Captain Benson (Randolph Scott) returns to the 7th cavalry with his fiancée (Barbara Hale) to find most of his outfit had been wiped out with General Custer at Little Big Horn. The men under Benson's command resent him for being close friends with Custer, who they hold responsible for the death of their fellow soldiers. Benson's superiors, including his fiancée's father, suspect him of cowardly asking for leave because he knew a battle was looming. So Benson volunteers to lead a detail into danger to recover the bodies at Little Big Horn to prove he isn't a coward.
Scott's always good and he's backed up by a fine supporting cast, including Jay C. Flippen, Frank Faylen, Denver Pyle, and Harry Carey, Jr. In most early movies dealing with Custer, he was portrayed as a martyr and American hero. But by this time the reexamination of Custer had begun and we're starting to see a little historical accuracy seep through. This film tries to please both sides by offering plenty of condemnation of Custer as arrogant and reckless but also having the lead character (played by movie hero Randolph Scott) defend him as a man of honor and "a great human being." Custer is still, to this day, a divisive figure and any movie that portrays him in anything less than a villainous light often attracts soapboxers. Judged strictly on its merits as a film, this is a decent western. Not great but certainly watchable and enjoyable enough.
Scott's always good and he's backed up by a fine supporting cast, including Jay C. Flippen, Frank Faylen, Denver Pyle, and Harry Carey, Jr. In most early movies dealing with Custer, he was portrayed as a martyr and American hero. But by this time the reexamination of Custer had begun and we're starting to see a little historical accuracy seep through. This film tries to please both sides by offering plenty of condemnation of Custer as arrogant and reckless but also having the lead character (played by movie hero Randolph Scott) defend him as a man of honor and "a great human being." Custer is still, to this day, a divisive figure and any movie that portrays him in anything less than a villainous light often attracts soapboxers. Judged strictly on its merits as a film, this is a decent western. Not great but certainly watchable and enjoyable enough.