Custer (TV series)

Custer, also known as The Legend of Custer, is a 17-episode military-Western television series which ran on ABC from September 6 to December 27, 1967, with Wayne Maunder in the starring role of then Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Criticizing the series as "glamorizing Custer," a concerted protest headed by the Tribal Indians Land Rights Association successfully halted broadcast of the series under the FCC fairness doctrine.

Format

Robert F. Simon played Custer's commanding officer, U.S. General Alfred H. Terry. Slim Pickens starred as California Joe Milner. Michael Dante appeared as Sioux Chief Crazy Horse. Peter Palmer played Sergeant James Bustard, a former Confederate soldier. Grant Woods appeared as Captain Myles Keogh. Read Morgan appeared in the episode "Spirit Woman" in the role of a medicine man.
Guest stars included Lloyd Bochner, Rory Calhoun, Philip Carey, James Daly, Alexander Davion, Burr DeBenning, Yvonne De Carlo, Gene Evans, Arthur Franz, Billy Gray, Barbara Hale, Stacy Harris, Earl Holliman, Robert Loggia, Darren McGavin, Ralph Meeker, Mary Ann Mobley, Agnes Moorehead, Edward Mulhare, Kathleen Nolan, Larry Pennell, Paul Petersen, Donnelly Rhodes, Chris Robinson, Ned Romero, Barbara Rush, Albert Salmi, William Smith, Dub Taylor, Ray Walston, James Whitmore, Terry Wilson, and William Windom. In the last episode entitled "The Raiders", Custer enlists the aid of Kiowa Indians to help him to locate the parties responsible for a series of wagon train raids.
Maunder was twenty-eight when he was cast as the 28-year-old Custer. The show was canceled due to poor reviews and protests by Native American tribes throughout the United States.
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 released Custer: The Complete Series on DVD.