The Legend of Custer

The cancelled The Time Tunnel to concentrate on this? Funny how we blog about The Time Tunnel nowadays but not about this. Nuff said. Don't waste your time.

A 1968 TV movie following the early exploits of the great blonde maned one, General George Custer, played by Wayne Maunder, as he tries to whip up a wayward troop under his command while also dealing w/Crazy Horse, Michael Dante, when they fall behind enemy lines & must learn to work w/each other, to a point, before coming back into the bosom of his home fort & men. Within minutes I knew what I was in for as this production has television all over it (& considering the time of its air maybe a backdoor pilot for a failed series?) w/the episodic nature of the plot, which is strangely overly scored, & Maunder walking the walk & talking the talk. Also starring character actor vet Slim Pickens as a member of Custer's crew & Mary Ann Mobley (Miss America 1959) playing the nominal love interest.

A feature film cobbled together from episodes of the short lived "Custer" television series, The Legend Of Custer looks fantastic with great cinematography and excellent locations.

It's historically bankrupt (not just inaccurate) plot involves Custer and Crazy Horse being captured by a tribe of Blackfoot and being forced to work together to escape and survive a dangerous trek back to civilization.

Wayne Maunder looks like Custer but this doesn't capture any of the arrogance or the amorality of the man. Here he's a hard driving but just and wise.

This isn't too bad but I would definitely recommend watching Custer Of The West for a better (though also historically inaccurate) viewing experience.