Custer's Last Stand (serial)

Custer's Last Stand is a 1936 American film serial based on the historical Custer's Last Stand at the Little Bighorn River. It was directed by Elmer Clifton, and starred Rex Lease, William Farnum and Jack Mulhall. It was produced by the Poverty Row studio Stage & Screen Productions, which went bust shortly afterwards as a victim of the Great Depression. This serial stars many famous and popular B-Western actors as well as silent serial star Helen Gibson playing Calamity Jane, Frank McGlynn Jr. as General Custer, and Allen Greer as Wild Bill Hickok.

In April of the same year, the serial was edited into an 84-minute feature film, which was released under the same name.

Plot overview
The serial follows multiple plot threads, centering on a Medicine Arrow taken in battle and a secret gold mine, in the lead up to the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Cast

 * Rex Lease as Kit Cardigan and his father John C. Cardigan
 * Lona Andre as Belle Meade
 * William Farnum as James Fitzpatrick
 * Ruth Mix as Elizabeth Custer
 * Jack Mulhall as Lieutenant Cook
 * Nancy Caswell as Barbara Trent
 * George Chesebro as Lieutenant Frank Roberts
 * Dorothy Gulliver as Red Fawn
 * Frank McGlynn Jr. as General George A. Custer
 * Helen Gibson as Calamity Jane
 * Josef Swickard as Major Henry Trent, MD
 * Chief Thundercloud as Young Wolf
 * Allen Greer as Wild Bill Hickok
 * High Eagle as Crazy Horse
 * Howling Wolf as Sitting Bull

Production
Commenting on the plot, Cline notes that this serial contains several historical characters in a purely fictitious setting. "The story rambled through a series of loosely connected plots and sub plots" leading to Little Big Horn.

Stunts

 * Yakima Canutt
 * Ken Cooper
 * Carl Mathews
 * Mabel Strickland (riding double)
 * Wally West

Theatrical
Custer's Last Stand was well received by action fans, regardless of its historical inaccuracies.

Chapter titles
Source:
 * 1) Perils of the Plains
 * 2) Thundering Hoofs [sic]
 * 3) Fires of Vengeance
 * 4) The Ghost Dancers
 * 5) Trapped
 * 6) Human Wolves
 * 7) Demons of Disaster
 * 8) White Treachery
 * 9) Circle of Death
 * 10) Flaming Arrow
 * 11) Warpath
 * 12) Firing Squad
 * 13) Red Panthers
 * 14) Custer's Last Ride
 * 15) The Last Stand