I picked up a DVD copy of "The Legend of Custer", not realizing it was actually the premiere episode of the short lived 1967 TV Series titled simply "Custer". Wayne Maunder does the honors as the twenty eight year old arrogant and conceited "Boy General", shortly after his demotion in rank from Brevet General to a Lieutenant Colonel, which came as a result of dereliction of duty for leaving his post.
The first episode of the series is titled "Sabres in the Sun", and when I say it takes a great deal of historical license in telling it's story, that would be a gross understatement. Central to this episode is a forced alliance between Custer and Lakota Nation War Chief Crazy Horse (Michael Dante), who Custer rescues following his capture by a rival Blackfoot tribe. The story see saws it's way between both men contesting their superiority over each other, before Crazy Horse makes his way free to war on the cavalry troops of Fort Hays. Since the Custer-Crazy Horse team up seems so preposterous, I find it difficult to accept other parts of the story as fact, such as the 7th Cavalry adoption of an Irish tune from Limerick as their theme song; it's the one you hear in many cavalry Westerns. Combine that with the handgun shooting prowess of Colonel Custer portrayed in the film; thanks to a recently viewed episode of "Wild West Tech", be advised that handguns of the era were accurate up to a range of about twenty feet!
All of sixteen episodes of this series aired between September and December 1967 before the show met it's own Little Big Horn. In that time, a fair amount of reputable guest stars made their appearance in the show, including Robert Loggia, Ray Walston, Darren McGavin, Rory Calhoun, Agnes Moorehead, and James Whitmore. Series regulars included Robert F. Simon as General Alfred Terry and Slim Pickens as California Joe Milner. Judging by this episode, it's no surprise the series ended abruptly, though in a counter to Western tradition, the final episode had the Kiowas ride to the Cavalry's rescue after being blamed for raids on wagon trains. Had the series gone for comedy instead, it might have been better remembered - as in "F Troop"!
The first episode of the series is titled "Sabres in the Sun", and when I say it takes a great deal of historical license in telling it's story, that would be a gross understatement. Central to this episode is a forced alliance between Custer and Lakota Nation War Chief Crazy Horse (Michael Dante), who Custer rescues following his capture by a rival Blackfoot tribe. The story see saws it's way between both men contesting their superiority over each other, before Crazy Horse makes his way free to war on the cavalry troops of Fort Hays. Since the Custer-Crazy Horse team up seems so preposterous, I find it difficult to accept other parts of the story as fact, such as the 7th Cavalry adoption of an Irish tune from Limerick as their theme song; it's the one you hear in many cavalry Westerns. Combine that with the handgun shooting prowess of Colonel Custer portrayed in the film; thanks to a recently viewed episode of "Wild West Tech", be advised that handguns of the era were accurate up to a range of about twenty feet!
All of sixteen episodes of this series aired between September and December 1967 before the show met it's own Little Big Horn. In that time, a fair amount of reputable guest stars made their appearance in the show, including Robert Loggia, Ray Walston, Darren McGavin, Rory Calhoun, Agnes Moorehead, and James Whitmore. Series regulars included Robert F. Simon as General Alfred Terry and Slim Pickens as California Joe Milner. Judging by this episode, it's no surprise the series ended abruptly, though in a counter to Western tradition, the final episode had the Kiowas ride to the Cavalry's rescue after being blamed for raids on wagon trains. Had the series gone for comedy instead, it might have been better remembered - as in "F Troop"!