Sydney Salkow and The Great Sioux Massacre

I think a lot of reviewers are being a bit harsh on this film. Its a cheap B movie designed to go out on the bottom half of a double-bill in places when there was no Audie Murphy or AC Lyles 'Geezer' western available.

For a film made at this time it is surprisingly critical of Custer who is portrayed (in the second half of the film) as a glory hunter after the Democratic nomination for President. There are several scenes in which defenceless Indian women and children are gunned down by the army. I don't think I had seen this before in an American film. In fact, it is probably more Liberal than Little Big Man and at least makes some attempt to show the political background to the pushign out of the Sioux from the Black Hills.

The writers have obviously carried out some proper research as this was the most historically accruate depiction of Little Big Horn to date and includes the characters of Benteen (Benton) and Reno for the first time. Compared to the travesty that was They Died With Their Boots On this is bona fida history.

However, most of this all comes to naught because of sloppy and incompetent direction from Salkow together with some awful acting by both Darren McGavin and Joseph Cotten. The money must have run out here because stock footage from Salkow's Sitting Bill appears throughout most of the action and crowd scenes frequently rendering them incomprehenisble as backgrounds, uniforms and clothing change from shot to shot. Salkow proves incapable of directing his own action scenes with anything approaching basic competence so we see extras mulling around in the back of fight scenes doing nothing, other actors waiting for cues before performing or, in one memorable case, an Indian extra riding back and forth across the frame waiving a tomahawk in the air but not actually doing anything. Custer's last stand itself is an anti-climax due to poor editing and direction.

Meanwhile, Joseph Cotten gives the worst performance as a 'drunk' I have ever seen when he gatecrashes an officers' soiree. In later scenes, when his character is supposed to be sober, he actually gives a better impression of being drunk!