SPOILERS The film begins with at Fort Hays, Kansas, with Custer (Wayne Maunder) riding into town in the pouring rain, apparently after his promotion and demotion from General. He comes across some soldiers shooting dice, and confronts one of the men, setting the stage for his rejoining his original regiment. Along the way, we see that several of his subordinates and superiors have no respect for him. To start off, Custer and a co-hort ride right through a group of Indians who are planning an ambush. They kill many of the Indians, and through the magic of Hollywood, miraculously manage to avoid any injuries. The sound and picture quality are pretty terrible. According to Wikipedia, this was a re-packaged version of the TV series which ran from September to December of 1968, but was cancelled after 17 episodes. Because of this, there are numerous un-glamorous cuts, and the color and picture quality is just terrible; it's not the worst way to spend some time, if there's nothing else on. At one point, while Custer is tracking a bear, he starts a landslide which seems to go on for about 10 or 15 minutes! Later on, we are shown his "genius" when he tricks his Indian captor into untying his hands, pretending to challenge him to hand- to- hand combat. You really have to buy into the story and just enjoy the ride. Also of note is Slim Pickens
we keep hearing his distinctive voice, but he doesn't steal the show in this one like he does in (ALL) his other films.
Listed in IMDb at 120 minutes, but the version I saw was more like 93 minutes. Original series directed by Norman Foster,
Listed in IMDb at 120 minutes, but the version I saw was more like 93 minutes. Original series directed by Norman Foster,