. I asked him why he claimed Custer wanted a victory at the Little Big Horn so he could run for president, when he knows that isn't true (this was a different program, Robert Redford's The West). Paul told me he didn't say that, but the film editors had recut his interview to deliberately give the opposite impression of what he actually said. Is it possible that happened here?

    The production values of this show are fine. Horses. Soldiers. Uniforms. Action scenes. Wide open spaces. It has a good look. Though I doubt the reenactors who put so much of their time and energy into recreating history appreciate their work being turned into a sham.

    The West, the Wild West, the Frontier, or whatever someone wants to call it, is full of fascinating stories. And many of them are well documented, particularly the battle at the Little Big Horn. There is really no reason to invent false narratives as this show as done.
    helpful•0
    0
    • thirdsqurl
    • Oct 10, 2022

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • May 31, 2015 (United States)
    • Production companies
      • Historical Wardrobe
      • Life of O'Reilly Productions
      • Warm Springs Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour

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