They Died With Their Boots On Blu-ray Review
“They Died With Their Boots On” is a nonsensical biopic.
Written by Aeneas MacKenzie and Wally Kline, 1941’s “They Died With Their Boots On” is a biopic on the life of George Armstrong Custer (AKA General Custer). The story traces his life through his years at West Point as a troublesome cadet to Custer’s Last Stand at the Battle Of The Little Big Horn. In between, we see his marriage to Elizabeth Bacon, the action he saw in the Civil War, his promotion to becoming a General, and his attempt to speak out against the Black Hills gold conspiracy to end a peace treaty.
“They Died With Their Boots On” had a lot going for it. It’s an epic Civil War/western biopic, it has a Max Steiner score, Raoul Walsh of “White Heat” fame directs, the production values are high, and it’s filled with star power that includes Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Arthur Kennedy, Gene Lockhart, and Anthony Quinn. Unfortunately, the film winds up being little more than Hollywood Hokum. It’s not unusual for Hollywood films to fudge the facts in biopics, but this heroic glorification of the very flawed Custer borders on the downright absurd (especially when it comes to the Battle Of The Little Big Horn). As overlong as the film is, the movie also strangely glosses over the Civil War and instead focuses heavily on the melodramatic romance with Elizabeth, far too much chatter about onions (no joke), and an over-the-top rivalry with Ned Sharp. Sure, the film was made as a slice of rousing entertainment, but it’s hard to ignore all the goofy historical inaccuracies.
Going back to the cast, Errol Flynn does give a quality performance here as Custer. You buy into his evolution as an immature cadet to a grand leader. Olivia de Havilland (a frequent co-star with Flynn) does a commendable job as Elizabeth Bacon. Arthur Kennedy (who plays Ned Sharp) proves to be a good foil to Flynn.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.37:1 1080p. How does it look? Viewers can expect an astonishingly sharp restoration of this B&W film.
Audio Track: 2.0 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? From the rousing score to the battles, this 2.0 track delivers the goods.
Extras:
* Original Theatrical Trailer
* Warner Night At The Movies”- An intro by Leonard Maltin, a newsreel, “A Tale Of Two Kitties” cartoon, “All Through The Night” trailer and a short film titled “Soldiers In White.”
* “They Died With Their Boots On: To Hell Or Glory”- An archival featurette
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