This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Little Big Man
Film poster
Directed by	Arthur Penn
Produced by	Stuart Millar
Written by	Calder Willingham
Starring	Dustin Hoffman Faye Dunaway Chief Dan George Martin Balsam Richard Mulligan
Music by	John Hammond
Cinematography	Harry Stradling Jr.
Editing by	Dede Allen
Distributed by	Cinema Center Films
Release date(s)	December 14, 1970
Running time	139 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$15,000,000 (estimated)
Gross revenue	$31,559,552 (USA) (sub-total)
IMDb profile

Little Big Man is a 1970 film directed by Arthur Penn and based on the 1964 novel by Thomas Berger. It is a picaresque comedy and drama about a Caucasian boy raised by the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century. A major part of the film involves contrasting the lives of American pioneers and Native Americans. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Arthur Hiller Penn (born September 27, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a film director and producer. ... Calder Willingham was an American, novelist and screenwriter. ... Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning, BAFTA-winning, and five-time Golden Globe-winning American method actor. ... Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941, in Bascom, Florida) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Chief Dan George (July 24, 1899–September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Burrard Band, a Salish First Nations people located in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia. ... Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. ... Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 - September 26, 2000) was an American television and film actor whose career spanned 34 years. ... John Hammond album cover John Paul Hammond (born November 13, 1942), also known as John Hammond Jr. ... Dede Allen (born Dorothea Carothers Allen, 3 December, 1925, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American film editor. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 348th day of the year (349th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... // Events February 11 - The film The Magic Christian, starring Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr premieres in New York City. ... Arthur Hiller Penn (born September 27, 1922 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a film director and producer. ... See also: 1963 in literature, other events of 1964, 1965 in literature, list of years in literature. ... Thomas Louis Berger (born July 20, 1924) is a U.S. novelist. ... The picaresque novel (Spanish: picaresco, from pícaro, for rogue or rascal) is a popular style of novel that originated in Spain and flourished in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries and has continued to influence modern literature. ... A comedy is a dramatic performance of a light and amusing character, usually with a happy conclusion to its plot. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... For the peoples actually from the Caucasus, see Peoples of the Caucasus. ... For other uses, see Cheyenne (disambiguation). ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A family of Russian settlers in the Caucasus region, ca. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ...

The movie stars Dustin Hoffman, Chief Dan George, Faye Dunaway, Martin Balsam, Jeff Corey and Richard Mulligan. It is considered a Revisionist Western, with Native Americans receiving a sympathetic treatment uncommon for Western films in previous decades. Many of the United States Cavalry soldiers are depicted as villains. Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning, BAFTA-winning, and five-time Golden Globe-winning American method actor. ... Chief Dan George (July 24, 1899–September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Burrard Band, a Salish First Nations people located in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia. ... Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941, in Bascom, Florida) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. ... Jeff Corey (August 10, 1914 — August 16, 2002) was an American stage and screen actor who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s. ... Richard Mulligan (November 13, 1932 - September 26, 2000) was an American television and film actor whose career spanned 34 years. ... The Revisionist Western, Modern Western or Anti Western traces to the late 1960s and early 1970s as a sub-genre of the Western movie. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The United States Cavalry was a horse-mounted cavalry force that existed in various forms between 1775 and 1942. ...

Despite its satiric and comedic approach, the film has tragic elements and a clear social commentary about prejudice and injustice. Little Big Man is considered an example of anti-establishment films of the period subtly protesting America's involvement in the Vietnam War by portraying the U.S. Military in a condemnatory manner.^{[citation needed]} Arthur Penn has also stated in an interview featured on a TCM promo that elements of the film were comments on American genocide depicting events "closest to The Holocaust." Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject (individuals, organizations, states) often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... For other uses, see Tragedy (disambiguation). ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Gay bashing Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial... New Hollywood or post-classical Hollywood refers to the brief time between roughly 1967 (Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate) and 1982 (One from the Heart) when a new generation of young filmmakers came to prominence in America, drastically changing not only the way Hollywood films were produced and marketed, but... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ... TCM may mean: Traditional Chinese Medicine Turner Classic Movies, a cable TV channel owned by Time Warner which primarily features classic MGM, RKO and Warner Brothers films trajectory correction maneuver — see Mars Climate Orbiter tightly-coupled memory, computer memory that is shared between multiple processors in a multi-processor system... For other uses, see Holocaust (disambiguation) and Shoah (disambiguation). ...

Story

A dying centenarian, 121-year-old Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman), recalls several facets of his life for a curious historian (William Hickey). His long and episodic story includes being a member of the Cheyenne tribe, a gunslinger, a sidekick to Wild Bill Hickok (Jeff Corey) and a scout for General George Armstrong Custer (Richard Mulligan). The central theme is his adoption by the Cheyenne, enabling him to view both the Caucasian and Native American cultures of the 19th century. A centenarian is a person who has attained the age of 100 years or more. ... William Edward Hickey (September 19, 1927 – June 29, 1997) was an American actor. ... For other uses, see Cheyenne (disambiguation). ... Gunslinger from The Great Train Robbery Gunslinger, also gunfighter, is a name given to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. ... Not to be confused with William Wild Bill Hickok, American football player. ... Custer redirects here. ... For other uses, see Adoption (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Cheyenne (disambiguation). ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Jack and his older sister Caroline (Carole Androsky) survive the massacre of their parents' wagon train at the hands of Native Americans. He is raised by the Cheyenne leader Old Lodge Skins (Chief Dan George). It proves to be an idyllic life, though Jack unwittingly makes an enemy of Younger Bear (Cal Bellini). Jack is given the name "Little Big Man" because he's short but very brave. Jack is captured by the U.S. Cavalry and quickly put into the care of Reverend Pendrake (Thayer David) and his wife Louise (Faye Dunaway). She is attracted to young Jack, but he cannot accept the dichotomy between Louise's pious attitude and her sexual appetite and promptly leaves her home. Wagon Train was a television series on NBC from 1957 to 1962 and on ABC from 1962 to 1965. ... The United States Cavalry was a horse-mounted cavalry force that existed in various forms between 1775 to 1942. ... Thayer David was born David Thayer Hersey on March 4, 1927 in Medford, Massachusetts and died on July 17, 1978 in New York City from a heart attack. ... Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941, in Bascom, Florida) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ...

Jack decides to become the apprentice of the snake-oil salesman Merriweather (Martin Balsam). They are tarred and feathered for selling fraudulent products. He reunites with his sister Caroline. She attempts to mold her brother into a gunslinger named the Soda Pop Kid (so called because of his chosen beverage). Jack runs into Wild Bill Hickok (Jeff Corey), who takes a liking to the young man. When Hickok is forced to kill a man in self defense, Jack loses his taste for gunslinging and Caroline deserts him. This article is about medicinal compounds. ... Gunslinger from The Great Train Robbery Gunslinger, also gunfighter, is a name given to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. ... Not to be confused with William Wild Bill Hickok, American football player. ...

Jack decides to open a general store and marries a Swedish woman named Olga (Kelly Jean Peters). Jack's business partner turns out to be a thief and he's forced to close the store. General Custer happens to ride upon the scene and suggests the couple restart their lives out west. Jack agrees, however, their stagecoach is ambushed by the Cheyennes and Olga is abducted. Searching for Olga in vain, he is reunited with Old Lodge Skins, who is overjoyed Jack has returned to the tribe. Younger Bear has become a contrary (a warrior who does everything in reverse) and is still clearly bitter. After a short stay with the tribe, Jack continues his search for Olga. Smiths Gully General Store in Smiths Gully, Australia. ... Stagecoach in Switzerland A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled enclosed passenger and/or mail coach, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, widely used before the introduction of railway transport. ...

He eventually becomes a "mule skinner" within Custer's 7th Cavalry, hoping to obtain information on the location of Olga. He participates in a battle against the Cheyenne. When they begin killing women and children, he becomes enraged and turns on the U.S. Soldiers. In the nearby woods, Jack discovers the Cheyenne woman Sunshine (Aimée Eccles) in the process of giving birth. He saves Sunshine from the marauding soldiers and returns to Old Lodge Skins' tribe. Sunshine becomes his wife and they have a child together. Jack once again encounters Younger Bear, who has undergone another life change. No longer a contrary, he is now shockingly married to Olga. Before Jack is recognized, he walks away without saying a word. Distinctive Unit Insignia, US 7th Cavalry The United States 7th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage traces back to the mid-19th century. ...

One day during the winter season, Custer and the 7th Cavalry make a surprise attack on the Cheyenne camp. A now-blind and elderly Old Lodge Skins is saved by Jack, but Sunshine and his children are killed. Jack tries to infiltrate Custer's camp to exact revenge, but eventually loses his nerve. Disheartened, Jack becomes the town drunk in Deadwood, South Dakota. While in a drunken stupor, Wild Bill Hickok recognizes him and gives him money to clean up. When Jack returns to the bar, Hickok is shot and killed. Before his death, Hickok tells Jack a dying wish involving a widow he was having an affair with. Jack goes to see the widow, a prostitute who turns out to be Louise Pendrake. Jack gives her the money she needs to start a new life. A photograph of Deadwood in 1876. ... Prostitution is the sale of sexual services (typically manual stimulation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, or anal sex) for cash or other kind of return, generally indiscriminately with many persons. ...

Jack soon becomes a trapper and hermit. His mind becomes unhinged after coming across an empty trap with a severed animal limb. Poised at the edge of a cliff, he prepares to commit suicide. Jack suddenly hears the faint chords of Garryowen echoing through the valley and spots Custer and his troops marching nearby. Jack decides to exact revenge. Custer accepts him as a scout, believing anything he says will be a lie, thus serving as a reverse barometer. Jack leads the troops into a trap at the Little Bighorn. Before the attack, Jack truthfully tells Custer of the overwhelming force of Native Americans hidden within the valley. Custer does not believe him and leads the 7th Cavalry to its doom. During the frantic battle, Custer begins a series of insane ravings. Ignoring the closing circle of warriors, Custer decides to kill Jack and points his pistol at him. Before he can pull the trigger, Custer is killed by Younger Bear, who then saves Jack by carrying him to Old Lodge Skins' tepee. Bird trapping, tacuinum sanitatis casanatensis (XIV century) The activity of animal trapping has two separate but related meanings. ... For other uses, see Hermit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Garryowen (disambiguation). ... Combatants Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, Arapaho United States Commanders Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse George A. Custer â€ , Marcus Reno, Frederick Benteen, James Calhoun â€  Strength 949 lodges (probably 950-1,200 warriors) 31 officers, 566 troopers, 15 armed civilians, ~35-40 scouts Casualties At least 54 killed, ~168 wounded (according to Sitting Bull... Categories: Stub | Buildings and structures | Survival skills ...

With Custer and his regiment annihilated, Jack accompanies Old Lodge Skins to a nearby hill where the weary leader decides to end his life. He gives his speech to the Great Spirit, saying he is ready to die. Instead, it begins to rain. Old Lodge Skins sighs and says, "Sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn't." They return to his tepee to have dinner. The Great Spiritpoo is a conception of a supreme being prevalent among Native American and First Nations cultures. ...

Jack's narrative abruptly ends and he tells the historian to leave the room. The film concludes with an extended shot of the elderly Jack sadly staring into space.

Historical basis

The movie's portrayal of the Battle of Washita River as a Custer-led massacre of women and children (which Penn compares to the holocaust) is not entirely based upon fact, as the historical record shows there was more resistance than portrayed in the film (though a large percentage of the victims were women and children). As depicted, the scene most closely resembles the Sand Creek Massacre, where Colorado militia troops (not including Custer) attacked a peaceful contingent of Native Americans, killing more than 150 women, children and elderly men. Combatants United States Cheyenne Commanders George A. Custer Black Kettle†, Little Rock † Strength 7th Cavalry Regiment ~250 warriors and civilians (150 warriors, 100 civilians) [2]. The children were moved by Black Kettle in an other village downstream prior to the battle. ... Combatants United States of America Cheyenne, Arapaho Commanders John M. Chivington Black Kettle Strength 800 soldiers 500, mostly elderly, women and children Casualties 15 killed, 50 wounded 150-184 killed The Sand Creek massacre (also known as the Chivington massacre or the Battle of Sand Creek) was an incident in...

Wild Bill Hickok was in fact killed on August 2, 1876, one month after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Not to be confused with William Wild Bill Hickok, American football player. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) // January 31 - United States orders all Indigenous peoples in the United States to move onto reservations February 2 - The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs of Major League Baseball is formed. ...

The film's depiction of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer as a lunatic at the Battle of the Little Bighorn was intended as a comedic satire, though many of his quirks and vanities were inspired by contemporary observations. Custer's fatal tactics at Little Bighorn were far more complex than portrayed in the film. His actions before and during the battle remain intensely controversial to this day. Custer redirects here. ... Combatants Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, Arapaho United States Commanders Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse George A. Custer â€ , Marcus Reno, Frederick Benteen, James Calhoun â€  Strength 949 lodges (probably 950-1,200 warriors) 31 officers, 566 troopers, 15 armed civilians, ~35-40 scouts Casualties At least 54 killed, ~168 wounded (according to Sitting Bull...

The character of Jack Crabb is partially based on Curley, one of Custer's Native American scouts from the Crow tribe. It is believed Curley rode with Custer's 7th Cavalry into the final battle until they were attacked, at which point he was relieved of duty, retreating to a nearby bluff and witnessing much of the action. Many conflicting stories of the era embellished Curley's participation, stating in several cases that he disguised himself with a Cheyenne blanket to escape the immediate field of battle. He was interviewed many times, with some writers claiming him to be the only surviving witness from the U.S. side of Custer's Last Stand. Curley gave several variations of his participation in the battle, and the accuracy of his later recollections has been questioned. Curley, by D.F. Barry, 1878 Curley (or Curly), is the English name for Ashishishe (var. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... The Crow, also called the Absaroka or Apsáalooke, are a tribe of Native Americans who historically lived in the Yellowstone river valley and now live on a reservation south of Billings, Montana. ... Battle of the Little Bighorn Conflict Black Hills War, Indian Wars Date June 25, 1876 Place Near the Little Bighorn River, Big Horn County, Montana Result Substantial Native American victory The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also called Custers Last Stand, was an engagement between a Lakota-Northern Cheyenne...

The historical Little Big Man was a Native American bearing no resemblance to the Jack Crabb character. Little Big Man is known for his involvement in the capture and possible assassination of Crazy Horse at Fort Robinson in 1877. For other uses, see Crazy Horse (disambiguation). ... Fort Robinson is a former U. S. Army post and a present-day state park in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska. ...

This movie can be looked upon as a spoof of two classic westerns:

• Stagecoach (film) where John Wayne saves stagecoach passengers from Indian attack.
• They Died with Their Boots On a heroic version of Custer's "Last Stand" at Battle of Little Bighorn.

Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ... For other persons named John Wayne, see John Wayne (disambiguation). ... They Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. ... The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also called Custers Last Stand, was an engagement between a Lakota-Cheyenne combined force and the 7th Cavalry of the United States Army that took place on June 25, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in the eastern Montana Territory. ...

Awards

For his portrayal of Old Lodge Skins, Chief Dan George was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He won multiple honors for his performance including the Producers Guild of America Award, the National Society of Film Critics Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actor. Chief Dan George (July 24, 1899–September 23, 1981) was a chief of the Burrard Band, a Salish First Nations people located in Burrard Inlet, British Columbia. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; nominations are made by Academy members who are actors and actresses. ... Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a trade organization representing the television and film producers in the United States. ... The National Society of Film Critics or NSFC is an American film critic organization. ... New York Film Critics Circle Awards are given annually to honor excellence in cinema worldwide by an organization of film reviewers from New York City-based publications. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

Hoffman won third place for his performance with the Producers Guild of America and was nominated as Best Actor by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The screenplay by Calder Willingham was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award as Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium. Producers Guild of America (PGA) is a trade organization representing the television and film producers in the United States. ... BAFTA Award The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organisation that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... Calder Willingham was an American, novelist and screenwriter. ... Annual awards given out by the Writers Guild of America for outstanding achievements in film, TV, or radio writing. ...

Production

Hoffman holds the record for portraying the greatest age span of a single character, playing Jack Crabb from the age of 17 to 121. To obtain the voice of a 121 year-old man, Dustin Hoffman sat in his dressing room and screamed at the top of his lungs for an hour. The 121 year-old makeup was created by Dick Smith from foam latex and included revolutionary old-age eyelids that could actually blink along with the actor's. Due to editing, and much to Smith's chagrin, no blinks were visible in the finished film. Of the makeup, Hoffman was quoted as saying, "I defy you to put on that makeup and not feel old." The role of Chief Old Lodge Skins was initially offered to Marlon Brando, Paul Scofield and Laurence Olivier, all of whom turned it down. The Little Bighorn battle scenes were filmed on location in Montana near the actual battle site. Dick Smith (born June 26, 1922 in Larchmont, New York) is a make-up artist known for his work on such films as The Godfather, The Exorcist, Taxi Driver, and Little Big Man. ... Foam latex is a form of latex wich is used in masks and facial prosthetics to change a persons outward appearence. ... Marlon Brando, Jr. ... David Paul Scofield, CH, CBE (born 21 January 1922) is a British actor who was born in Hurstpierpoint, Sussex, England. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

External links

• Little Big Man at the Internet Movie Database
• Roger Ebert review of Little Big Man