They Died with Their Boots On | |
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Directed by | Raoul Walsh |
Produced by | |
Screenplay by |
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Starring | |
Music by | Max Steiner |
Cinematography | Bert Glennon |
Edited by | William Holmes |
Production
company |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date
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1947 (France) |
Running time
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140 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $1,357,000 |
Box office | $2,550,000 (US rentals) 2,151,959 admissions (France) |
They Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 black-and-white American western film from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Hal B. Wallis and Robert Fellows, directed by Raoul Walsh, that stars Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.
The film's storyline offers a highly fictionalized version of the life of General George Armstrong Custer, from the time he enters West Point military academy, through the American Civil War, and finally to his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Custer is portrayed as a fun-loving, dashing figure who chooses honor and glory over money and corruption. The battle against Chief Crazy Horse is portrayed as a crooked deal between politicians and a corporation that wants the land Custer promised to the Indians.
Despite its historical inaccuracies, the film was one of the top-grossing films of 1941. They Died with Their Boots On was the eighth film collaboration between Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland.
George Armstrong Custer (Errol Flynn) enters West Point and quickly establishes himself as a troublemaker by showing up in an outlandish uniform he had designed himself, which makes him appear to be a visiting foreign general. After the misunderstanding, he signs up as a cadet, and begins to stack up demerits for pranks and a general disregard for rules while at the Point. When the Civil War breaks out, Custer is at the bottom of his class.
Custer's relationship with Libbie Bacon (from Monroe, Michigan) begins at the Point; walking a punishment tour, he is not allowed to speak, but he is approached by Libbie who asks him for directions. As soon as his punishment ends, he runs after her, explaining his rude silence, and asking if he may come by her front porch that evening. After speaking with Libbie, Custer and other members of his class are graduated early and ordered to report to Washington, D.C. for assignment. As a result, Custer misses his evening appointment.