They Died With Their Boots On
"A Glorious Western. Absolutely Irresistible." - Tom Milne, Time Out Film Guide
The 7th Cavalry Regiment, Gen. George Armstrong Custer says, rides "to hell or to glory. It depends on one's point of view." The point of view of Raoul Walsh's spectacular They Died With Their Boots On decidedly favors glory. Errol Flynn portrays the famed cavalryman in this hoof-and-thunder chronicle tracing his career from dandyish West Point plebe to Civil War hero to frontier legend immortalized by the Battle of Little Big Horn. Olivia de Havilland, sharing the marquee with Flynn for the eighth and final time, plays Custer's devoted wife Libby. And composer Max Steiner's stirring music trumpets gallantry and sacrifice. Seventh Regiment: Charge!
Member Reviews
Not That Bad - bbould
True, this movie stands history on its head, depicting George Custer as a friend of the Indians, but it still has it's exciting moments. So it's not historically accurate. It's still an exciting western with some spectacular Civil War cavalry charges. Errol Flynn is at his dashing best as Custer while Olivia DeHaviland plays his wife. This movie is the last pairing of Flynn and DeHaviland.Did Custer get a bad rap? - Neil1
Yes sir, according to this epic screenplay based on highlights of the man's life and times, from his appearance on the national scene as a West Point cadet, until his death with his boots (and fancy pants) intact. Humorously engaging performances by (especially) Flynn and (yet also) De Havilland make the whole thing very watchable. Indeed some of Custer's lines go further, conveying a certain profound eloquence. Caution: a stone-faced Anthony Quinn (redolent of Buster Keaton sans hilarant) is once again miscast as a redskin.
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Not That Bad - bbould
True, this movie stands history on its head, depicting George Custer as a friend of the Indians, but it still has it's exciting moments. So it's not historically accurate. It's still an exciting western with some spectacular Civil War cavalry charges. Errol ...Did Custer get a bad rap? - Neil1
Yes sir, according to this epic screenplay based on highlights of the man's life and times, from his appearance on the national scene as a West Point cadet, until his death with his boots (and fancy pants) intact. Humorously engaging performances by (especially) ...