| Custer | |
|---|---|
 Wayne Maunder as Custer. | |
| Starring | |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 17 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Frank Glicksman |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 6 (1967-09-06) – December 27, 1967 (1967-12-27) |
Custer, also known asThe Legend of Custer, is a 17-episodemilitary-Western television series which ran onABC from September 6 to December 27, 1967, withWayne Maunder in the starring role of thenLieutenant ColonelGeorge Armstrong Custer. Criticizing the series as "glamorizing Custer," a concerted protest headed by theTribal Indians Land Rights Association successfully halted broadcast of the series under theFCC fairness doctrine.[1]
Robert F. Simon played Custer's commanding officer, U.S.GeneralAlfred H. Terry.Slim Pickens starred asCalifornia Joe Milner.Michael Dante appeared as Sioux ChiefCrazy Horse.Peter Palmer played Sergeant James Bustard, a former Confederate soldier.[2] Grant Woods appeared as CaptainMyles Keogh.Read Morgan appeared in the episode "Spirit Woman" in the role of amedicine man.
Guest stars includedLloyd Bochner (as James Stanhope),Rory Calhoun (as Zebediah Jackson),Philip Carey (as Benton Conant),James Daly (as John Rudford),Alexander Davion (as Capt. Marcus A. Reno),Burr DeBenning (as Uvalde),Yvonne De Carlo (as Vanessa Ravenhill),Gene Evans (as Deedricks),Arthur Franz (as Grey Fox and Bledsoe),Billy Gray (as Billy Nixon),Barbara Hale (as Melinda Terry),Stacy Harris (as John Glixton),Earl Holliman (as Dan Samuels),Robert Loggia (as Lt. Carlos Moreno),Darren McGavin (as Jeb Powell),Ralph Meeker (as Kermit Teller),Mary Ann Mobley (as Ann L'Andry),Agnes Moorehead (as Watoma),Edward Mulhare (as Col. Sean Redmond),Kathleen Nolan (as Nora Moffett),Larry Pennell (as Chief Yellow Hawk),Paul Petersen (as Lieutenant Cox),Donnelly Rhodes (as War Cloud),Chris Robinson (as Lt. Tim Rudford),Ned Romero (as Running Feet),Barbara Rush (as Brigid O'Rourke),Albert Salmi (as Capt. John Mark Charrington),William Smith (as Chief Tall Knife),Dub Taylor (as Trader),Ray Walston (as Ned Quimbo),James Whitmore (as Eldo),Terry Wilson (as Brownsmith), andWilliam Windom (as Clark Samson). In the last episode entitled "The Raiders", Custer enlists the aid ofKiowa Indians to help him to locate the parties responsible for a series ofwagon train raids.[3]
Maunder was twenty-eight when he was cast as the 28-year-old Custer. The show was canceled due to poor reviews[4] and protests byNative American tribes throughout the United States.[5][6]
Two episodes, No. 1 and No. 6, were later combined and released as a feature length film, entitled"Crazy Horse and Custer, The Untold Story". On June 7, 2016,Shout! Factory releasedCuster: The Complete Series (Collector's Edition) on DVD.
| No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Sabers in the Sun" | Sam Wanamaker | Samuel A. Peeples | September 6, 1967 (1967-09-06) |
| 2 | "Accused" | Lawrence Dobkin | Al C. Ward | September 13, 1967 (1967-09-13) |
| 3 | "Glory Rider" | Lawrence Dobkin | Jack Turley | September 20, 1967 (1967-09-20) |
| 4 | "To the Death" | Herschel Daugherty | Samuel A. Peeples | September 27, 1967 (1967-09-27) |
| 5 | "Massacre" | Herschel Daugherty | Daniel Mainwaring | October 4, 1967 (1967-10-04) |
| 6 | "War Lance and Saber" | Norman Foster | Shimon Wincelberg | October 11, 1967 (1967-10-11) |
| 7 | "Suspicion" | Alex March | John Dunkel | October 18, 1967 (1967-10-18) |
| 8 | "Breakout" | László Benedek | Shimon Wincelberg | November 1, 1967 (1967-11-01) |
| 9 | "Desperate Mission" | László Benedek | Warren Douglas | November 8, 1967 (1967-11-08) |
| 10 | "Under Fire" | Lawrence Dobkin | Arthur Browne Jr. | November 15, 1967 (1967-11-15) |
| 11 | "Death Hunt" | Leo Penn | Steve McNeil & Richard Bartlett | November 22, 1967 (1967-11-22) |
| 12 | "Blazing Arrows" | Christian Nyby | Bob and Wanda Duncan | November 29, 1967 (1967-11-29) |
| 13 | "Dangerous Prey" | Leo Penn | Richard Sale | December 6, 1967 (1967-12-06) |
| 14 | "Spirit Woman" | László Benedek | William Blinn | December 13, 1967 (1967-12-13) |
| 15 | "The Gauntlet" | Don Richardson | Shimon Wincelberg | December 20, 1967 (1967-12-20) |
| 16 | "The Raiders" | Norman Foster | Shimon Wincelberg | December 27, 1967 (1967-12-27) |
| 17 | "Pursued" | Leo Penn | John Dunkel | January 3, 1968 (1968-01-03) |