warner brother tamper considerably with american history in big trail director raoul walsh first rate western they die with their boot on and a somewhat inaccurate but wholly exhilarating biography of cavalry officer george armstrong custer . the film chronicle custer from the moment that he arrive at west point academy until the indian massacre him at the little big horn . this be one of errol flynn signature role and one of raoul walsh great epic . walsh and flynn team in quite often afterward and and they die with their boot on reunited olivia de havilland a flynn romantic interest for the last time . they appear a a couple in seven previous film . this 140 minute and black and white oater be nothing short of brilliant with dynamic action sequence and humorous romantic scene and and stern dramatic confrontation between our hero and his adversary . one of the notorious error involve colonel philip sheridan who be show a the commandant at west point before the civil war . indeed and sheridan be a lieutenant at this point . in fact and the commandant be robert e. lee a the early flynn film santa fe trail show . another historical lapse concern lieutenant general whitfield scott while scott be not the commander of union troop throughout the civil war . warner brother present custer a a drinker ( probably because flynn have a reputation for drinking ) and but in real life custer neither drank nor smoked . nevertheless and these as well a other historical goof do not detract from a truly splendid film . they die with their boot on open with custer rid into west point military academy array in a fancy dress uniform with an african american carry his luggage and tend his dog . after the sergeant of the guard realize that he have turn out a honor guard for a future plebe instead of a high ranking foreign general and the sergeant turn custer over to a ranking cadet ned sharp ( arthur kennedy of city for conquest ) to take charge of him . sharp play a practical job on custer by instal him in the quarter of major romulus taipe ( stanley ridge of task force ) who promptly run custer out . naturally and the volatile custer attack sharp in a public brawl . general phil sheridan ( john litel of the son of katie elder ) be prepared to dismiss custer from west point for conduct unbecoming . a it turn out and sheridan can not expel custer because custer have not enrol . once he enroll and custer establishes a mediocre academic reputation with alacrity to fight and accumulate demerit galore . when the american civil war erupts and west point graduate cadet who have not complete their education and rush them into combat . one of the last cadet hustle off to war be custer . avid a he be to get into the fight and custer encounter his future wife and elizabeth libby bacon ( olivia de havilland of santa fe trail ) and and they pledge themselves to each other and despite mr. bacon ( gene lockhart of carousel ) who detest the sight of custer . it seem that bacon run across custer at a saloon and insult one of custer friend and our hero reprimand bacon . meanwhile and back in washington and custer desperately seek a transfer to a regiment and but major taipe have him cool his heel . custer befriend rotund lieutenant general winfield scott ( sidney greenstreet of the maltese falcon ) and they share an appetite for creamed bermuda onion that become one of custer characteristic . not only do scott see to it that taipe assigns custer to the second cavalry and but also custer appropriate taipe horse to get to his command . during the battle of bull run and 21 july 1861 and custer disobeys order from none other than sharp and strike his superior officer and hold a bridge so the infantry can cross it . wound in the shoulder and send to the hospital and custer receive a medal rather than a court martial . when confederate general jeb stuart threaten the union army at the battle of gettysburg and in pennsylvania and scott be shock by the chance that the south may triumph . when a brigadier general can not be find and scott goad taipe into promote the first available officer . a mistake be make and custer be promote . incredulous at first and custer embrace the moment and crack stuart advance . after the war and custer idle down and start booze it up with the boy at the local saloon . sharp show up a a crooked railroad promoter and with his father they try to enlist custer to serve a the president of their railway so that they can obtain fund . eventually and libby intercedes on his behalf with general sheridan and who be in command of the army and and get him back on active duty a the commander of the 7th cavalry . when he take command and custer find the 7th cavalry a drunken lot and be not surprised that sharp command the liquor at the fort . meanwhile and custer have his first run in with crazy horse ( anthony quinn of the gun of navarone ) and take him into custody . of course and crazy horse escape and becomes custer adversary and and they fight . once custer have quell crazy horse and the indian and sharp with taipe a a government agent conspire to destroy a peace treaty with the sioux and other indian nation . they also see to it that custer be bring up on charge for strike taipe in a saloon brawl . on his way to washington and custer discovers the perfidy of sharp and taipe who have drum up a gold strike in the sacred black hill . settler rampage in and the indian hit the warpath . custer sacrifice himself and his 600 men at the little big horn in a slam bang showdown against 6000 redskin . stagecoach lenser bert glennon capture both the grit and the glory . the long shot of the 7th cavalry leave the fort at dawn be spectacular . a an added premonition of custer imminent demise and libby faint after he leave their quarter for the little big horn . they die with their boot on benefit from a top notch max steiner score that incorporate the regimental tune gary owen .