They Died with Their Boots On (1941)

82% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(2,966 ratings)

Though history is distorted almost beyond recognition in Warner Bros.' They Died With Their Boots On, audiences in 1941 ate it up like cotton candy. In the gospel according to Warners, General George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) is neither an arrogant fool nor a rabid Indian hater. Instead, he is… More Though history is distorted almost beyond recognition in Warner Bros.' They Died With Their Boots On, audiences in 1941 ate it up like cotton candy. In the gospel according to Warners, General George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) is neither an arrogant fool nor a rabid Indian hater. Instead, he is a flamboyant but brilliant cavalry officer, who during the Civil War defies his superiors' orders and becomes a hero as a result. After a period of forced retirement in the postwar years, Custer is put in charge of the 7th Cavalry in the Dakota Territory. Here he whips this ragtag group into spit-and-polish shape, and also does his best to extend a neighborly hand to the local Indian tribes. Custer even goes so far as to promise Chief Crazy Horse (Anthony Quinn) that the white man will never set foot in the sacred Black Hills. Alas, Custer is betrayed by greedy gold prospectors, whipped into a frenzy by scheming (and fictional) land speculator Ned Sharp (Arthur Kennedy). Forced by circumstances to do battle against Crazy Horse to prevent tribal retaliation, Custer and his command ride towards a rendezvous with destiny at the Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876. Though some of the historical inaccuracies in the film are real howlers, blame cannot be laid solely at the feet of Warner Bros.; the Custer legend had previously been perpetrated by the general's loyal widow Elizabeth Bacon (played herein by Olivia de Havilland), then eagerly elaborated upon by Eastern news journalists and dime novels. This film represented the final screen pairing of Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland, a fact that lends poignancy to their classic parting scene. Though an extremely long film, They Died With Their Boots On is never dull, especially during the spectacular Custer's Last Stand finale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 21 min.
Directed By: Raoul Walsh
Genres: Western, Drama, Classics

On DVD: Apr 19, 2005

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A rousing Western.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Powerful, if heavily fictionalized, Western, with dynamic direction by Raoul Walsh.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
suffers from being too long and meandering too much into the minutiae of Custer's love life
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
If Custer's beyond-the-grave wish was to protect the Native Americans from corporate cretins, then I'm Errol Flynn.
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine
Endures as one of the finest Flynn-de Havilland collaborations.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
Glorified Custer, sure, but Flynn is spectacular.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Well-made, but specious.

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

History (as specious as that is) records that U.S. President Ullysses S.Grant publically disparaged the tactics of George Armstrong Custer after the Little Big Horn and that, in reply, his wife, Elizabeth, devoted the rest of her life defending her husband. The truth is buried at the… More
History (as specious as that is) records that U.S. President Ullysses S.Grant publically disparaged the tactics of George Armstrong Custer after the Little Big Horn and that, in reply, his wife, Elizabeth, devoted the rest of her life defending her husband. The truth is buried at the site, but Warner Bros., with Raoul Walsh at the directing helm, sides with Mrs. Custer's version of events. No matter the truth here still is exciting, stirring entertainment, and the last pairing also of the Flynn/DeHavilland team-up, one of the screen's best romantic couples.
Anthony L

I love this classic war film, even if it is a little inaccurate. At least they didn't totally rewrite history like most Disney/Mel Gibson films!
jay n

Historical hogwash, Errol is dashing and Olivia looks lovely but that's not enough for the overlong running time
Ken S

Really interesting film based (loosely) on the life of George Armstrong Custer. It's certainly guilty of a little hero worship, but a whole lot of fun. Trivia Tidbit: Flynn and DeHavilland's last film together.

Cast

            Errol Flynn as George Armstrong Custer

            Olivia de Havilland as Elizabeth Bacon Custer

            Arthur Kennedy as Ned Sharp

            Regis Toomey as Fitzhugh Lee

            Charles Grapewin as California Joe

            Stanley Ridges as Maj. Romulus Taipe

            Gene Lockhart as Samuel Bacon

            Anthony Quinn as Crazy Horse

            Walter Hampden as William Sharp

            John Litel as Gen. Philip Sheridan

            Joe Sawyer as Sgt. Doolittle

            Frank Wilcox as Capt. Webb

            Selmar Jackson as Capt. McCook

            Minor Watson as Sen. Smith

            Sydney Greenstreet as Gen. Winfield Scott

            Hattie McDaniel as Callie

            Eddie Acuff as Cpl. Smith

            Tod Andrews as Cadet Brown

            Irving Bacon as Salesman

            Walter S. Baldwin as Settler

            Roy Barcroft
            
            Hobart Bosworth as Clergyman

            Virginia Brissac as Woman

            Walter Brooke as Rosser

            Lane Chandler
            
            Spencer Charters as Station Master

            George Pat Collins as Corporal

            Joseph Crehan as Ulysses S. Grant

            Wade Crosby as Bartender

            Steven Darrell as Officer

            Joe Devlin
            
            George Eldredge as Capt. Riley

            Martin Faust
            
            Frank Ferguson as Grant's Secretary

            William Forrest as Adjutant

            Dick French
            
            G.P. Huntley as Lieutenant Butler

            Sol (Saul) Gorss
            
            John Hamilton as Colonel

            Carl Harbaugh as Sergeant

            Weldon Heyburn as Staff Officer

            Herbert Heywood as Newsman

            Russell Hicks as Colonel of 1st Michigan

            Max Hoffman Jr.
            
            William Hopper as Frazier

            Edward Keane as Congressman

            Fred Kelsey
            
            Joseph King as Chairman

            Paul Kruger
            
            Harry Lewis as Youth

            Vera Lewis as Head Nurse

            Arthur Loft as Tillaman

            Ian MacDonald as Soldier

            Frank Mayo as Orderly

            Sam McDaniel as Waiter

            Patrick McVey as Jones

            Jack Mower as Telegrapher

            Anna Q. Nilsson as Mrs. Taipe

            Frank Orth
            
            Eddie Parker as Sentry

            Eleanor Parker as Bit Part (cut out)

            Bob Perry
            
            Aileen Pringle as Mrs. Sharp

            George H. Reed as Charles

            Renie Riano
            
            Addison Richards as Adjutant

            John Ridgely as Lieutenant Davis

            Virginia Sale as Nurse

            James Seay as Lt. Walsh

            Hugh Sothern as Maj. Smith

            Harry Strang
            
            Ray Teal as Barfly

            Minerva Urecal
            
            Dick Wessel as Staff Sgt. Brown

            Gig Young as Lt. Roberts

            Francis Ford as Veteran

            Victor Zimmerman as Colonel of 5th Michigan

            Charley Grapewin
            
            George P. Huntley Jr.
            
            Joseph Sawyer
            
See full cast