''Custer's Last Stand'' is a 1936 American

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

based on the historical

Custer's Last Stand The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

at the Little Bighorn River. It was directed by Elmer Clifton, and starred Rex Lease, William Farnum and Jack Mulhall. It was produced by the

Poverty Row Poverty Row is a slang term used to refer to Hollywood films produced from the 1920s to the 1950s by small (and mostly short-lived) B movie studios. Although many of them were based on (or near) today's Gower Street in Hollywood, the term did ...

studio Stage & Screen Productions, which went bust shortly afterwards as a victim of the Great Depression. This serial stars many famous and popular B-Western actors as well as silent serial star

Helen Gibson Helen Gibson (born Rose August Wegner; August 27, 1892 – October 10, 1977) was an American film actress, vaudeville performer, radio performer, film producer, trick rider, and rodeo performer; and is considered to be the first American profes ...

playing Calamity Jane, Frank McGlynn Jr. as General Custer, and Allen Greer as Wild Bill Hickok. In April of the same year, the serial was edited into an 84-minute feature film, which was released under the same name.

Plot overview

The serial follows multiple plot threads, centering on a ''Medicine Arrow'' taken in battle and a secret gold mine, in the lead up to the

Battle of Little Big Horn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

Cast

Rex Lease Rex Lloyd Lease (February 11, 1903 – January 3, 1966) was an American actor. He appeared in over 300 films, mainly in Poverty Row westerns. Biography Lease arrived in Hollywood in 1924. He found bit and supporting parts at Film Booking ...

as Kit Cardigan and his father John C. Cardigan *

Lona Andre Lona Andre (born Launa Anderson; March 2, 1915 – September 18, 1992) was an American film actress, golfer, and businesswoman. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Andre attracted attention with her first films in Hollywood and was named ...

as Belle Meade *

William Farnum William Farnum (July 4, 1876 – June 5, 1953) was an American actor. He was a star of American silent film cinema and became one of the highest-paid actors during that time. Biography Farnum was born on July 4, 1876, in Boston, Massachus ...

as James Fitzpatrick * Ruth Mix as Elizabeth Custer *

Jack Mulhall John Joseph Francis Mulhall (October 7, 1887 – June 1, 1979) was an American film actor beginning in the silent film era who successfully transitioned to sound films, appearing in over 430 films in a career spanning 50 years. Early years Mu ...

as Lieutenant Cook *

Nancy Caswell Nancy Caswell (October 28, 1913 – February 2, 1987) was an American child actress of the silent era and later as an adult in talkies, including a Three Stooges work. As a baby she was proclaimed the "perfect baby" and was the youngest actre ...

as Barbara Trent *

George Chesebro George Newell Chesebro (July 29, 1888 – May 28, 1959) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 400 films between 1915 and 1954. He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and died in Los Angeles, California. Partial filmography * ''Mi ...

as Lieutenant Frank Roberts *

Dorothy Gulliver Dorothy Kathleen Gulliver (September 6, 1908 – May 23, 1997) was an American silent film actress, and one of the few to make a successful transition when films began using sound. Biography The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gulliver, she w ...

as Red Fawn *Frank McGlynn Jr. as General George A. Custer *

Calamity Jane Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...

Josef Swickard Josef Swickard (26 June 1866 – 1 March 1940) was a Prussian-born veteran stage and screen character actor, who had toured with stock companies in Europe, South Africa, and South America. Career Swickard emigrated to the United States from Ge ...

as Major Henry Trent, MD *

Chief Thundercloud Victor Daniels (April 12, 1899 – December 1, 1955), known professionally as Chief Thundercloud, was an American character actor in Westerns. He is noted for being the first actor to play the role of Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native-Americ ...

as Young Wolf *

Allen Greer Allen James Greer was an officer in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for actions near Majada, Laguna Province, Philippines, July 2, 1901. He was chief of staff of the 92nd Division during World War 1. Military career Med ...

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837August 2, 1876), better known as "Wild Bill" Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his life on the frontier as a soldier, scout, lawman, gambler, showman, and actor, and for his involvemen ...

*High Eagle as

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by ...

*Howling Wolf as

Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Roc ...

Production

Commenting on the plot, Cline notes that this serial contains several historical characters in a purely fictitious setting. "The story rambled through a series of loosely connected plots and sub plots" leading to Little Big Horn.

Stunts

Yakima Canutt Enos Edward "Yakima" Canutt (November 29, 1895 – May 24, 1986) was an American champion rodeo rider, actor, stuntman, and action director. He developed many stunts for films and the techniques and technology to protect stuntmen in performing t ...

*Ken Cooper *

Carl Mathews Carl Mathews (February 19, 1903 – May 3, 1959), also sometimes credited as Carl Matthews, was an American character actor and stuntman of the 1930s through 1950s. Born on February 19, 1903 in Oklahoma, his first film role would be in '' Rough ...

*Mabel Strickland (riding double) *Wally West

Release

Theatrical

Custer's Last Stand was well received by action fans, regardless of its historical inaccuracies.

Chapter titles

# Perils of the Plains # Thundering Hoofs ic# Fires of Vengeance # The Ghost Dancers # Trapped # Human Wolves # Demons of Disaster # White Treachery # Circle of Death # Flaming Arrow # Warpath # Firing Squad # Red Panthers # Custer's Last Ride # The Last Stand _Source:

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Custer's Last Stand (Serial) 1936 films 1936 Western (genre) films 1930s independent films American Indian Wars films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Elmer Clifton Film serials Films set in 1876 American independent films Battle of the Little Bighorn Cultural depictions of George Armstrong Custer Cultural depictions of Sitting Bull Cultural depictions of Wild Bill Hickok Cultural depictions of Crazy Horse Cultural depictions of Calamity Jane Films about Native Americans 1930s American films