The Great Sioux Massacre (1965) User Reviews

A travesty

[Marlburian · 4/10 · 28 September 2005]

A travesty of a film, and one in which the usually competent Philip Carey and Joseph Cotton disappoint, though at least the latter can have claimed he was playing an often-drunken Major Reno. Darren McGavin stomps and jerks around as "Captain Bill Benton", so-called presumably because there is little relation with the real-life Captain Benteen. "Benton" is hazed by Reno, is keen on his daughter, strikes Custer, is captured/rescued by the Indians on his way to court-martial, is rescued again (this time by the cavalry), rides to warn Custer of the Indians' strength and is reinstated to lead his men at the fateful battle.

Individuals change their characters as the film progresses: Custer switches from idealism and anger at governmental corruption to political ambition; Reno evolves from drunk to semi-hero, in between resenting command of the 7th being offered to Benton (both then becoming self-deprecatory about their ability to lead); and the scout Dakota suddenly switches from hating and killing Indians to saving them (and when he deserts he is shot making a mad dash from the cavalry bivouac rather than slip away when scouting ahead of the column). Some of the minor actors appear to be waiting for cues or direction, and riders shot off their horses fall to the ground as safely as possible. Often the dialogue is artificial: "I shall see you trouble my existence no longer," rasps Custer to Reno at one point.

The film starts and finishes with the sort of completely unrealistic military court hearing that mars several Westerns; in this case the evidence comes entirely from Benton, with no other witnesses being called.

The Battle of the Little Big Horn isn't too bad but apparently the footage was borrowed from "Sitting Bull" made ten years earlier. Certainly when the main characters are on screen they appear to be accompanied by only a handful of men.

By 1965 Hollywood should have been able to do better than this.

This cavalry Western concerns the heroic confrontation between Sioux chief and US cavalry , including battle of Little Big Horn

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 22 July 2020]

This routine Western deals with an officer called Benton and his relationships with Custer who is ousted from his command in the Far West and forced into retirement . But Custer's political motivation changed him and fueled by ambition when a senator convinces him to run for US president . Along the way Captain Benton (Darren McGavin) clashes Colonel Custer and he's degraded , being court-martialed , while he escapes and attempts to prevent the bloodshed . After that , Custer decides to upstage the recommendations of Major Reno (Joseph Cotten) and Captain Benton (Darren McGavin) at Little Big Horn . Crazy Horse (Iron Heyes Cody) and Chief Sitting Bull (Michael Pate) of the Sioux tribe are forced by the Indian-hating General Custer to react with violence , resulting in the known Last Stand at Little Bighorn . Blood-Vengeance Clashed With Custer's Cavalry! "Little Big Horn"...The Blood-Red River...When Indian Arrows Met Cavalry Rifles in Custer's Famous Last Stand!Custer's Last Stand...The One Battle No Indian Warrior or Cavalry Hero Could Ever Forget!

This exciting but mediocre movie contains western action , romance , shoot-outs and spectacular battles . Resulting to be an average look at what occurred to George Amstrong Custer during the 1870s ; at the beginning he was an outspoken believer in fair treatment for the Indians , and , subsequently , he'll cruelly command his troops at the Battle of Little Big Horn . The picture gives a brief portrayal of General Custer from a defender of Native-American rights and a real fighter against Administration corruption , even denouncing to President's brother , to an ambitious figure , politically-driven and headlines-seeker . Furthermore , describing an Indian reservation where the starving natives are mistreated and suffering extreme famine ; they , then , violently rebel against government resulting in fateful consequences . This film contains stock-shots taken from Sitting Bull (1954) sharing a similar plot and director himself . The yarn was shot outside of Mexico City and in the Churubusco Azteca studios . Washed-out print , the film needs urgently a perfect remastering . It appears as a technical adviser and designer Indian costumes , a secondary actor named Iron Eyes Cody , usual player as Indian roles (Sitting Bull , Great Sioux Massacre , A man called Horse) , though with Sicilian origin . The motion picture was regularly directed by Sidney Salkow. He was a craftsman who had already filmed other Westerns . He realized all kind of genres such as routine westerns (Sitting Bull , The great Sioux massacre , Pathfinder) , Adventures (Prince of Pirates , Sword of the avenger) , war films , Sci-Fi (The last man on Earth) , Terror (Twice-told tales) and melodramas (City without men) . Salkow first worked for Republic, after joining Universal . At Columbia , he handled , among other assignments, four installments of the popular Lone Wolf series . After 1953, Salkow was primarily active as director of episodic television . Rating : 4.5/10 middling and regular Western.

The film is a fiction , but partially based on real events . The reality happened in December 1873 when the Commissioner of Indian Affairs directed all Sioux bands to enter reservations by the end of January 1876 or be declared hostile . There then shows up Sitting Bull , celebrated chief and mystic of the Hunkpapa Sioux . Many bands of Sioux did not meet this deadline and were attacked by US troops . Crazy Horse and his Oglala people moved north to join forces with Sitting Bull , by the spring of 1876 some 3000 Teton Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors had assembled at Sitting Bull's camp in the valley of the Little Big Horn in Montana. On 25 June 1876 Crazy Horse and other war chiefs led the allied warriors against General Custer and his seventh Cavalry , Custer and all the man under his direct command were killed . This victory , however , brought relentless retaliation from the army and Sioux were scattered . Sitting Bull and his followers fled to Canada and stayed there until July 1881 , when he returned to the US and surrendered at Fort Buford , Montana . After he was placed on a South Dakota reservation . For a year Sitting Bull went a tour with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show . He continued to regard himself as chief of his people and he earned the enmity of an Indian agent . On 25 December 1890 , Indian policemen went to take the chief , his followers tried to prevent this and in the struggle he was shot dead .

View the film, count the errors

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 18 November 2013]

Hollywood got it wrong once again in retelling the tale of George Armstrong Custer and the battle he lost to the Sioux at the Little Big Horn. Pity that such a good cast was wasted on a mediocre western.

The film centers around the three commanders that led troops at the battle. Custer is played by Philip Carey and Major Marcus Reno is played by Joseph Cotten and Captain Frederick Benton (Benteen) was played by Darren McGavin.

It's come down in legend that Major Reno was an alcoholic and for most of this film he's just that. A southerner who enlisted in the army after the Civil War ended, Reno feels he's not getting his just due. He despises Benton for paying court to his daughter. Reno was never a southerner and he never had a daughter. His abrupt change of character including sobering up never happened in real life and was not believable here.

Nor was Carey changing from a decent soul with a decent regard for the rights of the Sioux to a bloodthirsty ambitious figure who wants to score a big military victory over the Sioux for political ambitions. It has come down to us in legend that Custer was angling for the Democratic nomination in 1876. As Custer was a hero from the Civil War, the Democrats who stigmatized as the party of secession could not be painted that with a Union general heading their ticket for once. They actually did do that with Winfield Scott Hancock in the next election in 1880 and almost won.

Bad script and mediocre direction characterize The Great Sioux Massacre. On the plus side the battle scenes are nicely staged. Historians might want to view the film to count the errors.

One movie--Two movies???

[Flaming_star_69 · 2/10 · 4 September 2005]

About the only redeeming quality is Joseph Cotton and, in this instance, that is not saying a lot.

But what really gets me is: About 30-40 minutes of this film is footage from another western made 11 years earlier--"Sitting Bull (1954)." In this movie, the Indians ride down on Custer from what could be northern California Sierra Nevada's or even somewhere in South Dakota while the 7th cavalry is riding through the arroyo's of southern New Mexico or western Arizona and they combine the footage from both films to make it look like they are fighting one another. The footage from Sitting Bull is also used in many things such as the escape from the stockade by the Indians and also various scenes when the Indians are shot and fall off their horses. One Indian, for instance, falls off his horse and practically rolls right into the camera on Sitting Bull and that same Indian, on the same horse, falls off again in this movie and practically rolls right into the camera. I have them on video back to back and am able to view them so it makes it really easy to detect the same scenes from the earlier movie being used.

It's cheap and shoddy!

A fairly poor western

[Tweekums · 3/10 · 2 July 2012]

This film is a highly fictionalised account of the events leading up to the Battle of the Little Big Horn; for example here we see Major Reno as a drunk and bitter former Confederate general when the real Reno was a Union officer...surely it would have been better to make an entirely fictional character. Another problem the film suffered from was the inconsistency of the characters; we are meant to believe that Custer risked his profession to make a stand against those abusing the native population then shortly afterwards when a senator suggests that with a few more victories under his belt he could run for president he instantly starts fermenting trouble and massacring Indians himself!

It isn't just facts and inconsistent characters that are a problem; in many places the film looks as if it was cut together with scenes from other films; in the 'exciting climactic battle' I found myself watching the sky switch from cloudless to totally overcast and back again in a matter of seconds! If you could ignore that the action wasn't bad and there is a fair amount of it.

The story is told from the point of view of a Capt Benton; an officer under Custer who is shocked at the way the Indians are treated; so much so that he reprimands his tracker for killing a captured and wounded Indian... no further action is taken though; presumably so we can see the man see the error of his ways and save an Indian child later. Benton is supportive of Custer until he starts killing the Indians. At one point he is court-martialled for striking Custer but the party taking him to trial is ambushed. He is spared because he spared Indians before; they take him to their camp where he sees the huge army they have amassed; as they take him away he is rescued and tells Custer of the Indian plans but because Custer is arrogant and history says he must die Benton is ignored.

Overall I'd only recommend this if you have nothing better to do and it is on television; it might provide a few unintentional laughs. Just don't consider it a history lesson!

Historical inaccuracies, where to begin...?

[tiller088 · 1/10 · 20 October 2011]

First, I'll simply echo everyone who has already ripped into this poorly made film. I would like to point out two examples of the many things wrong historically about it.

For one small thing, a previous reviewer gave credit for the many references to 'Colonel' Custer in the film. However, that is actually an inaccuracy. After the Civil War, Custer, as did most high-ranking officers who remained in the army, reverted from his temporary rank of Major General of Volunteers to his permanent Regular US Army rank of Lieutenant Colonel. This rank actually made him second in command of the 7th Cavalry, but since the regiment's colonel remained in Washington DC, Custer retained operational field command of the 7th. He is, however, shown wearing the eagle shoulder epaulets of a full colonel, not the silver oak leaves of a lieutenant colonel. Nice try, but 'Fail' nonetheless.

For the most egregious big thing, Reno is supposed to be a bitter ex- Confederate Major General with a daughter who acts as the love interest for Captain Benton/(Benteen). In fact, Reno had been a Union brevet brigadier general with a decent combat record during the Civil War. Benteen was actually a Virginian by birth who remained loyal to the Union, earned an excellent combat record and was a temporary colonel who reverted to his permanent rank of captain at war's end. He also was married, but most certainly not to a daughter of Marcus Reno, who was actually the same age as Benteen!

That should be enough for anyone to dismiss this film as anything remotely resembling 'history'.

Standard, but a couple of things stand out.

[sychonic · 23 October 2002]

This was made close to the end of the American fascination with western movies -- they were churned out in the fifties and sixties, but toward the end of the latter decade they sort of petered out, replaced by "message movies." The movie is straightforward enough, a basic cavalry movie, blue guys versus the Sioux Nation. The acting is pretty standard and wooden; Darren McGavin isn't very good, though he always manages to be likable. Joseph Cotton doesn't do much with his role.

The thing about the movie that I enjoyed, though, is the final half hour or so. The basic plot of the flick follows Custer through his Indian fighting days culminating in Custer's Last Stand. I've seen a number of other attempts to film this with varying degrees of success: "They Died With Their Boots On" is a great movie, but laughably inaccurate; "Custer of the West" is a laughable movie, and also laughably inaccurate; "Little Big Man" is an interesting movie, and again, laughably inaccurate.

"Great Sioux Massacre" is mediocre, but I found it reasonably entertaining and interesting in the way they depicted the final shoot out -- they got so many things right, from what I recall reading about Custer, I was surprised. For those who don't know anything about Custers Last Stand, what follows is likely spoiler:

They accurately showed how Custer split his group into three forces, which ended up being a bad idea and to this day inexplicable. They showed Custer as a Colonel, not a General -- he was a temporary General during the Civil War, but was returned to Colonel rank once it was over. They referred to the fact that Custer had family members in his outfit -- a brother, and I think a nephew. He wasn't depicted as a megalomaniac as in "Custer" nor just a maniac as in "Little Big Man," but rather a competent general with too much ego for his own good. They didn't even show him being killed last which likely was improbable, though there were no Cavalry soldiers who survived, so it's hard to tell what really happened in the final moments.

They got somethings wrong -- his hair was red, not blonde, and though he normally wore it long, he'd had it cut prior to the final events; the uniforms were all wrong, but hey, one should be impressed with all that they got right.

A decent movie from a different time, though with its positives, still standard fare.

Politics Make A Slow-Moving Western

[boblipton · 6/10 · 8 January 2023]

The events of the life and career of George Armstrong Custer from his recall to Washington in 1875 through the Battle of the Little Big Horn is told largely in flashback illustrating the testimony of Captain Benton (sic: actually Benteen) as played by Darren McGavin to an Army Court of Enquiry. It's largely a story of politics, both army politics and federal politics; Phillip Carey, as Custer controls the narrative in Washington, and in exile in Ohio, where he is visited by Senator Blane (Don Haggerty), who suggests that by making himself a hero, he can have a run at the presidency. His subsequent actions can be interpreted in that light.

It certainly explains his transformation from pro-Indian activist to blind supporter of the Caucasian invasion of the Black Hills, but fails to explain his blunders at the final battle. Perhaps a more gifted director than Sidney Salkow would have managed a better movie. Certainly the pacing offered by editor William Austin seems erratic, and the Battle of the Little Big Horn uses a lot of stunts several times. Still, the movie is interesting, if a trifle long. With Joseph Cotten, Frank Ferguson, and Iron Eyes Cody.

Chronic attempt to retell Custer's Last Stand

[donaldking · 1/10 · 13 June 2011]

A massacre indeed. A lot of it seems to have been cannibalised from much better (and certainly bigger budget) efforts; an expert on Westerns could soon tell you exactly which ones. Joseph Cotten is supposed to be playing a drunk, but one begins to wonder where acting ended and reality started. Darren McGavin and Philip Carey (as Custer) are just awful. The Indians are strictly of the 'Carry On Cowboy' variety, and one almost wished Sid James & Charles Hawtrey to appear in order to relieve the tedium of the proceedings. Any intention of presenting the Sixties 'Red Indians' as 21st Century 'Native Americans,' and any attempt to portray Custer's complicated character, are defeated by the awful script and poor technical standards. This is not Custer's Last Stand at all, but a very lumpy custard that is impossible to swallow.

One of the worst of the Cavalry genre

[cptkeogh · 1/10 · 19 May 2005]

This supposed piece of western Americana is perhaps the worst ever depiction of the events leading up to the fight at Little Big Horn. Fine, possibly even great actors forced to participate in a film that defies all logic and historical fact. I cannot think of another western that even comes close to its mediocrity. Philip Carey and Joseph Cotton at least know how to ride a horse, while the supposed hero, Darren McGavin looks more like a new recruit rather than a veteran cavalryman. I can understand the director wanting to make a film that shows the mistreatment of the Native Americans, but this film fails to generate any emotion except disgust for the terrible acting. Even the uniforms and equipment are wrong.

Not as bad as these reviews

[thebluemex · 8/10 · 2 March 2018]

The criticism here is way too harsh. Back then, 1965, Hollywood wasn't too concerned about historical "accuracy," much as it is even today. It was simply made for entertainment, not a historical record. You got your fights, Indians, Calvary, stampedes, wayward bureaucracies, shoot 'em ups, action, all elements of the stereotyped westerns. Not as bad as one would believe after reading these. I rather enjoyed it!

Another Custer movie

[NewEnglandPat · 1/10 · 4 August 2003]

This picture details General George A. Custer's career as an Indian fighter and the events leading up to his famous last battle at the Little Big Horn. Custer's appearance at the Clymer hearings in Washington is treated here and shows Custer's dealings with army deserters and his attacks on peaceful Indian villages until fate takes a hand and puts in motion the characters, politics and military planning that leads to the Seventh Cavalry's search for glory. This movie had the cast to do justice to a controversial and familiar subject but misses the mark completely. Stock footage from other westerns spoils the effect of a coherent narrative of this oft-filmed popular historical event.

Citizen Custer.

[rmax304823 · 7 October 2011]

The first time I saw this -- more naive than I am now -- I enjoyed it. The second time is not so much of a charm.

A bit of a brush with the Indians aside, the first two thirds of the movie amount almost to a domestic drama. Carey is Custer -- upright, stern, fair, handsome, buckskin clad, long haired. Major Reno, Cotten, is a drunken ex Southerner with a pretty daughter, Sommars. Captain Benton, McGavin, is in love with Sommars but resented and insulted by her father. The Sioux are played by "Indian" stalwarts like Iron Eyes Cody and Michael Pate.

Custer wants Washington to treat the Indians fairly but the system is corrupt and he can't get through. In the face of Major Reno's intransigence, Benton decides to resign from the Army. The conflicts gradually intensify.

Then there are a couple of curious attitudinal switches. When the bait of a presidential bid dangles before him, Custer snaps at it and becomes bloodthirsty for glory. Like Citizen Kane, he begins as a spokesman for the underdog but is undone by his ambition. Reno sobers up and embraces Benton. Then there's this massacre. "We'll have to live with the guilt of it -- both the White Knives and the Indians," Benton intones afterward.

I'm not a historian so I don't know how closely the story hews to historical facts, or how many historical facts there are left to hew to.

I've always enjoyed the performances of the principal actors -- Carey, Cotten, and McGavin -- and with good reason. Philip Carey is from Hackensack, New Jersey. There's a properly admirable attribute for you. And Darren McGavin was my supporting player in the superb art-house smash -- well, now I've forgotten the title. It will come to me in a moment. He was a casual and friendly guy, serious mainly about acting. He's always been good at his trade, whether evil ("The Man With the Golden Arm") or comic ("Nightstalker"). FROM THE HIP! That's the one. None of them has ever given a bravura performance but the three of them have been consistently reliable. Julie Sommars, alas, cannot act.

Movies like this usually mention the Cheyenne Indians as having taken part in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, but almost all of the Indians were from various bands of Sioux. Only seven Cheyenne were involved, the most prominent being Two Moons, whose descendant I had occasion to interview on the Lame Deer reservation in Montana. There is still a good deal of bitterness among some of the Cheyenne, although it's never operatically expressed so most of us never hear about it.

Custer as Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde

[thirdsqurl · 1/10 · 26 October 2014]

This is a completely ridiculous film with few redeeming qualities, other than fairly competent acting. It begins with Custer as a good guy, defending Indians, opposing corruption, and seeking justice. Then Washington politicians wreck his career and a sinister senator whispers in his ear that, if he will turn evil, he can become president. So Custer turns evil for the rest of the movie. Historically, just about everything else is also nonsense. Reno was not a Confederate general and did not have a daughter in love with Benteen. Benteen never faced a potential death sentence for striking a superior officer (Custer). The Seventh Cavalry did not massacre an "unarmed" Sioux village on its way to the Little Big Horn. Custer's Last Stand was not fought on flat open ground with the Indians riding around him in a circle, and the Sioux warriors were not dressed like Apaches. This movie has so many historical inaccuracies that it would take a dozen pages to list them all, and there doesn't appear to be any reason for them other than laziness by the writers and producers. I love old westerns, especially the TV westerns of the 1950s and early 1960s, but this B-grade exercise is nothing but a disappointment.

The Great movie Massacre

[RichyMack · 1/10 · 10 November 2015]

This movie looks like it was made in someone's back yard, a real homemade flick. The acting from all was just horrible and that includes the battle scenes. Custer had one of those 500 shot pistols, he never reloads, doesn't even ware an ammunition belt, he just keeps shooting and shooting knocking those Indians dead in their tracks. Darin Mc Gavin and Joseph Cotton also had one of those 500 shot, never reload, pistols. In some of the battle scenes the combatants were so close together it looked like they were gathering for a picnic. In appearance, everyone was so clean shaving like they just came from the barber shop well groomed for a battle. Custer's jacket looked like it was going to bust open, he looked fat,with a toupee on.. This movie was an embarrassment to all the actors, directors, writers, and all the Indian and horse soldier extras. It was, The "Great movie Massacre". Now the movie, 'They died with their boots on" may have been Historically inaccurate, but was entertaining because of good casting, excellent acting, and a good musical score to fit the action and heart warming scenes.

hardly a prairie turkey

[soccermanz · 5/10 · 28 September 2005]

I write this having read two damning criticism of a film which was strong enough for me to watch the whole way through. Living in the age of televised war games where tens of thousands of warriors can be immediately created remember that just 271 members of the Seventh Cavalry died at the Battle of the Big Horn. Presumably equally divided into three bands of ninety for reasons which I have yet to fathom although the politicking glory hunting which drove Custer to get there first was perhaps the driving theme of this film which must have cost its producers a fortune as it was clearly shot mainly in uninhabitable shrub land and certainly not in the gold bearing rocks of Dakota. And was it closer to the truth than so many other attempts ? it suspect so as luck - sorry Gluck - the screenwriter - would have it ? So apart from Sitting Bull speaking perfect English and the redemption of Joseph Cotton from drunken hater of almost everything to a credit to the US Army I have little complaint with what was a slight thought provoking 90 Minutes.

Written by Fred C.Dobbs?He shoulda stuck to treasure hunting.....

[ianlouisiana · 1/10 · 28 March 2018]

Here in England in 2018 we're still having this rubbish inflicted on us by Freeview on a gloomy March afternoon when I should have been gardening. "The Great Sioux Massacre" is certainly one of the worst Westerns I have seen in seventy years of devoted fandom. It looks as if it has been cobbled together from clips of the director's tv cowboy films interspersed with embarrassingly bad sub - sub Fordian scenes of Cavalry life in barracks including one excruciating moment at an Officers' dance where Mr J.Cotten gives the worse "drunk" performance I have ever seen whilst the rest of the cast watch almost open - mouthed. Mr P. Carey looks like a fat bloke with a syrup as Colonel/General Custer, a man who goes from hero to zero on being offered a possible Presidential nomination. Even Donald Trump gave the matter a bit more thought. Mr D.McGavin looks distraught throughout,as if he still can't believe he agreed to take the part,but by golly he'll give it the old College Try. The women get even shorter shrift,being shown as arm candy for those bad boys in blue. Easy to see why director Salkow chose to write this trash under a pseudonym. From somewhere in the Sierra Madre Mr Fred C.Dobbs should be consulting his lawyers.

Captain Benteen versus Captain Benton

[redboots-1 · 5/10 · 27 January 2006]

Historically, the real Captain was Benteen but in this movie he is called Captain Benton. I was hearing that said and to verify, I put the movie into mute sound and turned on the closed captions and it was indeed spelled Benton. I suspect this was due to the difficulty of the audience hearing the correct sound as other characters, i.e. Custer, Tom and Custer, George are kept with the correct names and also Major Reno. The Rosebud River is north and east of the Little Bighorn and was actually where one of the two Generals, either Crook or Terry, was defeated prior to the engagement at Little Big Horn. The battle of Little Bighorn was June 25, 1876 and some writers have speculated that Custer expected to ride in to Philadelphia for the national convention on the heels of his victory. A good biography is "Son of the Morning Star" by Evan S. Carlson. I have to agree that the movie is so bad that it is fun and somehow worth watching but, in perspective, a great film, "They Died with their Boots on" shares the same guilt with its lack of historical accuracy and I love "Boots" so it's the movie that counts in these cases, not the facts.

Looks lovely. But up close a disappointment.

[danieldaviesicq · 8/10 · 20 June 2019]

I was more than half way through and went to make coffee. Came back and sea the same men die again; the film is "lengthened" by repeating scenes. Was the director expecting that we viewers would walk off for a snack break ? Lovely desert scenery. Nice costumes above wide film image.

A.K.A. as a great western movie massacre

[lonniebealeusa · 1/10 · 23 October 2002]

Words cannot describe this movie. From the atrocious acting to a badly written script, this movie is a shocker. How can Darren Mcgavin and the great Joseph Cotton turn in such abominable performances is beyond me. Part of the blame must go to the director,the writers and any body else associated with this loser.But wait the scenery was not half bad. Based on the last days of Colonel Custer and the battle of the Little Big Horn,if any of this movie is based on fact then I will eat my hat.Can you believe a company of troopers escorting one wagon driven by a female with her two children and when attacked by Indians the wagon and occupants are kidnapped while the army goes off in another direction.Next scene Mr Mcgavin reports the loss of the wagon to Colonel Custer and then they proceed to go to a party that night and pity help the captives who are left to their own devices. This is one awful movie. But the real treat is watching Mr Mcgavin act like a fifth rate amateur.Talk about a wooden indian check out his effort at trying to act!

Is it comedy?

[hugh-robinson · 3/10 · 12 November 2020]

I'm wondering if they decided at some point to make a comedy of it. Some of those lines can't be meant to taken seriously. Darren McGavin was a fine actor. Surely he, Cotten and Carey are playing for laughs. Carey is so wooden that you can't imagine anyone following him into battle. One of the writers is so embarrassed he is credited as Fred C. Dobbs. Iron Eyes Cody was "technical adviser" - he was an Italian! Hilarious.

Re-visiting the worst

[eyedoug · 1/10 · 29 April 2012]

I reviewed this most embarrassingly inept and wretched travesty last year, and will not add additional commentary now, except to say that the two most recent reviews were both spot on. I must add also that what is most disturbing is that my favorite western cable channel continues to re-broadcast it periodically along side of universally classic western genre films. How awful is that? It is rather like dining on broiled Maine Lobster in a fine restaurant and somehow the worst of fast food appears at the next table. I wish I could snap my fingers and "the Great Sioux Massacre" would not again be on any stations menu for all time to come. Check please.

One star? I was in a kind mood.

[bobwarn-938-55867 · 1/10 · 27 June 2020]

I started laughing within minutes. Historical inaccuracies? Wholesale! The other review (I think there is only one other). Has put the record straight. I only watched this on YouTube Movies because my DVD copy of 'They Died With My Boots On', which I watch annually on 25 June, suddenly and strangely would not play. I could also not find my DVD of 'The Glory Boys'. Neither especially accurate but more 'respectable' than this one.

I might add to the errors highlighted in the other review: Red Cloud as a subordinate Chief to Sitting Bull! 😀

As to the scene of soldiers massacring Indians in the stockade: pure invention. And by the way, Custer's command never took refuge in a stockaded fort. His base, Fort Abraham Lincoln, near Bismarck, Nth Dakota, was open. The Army was confident of defeating an enemy in the field.

There are some elements of fact here and there. But where they occur they are all jumbled up and some concerning other events unrelated to the 7th Cavalry. Overall there are so many historical 'errors' and just plain inventions that, to use an old Aussie term: too many to poke a stick at. 😂

There is a strange link between 'They Died etc ... ' and this turkey. Australian Erroll Flynn as Custer in the first, and Australian Michael Pate as Sitting Bull in this. 😀

Not very good

[bux · 13 April 2003]

They say a leopard doesn't change it's spots, and people don't change overnight, however in this trite little '60s western they do just that. The story is flawed, the acting is bad, and history is played with fast and loose, and what remains is not worthy of viewing.

Only average, unfortunately

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 12 January 2017]

THE GREAT SIOUX MASSACRE is a re-telling of the famous story of Custer's last stand, but as a film it's the kind of production that wobbles all over the place and feels only average as a piece of entertainment. The titular event takes place right at the end and, while undoubtedly the best part of the production, feels somewhat anti-climatic at times. You wonder why you've had to wait so long to get to a scene which is neither as dramatic or as tragic as it should be.

As for the rest of the film, it's a typical western-type story enlivened by some interesting character actors but feeling a bit boring at times. The weird thing about the characters in this film is how they all transform and end up unrecognisable. Philip Carey's Custer starts out as a decent guy before becoming corrupted while Joseph Cotten plays an absolute idiot of a character before redeeming himself. Darren McGavin is just sort of there in the story without really doing much. THE GREAT SIOUX MASSACRE is watchable enough but a classic it isn't and the indifferent execution is the reason for that.