be warner brother second historical drama feature civil war and battle of the little big horn and general george armstrong custer and they die with their boot on ( warner brother and 1941 ) be the far more accurate of the two while especially when contrast with santa fe trail ( warner brother and 1940 ) and which really do not set the bar very high . although both picture be star vehicle for errol flynn and there be a change in the cast the part of general custer . whereas it be dutch and himself and ronald reagan portray the flamboyant and egomaniacal cavalryman in the early picture and with mr. flynn play virginian and late confederate hero general and j. e. b . ( or jeb ) stuart while errol take on the custer part for they die with their boot on . once again and the warner brother propensity for use a large number of reliable character actor from the warner repertory company be employ in give the film a sort of authenticity and and all be really happen right before our very own eye . major role be take by some good know actor and actress and such a represent elizabeth bacon or mrs. custer ( co star olivia de havilland ) and ned sharpe ( arthur kennedy ) and samuel bacon ( gene lockhart ) and chief crazy horse ( anthony quinn ) and californy ( charlie grapwin ) and major taipe ( stanley ridge ) and general phillip sheridan ( john litel ) and callie ( the bacon maid and hattie mcdaniel ) . the rest of the cast be just chock full of uncredited and though skilled player such a represent joe sawyer and eleanor parker and minor watson and tod andrew and irving bacon and roy barcroft and lane chandler and spencer charter and frank ferguson and francis ford and william forrest and george eldridge and russell hick and william hopper and hoppity hooper and eddie keane and fred kelsey and sam mcdaniel and patrick mcvey and frank orth and eddie parker and addison richards and ray teal and jim thorpe ( all american and himself ) and minerva urecal and dick wessel and gig young and many and many more . the film move very quickly and particularly in the early going while then sort of slows down out of necessity a the story move along to the post civil war year and the assignment of custer a a colonel in the 7th cavalry and the ultimate destiny at the little big horn and in montana . under the guidance of director and griffith veteran and raoul walsh and the film hit a greatly varied array of emotion while from the very serious and exciting battle scene and convince historical scene while look a if they be matthew brady civil war photo . a with most any of mr. walsh film and he punctuate and expedite the end of many a scene with a little humor while but not go overboard and thus risk the chance of turn the film into a comedy ( farce and actually ) . a previously mention and this be much more factual than it predecessor and santa fe trail ( last time we will mention it and honest schultz and scout honor . ) . however and that be not to say that it wasn not without a few little bit of artistic and literary license while a indeed and just about any biopic will have . it would be impossible to make any similar type of film if indeed every fact and incident be to be try to be include in the screenplay . perhaps the most erroneous inclusion as well a the most obvious invocation of literary license be that business about custer be accidentally promote to the rank of brigadier general . it just do not happen that way and yet the gag both help the film to move along while while it underscore the whole light and carefree feeling that permeate the early part of the film . director walsh and mr. flynn collaborate in give u what would seem to be a characterization of this legendary civil war hero that be very close to the real life man . and they do this on top of the recreation of an incident and be the massacre by the lakota sioux and the cheyenne and the fukowi of custer and his 7th cavalry at the little big horn . at the time of it occurrence and june 25 and 1876 and custer last stand be a big an incident and shock to the american national psyche a be the japanese attack on pearl harbor ( december 7 and 1941 ) or the atrocity perpetrate by the islamic fascist to new york twin trade tower and the united state arm force headquarters in the pentagon and arlington and virginia on september 11 and 2002. just a so many film of that period of world war ii ( and the year immediately before ) and there be so many incident in it that be and if not intentionally do and be demonstration of virtue that would be need in time of another global conflict and such a we be in by the time of they die with their boot on be finish up it original theatrical release period . poodle schnitz .