They Died with Their Boots On facts for kids
Quick facts for kids They Died with Their Boots On |
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Movie poster
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| Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
| Produced by |
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| Screenplay by |
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| Starring | |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Bert Glennon |
| Editing by | William Holmes |
| Studio | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 21, 1941 (United States) May 2, 1947 (France) |
| Running time | 140 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,358,000 |
| Money made | $4,014,000 (worldwide rentals) |
They Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 American black-and-white Western movie. It was made by Warner Bros. Pictures and stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The film tells a story about the life of General George Armstrong Custer.
The movie starts when Custer joins the West Point military academy. It follows him through the American Civil War and ends with his death. This happens at the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn. In the film, Custer is shown as a brave and fun-loving person. He cares more about honor than money or power. The movie shows the battle against Chief Crazy Horse (played by Anthony Quinn) as a result of unfair deals. These deals were made by politicians and companies who wanted land that Custer had promised to Native Americans.
They Died with Their Boots On was a very popular movie in 1941. It was the last of eight movies that Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland made together. The film also features actors like Arthur Kennedy, Sydney Greenstreet, John Litel, and Hattie McDaniel.
Contents
The Story of George Custer
George Armstrong Custer (played by Errol Flynn) arrives at West Point. He wears a very unusual uniform that he designed himself. This makes him look like a visiting general from another country. After this funny misunderstanding, he becomes a cadet.
Custer often gets into trouble for playing pranks and not following rules. When the Civil War begins, Custer is at the bottom of his class. One day, while serving a punishment, he meets Libbie Bacon. He is quiet at first because of his punishment. But later, he explains and asks to visit her.
Soon, Custer and his classmates graduate early. They are sent to Washington, D.C. for their military jobs. Because of this, Custer misses his meeting with Libbie.
Custer's Rise to Fame
Custer meets General Winfield Scott (Sydney Greenstreet), who helps him join the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Custer becomes a war hero. He bravely defends a bridge for the Union army, even though he goes against orders. He earns a medal for his courage.
He gets to go home to Monroe, Michigan. He visits Libbie, but her father is upset with Custer and tells him to leave. Custer returns to his army unit. By mistake, he is promoted to a high rank. He becomes a brigadier general and leads the Michigan Brigade at the Battle of Gettysburg. He helps win the battle, and many more victories follow.
Life Out West
After the war, Custer returns home as a hero and marries Libbie. But he soon gets bored with a quiet life. Libbie asks Custer's old friend, General Scott, to help. Custer is given a new job out west in the Dakota Territory.
Custer and Libbie arrive at Fort Lincoln. Custer finds the soldiers there are not disciplined. His old enemy from West Point, Ned Sharp (Arthur Kennedy), runs the fort's store. Sharp is selling rifles to the local Native Americans. Custer stops these sales and closes the store. He then trains his men to be disciplined. He also introduces a special song, "Garryowen", for his 7th Cavalry.
The 7th Cavalry fights many battles with the Lakota chief Crazy Horse (Anthony Quinn). Crazy Horse eventually offers peace. He wants a treaty to protect the sacred Black Hills. Custer and Washington sign this treaty.
Trouble and Betrayal
The treaty causes problems for Sharp's businesses. Sharp and others start a false rumor that gold has been found in the Black Hills. American settlers rush into the area, breaking the treaty. Custer and his troops try to stop them.
To make Custer look bad, Sharp gives alcohol to Custer's men. This happens just before a parade. The soldiers are not ready and look messy in front of a politician named Commissioner Taipe. Custer gets angry and hits Sharp and the commissioner. Because of this, Custer is removed from his command.
Custer's Last Stand
On his way to a military trial in Washington, Custer learns about the gold rush plan. He realizes it was a trick to make money. Custer tries to tell the U.S. Congress about it, but they don't listen.
When news arrives that the gold miners are causing conflict with the Lakota, Custer speaks to President Ulysses S. Grant. Grant restores Custer to his command. Back at Fort Lincoln, Custer realizes his cavalry is the only hope to save U.S. infantry troops from the Lakota. He knows he and his men might not survive.
Custer says a sad goodbye to Libbie. He then leads his cavalry into battle. Many Native American tribes, about 6000 warriors, have joined the fight. Custer and his small force are quickly surrounded and killed.
The movie shows that corrupt politicians caused this war for their own gain. Custer and his men give their lives at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. They slow down the Native American advance. Custer leaves a letter with Libbie. This letter blames the true culprits and clears the Native Americans. In the end, Custer wins his final fight for justice.
Main Actors and Characters
- Errol Flynn as George Armstrong Custer
- Olivia de Havilland as Elizabeth Bacon Custer
- Arthur Kennedy as Ned Sharp
- Charley Grapewin as California Joe
- Gene Lockhart as Samuel Bacon
- Anthony Quinn as Crazy Horse
- George P. Huntley Jr as Lt. "Queen's Own" Butler
- Stanley Ridges as Maj. Romulus Taipe
- John Litel as Gen. Phillip Sheridan
- Walter Hampden as William Sharp
- Sydney Greenstreet as Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott
- Regis Toomey as Fitzhugh Lee
- Hattie McDaniel as Callie
- Minor Watson as Sen. Smith
- Joseph Crehan as President Ulysses S. Grant
Making the Movie
How the Idea Started
Warner Bros. studio announced this movie in early 1941. It was written especially for Errol Flynn. The plan was to make it after another Flynn movie called Dive Bomber.
Filming Challenges
This movie is sometimes confused with Santa Fe Trail. That film was released a year earlier. In Santa Fe Trail, Errol Flynn played Jeb Stuart and Ronald Reagan played Custer. Olivia de Havilland was also in that movie.
Filming They Died with Their Boots On was dangerous. Three men died during production. One fell from a horse and broke his neck. Another stuntman had a heart attack. A third actor, Jack Budlong, insisted on using a real sword during a cavalry charge. He fell onto his sword and was killed. In September 1941, Errol Flynn himself collapsed from being too tired.
Jim Thorpe, a famous athlete, appeared as an uncredited Native American warrior. It is said he once punched Errol Flynn off-camera, knocking him out.
The movie brought back Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel from the famous film Gone With The Wind (1939). Olivia de Havilland was also making another movie, The Male Animal, at the same time. This made her work schedule very difficult.
The Last Battle Scene
The filmmakers wanted to shoot the final battle scene near the real Battle of the Little Bighorn site. But because of time and money limits, the scene was filmed in a rural area near Los Angeles.
The movie shows Custer leading his troops with swords. He is the last man alive when he is killed. In real life, the soldiers had put their swords away before the battle. Some Native American stories say Custer might have died early in the fight. The movie also shows Custer with his long hair during the battle. But in reality, he had cut his hair short just before the Little Bighorn campaign. Several of Custer's family members also died in the battle, but they are not shown in the movie.
Chief Crazy Horse, played by Anthony Quinn, is the only Native American character shown individually. He represents the Native American way of life that was changing quickly. Anthony Quinn was one of the few actors in the film with Native American heritage. Only 16 of the extras playing Native American warriors were actually Sioux. Most of the other warriors were played by Filipino extras.
Movie Music
The music for the film was composed by Max Steiner. He used Custer's favorite song, "Garryowen", in the movie's music. Custer knew this song from his time at West Point. In the film, Custer hears the song for the first time from an English soldier. However, "Garryowen" is actually an old Irish drinking song. Cavalry soldiers loved it because of its fast, galloping rhythm. Warner Brothers used some of this movie's music again in other films. You can hear parts of it in Silver River and Rocky Mountain, both starring Errol Flynn. It was also used in The Searchers with John Wayne.
Watching the Movie at Home
Like Errol Flynn's earlier movie Sea Hawk, They Died With Their Boots On was later given color in the 1980s. This colorized version was released on VHS tape in 1998. The original black-and-white film was released on DVD in 2005.
Images for kids
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Movie poster
See also
In Spanish: Murieron con las botas puestas para niños
