Custer of the West *** (1967, Robert Shaw, Mary Ure, Robert Ryan, Jeffrey Hunter, Ty Hardin, Lawrence Tierney, Kieron Moore) – Classic Movie Review 7520

Spectacular, brilliantly shot (in Technicolor by cinematographer Cecilio Paniagua) battle scenes highlight director Robert Siodmak’s adventurous 1967 international co-production Custer of the West, a thoughtful and intelligent biopic of George Armstrong Custer, the controversial US general, who is offered command of the Seventh Cavalry after his brilliant military success in the American Civil War.

[Spoiler alert] The heroic US Army commander Custer is charged with taming the Cheyenne Indians and is eventually killed along with his entire command by warring Sioux and Cheyenne tribes at the battle of Little Big Horn in 1876.

There are problems with Bernard Gordon and Julian Zimet’s screenplay, which, though thoughtful and intelligent, is unfocused and historically misleading. But it is still an impressive epic. Robert Shaw does well as Custer (apart from the dodgy accent) and there is excellent support, particularly from Robert Ryan as Sgt Patrick Mulligan, a deserter.

It also stars Mary Ure as Elizabeth Custer, Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Benteen, Ty Hardin as Major Marcus Reno, Lawrence Tierney as General Philip Sheridan, and Kieron Moore as Chief Dull Knife.

It was made in Spain on location in Madrid, Toledo and Almeria, and in the studio at Sevilla Films, Madrid. It runs 145 minutes but the cut version runs 120 minutes.

The original screenplay credit to Julian Halevy was a blacklist front pseudonym for Julian Zimet. Bernard Gordon was also a blacklist victim. He was named by an acquaintance before the House Un-American Activities Committee, and he was blacklisted and fired from his film studio. He led the protest at the honorary Oscar awarded to director Elia Kazan in 1999.

In 1997 Bernard Gordon (1918 – 2007) said: ‘The action [to restore his screen-writing credits] by the guild [the Screen Writers’ Guild] comes about 40 years too late to help my Hollywood career. I sure am angry at the way I was treated by all the major studios. They blacklisted me, and I couldn’t get any work in this damn town [Los Angeles].’

Also in the cast are Robert Hall, Jack Gaskins, Jack Taylor, John Clark, Fred Kohler Jr, Barta Barri, Charles Stalmaker, and Marc Lawrence.

A rival Custer movie, The Day Custer Fell, was in the works for 20th Century Fox under director Fred Zinnemann starring Robert Mitchum, but it was cancelled over budget concerns.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7520

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Ty Hardin plays Major Marcus Reno in Custer of the West (1967).