Little Big Horn (1951)

How sad is this?

Excellent adaptation.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I noticed that the reviews for "Little Big Horn" are all in agreement--this is a very good film. Well, after seeing the flick, I certainly am not in agreement and am the odd man out. I think the film is loaded with problems and is, at best, a mediocre western.The film is about a small band of soldiers who learn about the Indian plan to ambush General Custer at Little Big Horn. So, they set out to cut off these troops and warn them. There is a HUGE problem however--the men NEVER seem to be in any hurry at all...none! They seem to spend most of their time stopping to take breaks or to argue over the Captain's wife (as the Lieutenant has been having an affair with her) or have fist fights. It all comes off as very fake and silly--as does most of the countryside which looks more like California than Montana. In addition, when non-California scenery is used, it's from stock footage and looks it. It also has a few completely ridiculous moments---such as when the Captain (Lloyd Bridges) is shot with three arrows in the chest yet STILL is alive!! Don't mistake this film for art! It's all a bit silly and never convinced me it was anything other than a B-western.

Ever watch a movie that was so good you wished it would never end? That's the feeling when watching "Little Big Horn", an unheralded, unheard of (at least by me),old fashioned, Cowboys-and-Indians movie that Hollywood used to turn out by the Conestoga wagon-full. But this one is more suspenseful and well-acted, the characters more developed and the storyline just plain better than most oaters. This is a western with an edge.Others have outlined the plot in reviews above, but rarely did LLoyd Bridges, John Ireland and Marie Windsor (the quintessential femme fatale in a cameo) get roles they could sink their teeth into as those found in "Little Big Horn". The realistic atmosphere here rivals that found in some of Hollywood's greatest achievements, for example "Treasure of The Sierra Madre" or "Paths of Glory", made on much bigger budgets. If you are a fan of Hollywood movies, when movies were movies, try not to miss this one. It's available on Amazon now and it's a bargain.

Cuckolded Cavalry officer Lloyd Bridges forces his wife's lover, fellow Calvaryman John Ireland, to accompany him and his troop on a suicide mission to intercept General Custer on his way to the Little Big Horn and warn him of the impending ambush by the Souix forces amassing against him.What could have been corny and silly is instead made believable and compelling, thanks in part to some good interplay between Bridges and Ireland, with Bridges hell-bent on performing his duty to the greater good, while Ireland sees the futility of the mission and not being content with needlessly sacrificing men for a lost cause.Although low-budget, this is well made in all departments. A great cast of actors and a well-written script do a good job of making the characters and situations three-dimensional and realistic.The large amount of violence and death also helps set this apart from other early-fifties westerns. There's no cheap heroics here either.

Viewed "Little Big Horn" tonight for the first time in over 40 years. Growing up in New York in the late 1950's and early sixties the movie stations to watch were Channel 9 (WOR) an Channel 11 (WPIX). Seems like after baseball or basketball practice or on weekends there was always a movie to watch on one of these stations.I remember quite well those which we always talked about the next day and would watch over and over. "Little Big Horn" was one that we watched over and over. Others were Yankee Doodle Dandy", "The Steel Helmet", and "The Great John L". Never understood then why we enjoyed these movies but we did. Watching "Little Big Horn" tonight told me why. A great story line and outstanding acting, pure and simple.Each character is developed and the story line never fails to surprise although the final outcome is known by every student of history. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie as much as I did 40 years ago except that I now have an understanding of why this particular movie has stood the test of time. Highly Recommended!