They Died with Their Boots On (1941)
Western, War, Drama, Romance • 2h 20m
Director: Raoul Walsh
Cast: Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Arthur Kennedy, Charley Grapewin, Gene Lockhart, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Ridges, John Litel, Walter Hampden, Sydney Greenstreet, Regis Toomey, Hattie McDaniel, G.P. Huntley, Frank Wilcox, Joe Sawyer, Minor Watson, Eddie Acuff, Tod Andrews, Cyril Archambault, Irving Bacon, Walter Baldwin, Roy Barcroft, Hank Bell, Brooks Benedict, Edward Biby, Hobart Bosworth, Rudy Bowman, Truman Bradley, Moses Brave, Virginia Brissac, Walter Brooke, Jack Budlong, Lane Chandler, Spencer Charters, Leo Chasing Hawk, G. Pat Collins, Clancy Cooper, Tex Cooper, Victor Cox, Joseph Crehan, Wade Crosby, Russell Custer, Steve Darrell, Andrew DeRockbraine, Joe Devlin, Moses Dog, George Eldredge, Alvin Elk Nation, Amos Elk Nation, Martin Faust, Frank Ferguson, Francis Ford, William Forrest, Dick French, Alberta Gary, Slim Gaut, Sol Gorss, Jesse Graves, Michael Grey Eagle, Raymond Hairy Chin, John Hamilton, Chick Hannan, Carl Harbaugh, Weldon Heyburn, Herbert Heywood, Russell Hicks, Max Hoffman Jr., Edna Holland, William Hopper, Joseph Fast Horse Sr., John Hudkins, Selmer Jackson, Annabelle Jones, Edward Keane, Fred Kelsey, Joe King, Paul Kruger, Harry Lewis, Vera Lewis, Arthur Loft, Ian MacDonald, Eric Mayne, Frank Mayo, Sam McDaniel, Patrick McVey, Robert Milasch, Frank Mills, Mike Morelli, Edmund Mortimer, Jack Mower, George Murphy, Richard Neill, Anna Q. Nilsson, Frank Orth, Eddie Parker, Tex Parker, Bob Perry, Aileen Pringle, Jack Red Bear, George H. Reed, Renie Riano, Addison Richards, John Ridgely, Virginia Sale, Robert Schoenhut Sr., James Seay, Frank Shooter, Garland Smith, Hugh Sothern, Harry Strang, Ray Teal, Jim Thorpe, Minerva Urecal, William Village Center, Dick Wessel, Joshua White Shield, Gig Young, Francis Zahn, Louis Zamperini, Victor Zimmerman, Jack Tornek
Compare the discs
About the film
The story follows General George Armstrong Custer's adventures from his West Point days to his death. He defies orders during the Civil War, trains the 7th Cavalry, appeases Chief Crazy Horse and later engages in bloody battle with the Sioux nation.
- Alternative Titles
- They Died with Their Boots On
4K restoration from original technicolor negatives
Director: Raoul Walsh
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Raoul Walsh
Sources: moma.org (opens in a new tab)
New restoration by MoMA and Film Foundation https://www.moma.org/calendar/events/11558 no release yet
Director: Raoul Walsh
Director: Raoul Walsh
4K restoration of the original 3D left eye and right eye camera negatives
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Richard Brooks
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Vincent Sherman
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: George Pal
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Compton Bennett
4K restoration from original technicolor negatives
Director: Jack Conway
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
More Western on Blu-ray
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Director: George Stevens
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has unusually strong encode but only a minimal upgrade over the excellent Eureka Blu-ray
Director: Samuel Fuller
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Criterion Blu-Ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
TV series
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative for all episodes
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Arrow Video Blu-ray
Arrow's deluxe presentation is a fantastic package with great supplements, art and printed materials. Sadly the master is a heavily processed Paramount affair. It has seemingly been severely grain managed and the mono audio is horribly thin when it shouldn't be. Stereo and 5.1 options are also given but they seem to be more of home video remixes. They do not have the fidelity issue of the compromised mono but also show marked differences as if they were remixed from stem sources. This seems to have suffered lesser degrees of the problems that plagued The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance's 4K master. This is the best version to date but one wishes Paramount could leave scans alone.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Arrow Video Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
The Arrow Video Blu-ray is the best iteration so far coming from a new restoration complete with great supplements and package. The original limited edition version included a second disc with the alternate 2.0:1 framed version. The primary disc is 1.85:1. Older releases pre-2008 were all in Academy ratio. 1.85 is the best compromise ratio for the visuals. As good as this release is, the master is showing its age and sadly has a number of frozen grain artifacts.
Director: Anthony Mann
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Kino Lorber Blu-ray reissue (4K restoration)
Massive picture upgrade as the 4K restoration addresses the massive color fringing that has plagued all previous dated masters. Oddly the titles are a different color now.
4K restoration is a gigantic and essential picture upgrade but only available on the Kino Blu-ray reissue. No UHD has been made or announced by anyone.
Edit history
Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.