FILM · 1970 · USA
Little Big Man
- Directed by
- Arthur Penn
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Studio
- Cinema Center Films, Stockbridge-Hiller Productions
81 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.
81 Interesting Facts About Little Big Man
Interesting Facts (18)
- #001
Little Big Man was the name of a real historical figure. He was a Native American, an Oglala Lakota, a fearless and respected warrior who fought under Crazy Horse and was his rival. He also fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which is depicted in this film.
- #002
It is one of the few two-and-a-half-hour films of its era that was not shown with an intermission.
- #003
Despite many historical inaccuracies, the film accurately depicts the monogamous nature of the Cheyenne, the role of the heemaneh in Native American culture, and the role of contrary figures.
- #004
Although Dustin Hoffman plays the "younger" adopted son of Faye Dunaway's character in the film, he is actually four years older than Dunaway. Hoffman was born in 1937 and Dunaway in 1941.
- #005
The film was first announced in 1965, with Arthur Penn and Calder Willingham also attached. Plans to shoot it fell through at the time, but after the success of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Penn managed to revive the project without much difficulty, especially once the newly famous Dustin Hoffman agreed to play Jack Crabb.
- #006
The film also presents an inaccurate depiction of Wild Bill Hickok's death. Hickok was killed about two months after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, on August 2, 1876, while playing poker at Nuttal & Mann's Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. Unusually, Hickok's back was turned to the door. At 4:15 p.m., Jack McCall entered and shot Hickok in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Hickok was known to have been holding two pair (aces of an unspecified suit and black eights) when he was shot; this set of cards later became known as the "Dead Man's Hand."
- #007
Near the site of Custer's Last Stand is a village named Garryowen, after the jig played by George Armstrong Custer's cavalry.
- #008
The main tune played when the 7th Cavalry attacks the Washita River and during the Battle of the Little Bighorn is an Irish song called "Garryowen." It was the official song of the cavalry of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army. However, the music is actually a medley of Garryowen and St. Patrick's Day.
- #009
Dustin Hoffman had quit smoking for eight months, but the role in this film was so tough that he started again.
- #010
The Cheyenne character Little Horse (Robert Little Star) is a two-spirit man who wears clothing more commonly worn by women in the culture. He invites Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman) to live with him. Unlike most depictions in Western films of the period, Crabb was very moved by the offer and it flattered his pride. Two-spirit is a modern, pan-Indian umbrella term used by some Native North Americans to describe Indigenous people in their communities who fulfill a traditional third-gender (or other gender-variant) ceremonial and social role in their culture.
- #011
The peoples of the First Nation generally refer to the Battle of the Little Bighorn as the Battle of the Greasy Grass.
- #012
Little Big Man was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2014.
- #013
This was James Anderson's (Sergeant) final acting credit. The film was released after his death.
- #014
Little Big Man was Annette O'Toole's first film.
- #015
When Merriweather is forced by the lynch mob to reveal the contents of his elixir, he includes clove oil among them. The same substance was used to ease the pain Dustin Hoffman's character suffers after his torture in Marathon Man (1976).
- #016
In Thomas Berger's original novel, Jack Crabb is red-haired.
- #017
Jesse Vint and Faye Dunaway were also to appear in Chinatown (1974) (directed by Roman Polanski), but the two did not share a scene together in either film.
- #018
To achieve a weak, raspy voice, Dustin Hoffman would sit in his dressing room and scream for an hour.
Production Story (22)
- #019
To capture the gravelly voice of 121-year-old Jack Crabb, Dustin Hoffman screamed at the top of his lungs in his dressing room for an hour.
- #020
The 14-piece latex mask created and applied by Dick Smith, a process that took 5 hours a day, covered the face of Hoffman, who played the elderly Jack Crabb. The groundbreaking aging makeup of the era introduced a new method using translucent latex pieces and set a standard still in use today. Legendary makeup artist Smith revolutionized the field with a latex face that could synchronize with Hoffman's own blinking; however, when he first watched the film, he was disappointed to find that this feature was not visible in any of the close-ups.
- #021
Despite being one of the two-and-a-half-hour films of its era, it was one of the rare productions shown without an intermission.
- #022
The role of Old Lodge Skins was first offered to Marlon Brando, but he turned it down. According to some sources, director Arthur Penn's first choice was Sir Laurence Olivier. When Olivier was unavailable, the role was given to Richard Boone, but when he withdrew at the last moment, Chief Dan George joined the cast and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. Paul Scofield was also among those considered. Interestingly, Penn had not considered using a real Native American actor for this role until shortly before filming began, even though Thomas Berger's novel emphasized that white actors could not be convincing in such roles.
- #023
Dustin Hoffman entered the Guinness World Records in the category of 'Widest Age Range Portrayed by a Film Actor' by playing the character of Jack Crabb from the age of ten to one hundred and twenty-one.
- #024
Dustin Hoffman, who plays Faye Dunaway's 'young' adopted son in the film, is actually four years older than Dunaway. Hoffman was born in 1937, and Dunaway in 1941.
- #025
Aimee Eccles, who plays Little Big Man's Cheyenne wife Sunshine, is actually of Chinese descent. This was a deliberate choice by director Arthur Penn; when asked about this, Penn said, 'Let's just say she doesn't have to be Vietnamese!' reinforcing critics' views that the film is partly an allegorical commentary on the Vietnam War.
- #026
It contains Chief Dan George's only Oscar-nominated performance.
- #027
The film's cast includes three Oscar-winning actors: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Martin Balsam; it also features two Oscar nominees, Chief Dan George and William Hickey.
- #028
Although Jesse Vint and Faye Dunaway also appeared in Chinatown (1974) later, they do not share the same scenes in either film.
- #029
When the film was first announced in 1965, director Arthur Penn and screenwriter Calder Willingham were attached to the project. However, filming plans fell through at that time; after Penn achieved great success with Bonnie and Clyde (1967), he revived the project without difficulty. The agreement of the newly rising star Dustin Hoffman to take on the role of Jack Crabb also made things easier.
- #030
Posters in the UK featured a famous quote from Thomas Berger's original novel: Jack Crabb is either the most unjustly forgotten hero of American history or an 'unbelievable liar.' Although the historian character (William Hickey) who says this line appears in the film, the line is never heard.
- #031
In Thomas Berger's original novel, the character of Jack Crabb is described as red-haired.
- #032
As also stated in the film, the names many Native American tribes gave themselves simply mean 'the people.' This leads to inevitable difficulties in translating and interpreting certain expressions in their languages.
- #033
Despite its historical inaccuracies, the film accurately reflects the monogamous structure of the Cheyenne, the role of the heemaney in Native American culture, and the function of contraries.
- #034
The Old Lodge Skins line 'It is a good day to die' has been adopted as a Klingon-specific slogan in the Star Trek universe.
- #035
The film presents the death of Wild Bill Hickok inaccurately. Hickok was shot about two months after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, on August 2, 1876, while playing poker in Deadwood. Hickok, who unusually sat with his back to the door, was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall and died instantly. At the moment he was shot, he held in his hand two pair—aces and black eights—later to be known as the 'Dead Man's Hand.'
- #036
Near the site of Custer's Last Stand lies the village of Garryowen, named after the jig melody played by George Armstrong Custer's cavalry. The main tune the 7th Cavalry played as they attacked at the Washita River and the Battle of the Little Bighorn is 'Garryowen', a jig of Irish origin. The song was the official march of the US Army's 7th Cavalry. However, the music heard in the film is actually a medley of Garryowen and St. Patrick's Day tunes.
- #037
Portraying the US Cavalry negatively, the film has been seen as a sharp allegory for the rapidly lost Vietnam War of the period.
- #038
Native American peoples generally call the Battle of the Little Bighorn the 'Battle of the Greasy Grass'.
- #039
The Cheyenne character Little Horse (Robert Little Star) is a 'two-spirit' individual who prefers the clothing worn by women in his culture. He invites Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman) to live with him, and Crabb, unlike most portrayals in the westerns of the period, is moved and honored by the offer. Two-spirit is a modern, inclusive term used by some North American natives to describe individuals who fulfill traditional third-gender or different gender roles.
- #040
When Merriweather is forced by the lynch mob to reveal the contents of his elixir, he lists clove oil. The same substance was used in Marathon Man (1976) to soothe Dustin Hoffman's pain after torture.
Behind the Scenes (12)
- #041
Stuntman Gary Combs lost an eye during production.
- #042
For the elderly Crabb, legendary makeup artist Dick Smith designed a latex face that allowed the eyes to blink in addition to Dustin Hoffman's own blinking, something revolutionary in makeup at the time. When Smith first watched the film, he was horrified to see that none of the close-ups of Hoffman's face showed this feature.
- #043
Dustin Hoffman screamed at the top of his lungs in his dressing room for an hour to capture the cracked voice of the 121-year-old Jack Crabb.
- #044
The 14-piece latex mask created and applied by Dick Smith, a process that took 5 hours a day, covered the face of Hoffman, who played the elderly Jack Crabb. The groundbreaking aging makeup of the era introduced a new method using translucent latex pieces and set a standard still in use today. Legendary makeup artist Smith had revolutionized the field with a latex face that could synchronize with Hoffman's own blinking; yet when he first watched the film, he was disappointed to find that this feature was not visible in any of the close-ups.
- #045
Although it was one of the two-and-a-half-hour films of its era, it was one of the rare productions shown without an intermission.
- #046
Dustin Hoffman had quit smoking for 8 months, but the role in this film was so grueling that he started again.
- #047
When the film was first announced in 1965, director Arthur Penn and screenwriter Calder Willingham were attached to the project. However, shooting plans fell through at that time; after Penn achieved great success with Bonnie and Clyde (1967), he revived the project without difficulty. The fact that the newly rising star Dustin Hoffman accepted the role of Jack Crabb also made things easier.
- #048
Posters in the UK featured a famous quote from Thomas Berger's original novel: Jack Crabb is either the most unjustly forgotten hero in American history or an 'unbelievable liar.' Although the historian character who says this line (William Hickey) appears in the film, the line is never heard.
- #049
It was one of the 400 productions on the American Film Institute's 1998 '100 Greatest American Films' candidate list.
- #050
In 2014, it was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry due to its cultural and historical significance.
- #051
It found a place for itself in the book '1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die,' compiled by Steven Schneider.
- #052
In Thomas Berger's original novel, the character Jack Crabb is described as red-haired.
Characters & Cast (22)
- #053
The role of Old Lodge Skins was initially offered to Marlon Brando, but he turned it down. Other sources claim Arthur Penn's first choice for the role was Sir Laurence Olivier. When that fell through, Richard Boone was cast, but when Boone withdrew at the last minute, the role went to Chief Dan George, who earned an Oscar nomination for it.
- #054
Paul Scofield was considered for the role of Old Lodge Skins. Curiously, shortly before shooting began, director Arthur Penn considered using a real Native American for the role, even though an important point emphasized in Thomas Berger's original novel was that Caucasian actors were almost never convincing in such parts.
- #055
The role of Old Lodge Skins was first offered to Marlon Brando, but he turned it down. According to some sources, director Arthur Penn's first choice was Sir Laurence Olivier. When Olivier was unavailable, the role was given to Richard Boone, but when Boone withdrew at the last moment, Chief Dan George joined the cast and earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. Paul Scofield was also among the names considered. Interestingly, Penn had not considered using a real Native American actor for the role until shortly before filming began, even though Thomas Berger's novel emphasized that white actors could not be convincing in such roles.
- #056
Chief Dan George became the first Native American to receive an Oscar nomination in the acting category.
- #057
Dustin Hoffman entered the Guinness World Records in the category of 'Widest Age Range Portrayed by a Film Actor' by playing the character Jack Crabb from the age of ten to the age of one hundred and twenty-one.
- #058
Dustin Hoffman, who plays Faye Dunaway's 'young' adopted son in the film, is in reality four years older than Dunaway. Hoffman was born in 1937, and Dunaway in 1941.
- #059
Aimee Eccles, who plays Little Big Man's Cheyenne wife Sunshine, is actually of Chinese origin. This was a deliberate choice by director Arthur Penn; when asked about it, Penn said, 'Let's just say she doesn't have to be Vietnamese!' reinforcing critics' views that the film is partly an allegorical commentary on the Vietnam War.
- #060
It is the final acting credit of James Anderson, who plays the Sergeant. The film was released after the actor's death.
- #061
It is Annette O'Toole's first film.
- #062
It features Chief Dan George's only Oscar-nominated performance.
- #063
The film's cast includes three Oscar-winning actors: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Martin Balsam; it also includes two Oscar nominees, Chief Dan George and William Hickey.
- #064
Although Jesse Vint and Faye Dunaway also appeared in Chinatown (1974), they do not share any scenes in either film.
- #065
Little Big Man is the name of a real historical figure. A fearless and respected warrior of the Oglala Lakota tribe, Little Big Man both fought under Crazy Horse and was his rival. He took part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which is also depicted in the film.
- #066
As is also stated in the film, the names many Native American tribes gave themselves simply mean 'people.' This leads to inevitable difficulties in translating and interpreting certain expressions in their languages.
- #067
Despite its historical inaccuracies, the film accurately reflects the monogamous structure of the Cheyenne, the role of the heemaneh in Native American culture, and the function of contraries.
- #068
Old Lodge Skins' line 'It is a good day to die' was adopted as a slogan specific to the Klingons in the Star Trek universe.
- #069
The film presents the death of Wild Bill Hickok in a manner contrary to the facts. Hickok was shot about two months after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, on August 2, 1876, in Deadwood while playing poker. Hickok, who unusually sat with his back to the door, was shot in the back of the neck by Jack McCall and killed instantly. At the moment he was shot, he held in his hand two pairs—aces and black eights—later to be known as the 'Dead Man's Hand.'
- #070
Near Custer's Last Stand is the village of Garryowen, named after the jig melody played by George Armstrong Custer's cavalry. The main tune the 7th Cavalry played as it attacked at the Washita River and the Battle of the Little Bighorn is 'Garryowen,' a jig of Irish origin. This song was the official march of the US Army's 7th Cavalry. However, the music heard in the film is actually a medley consisting of Garryowen and St. Patrick's Day tunes.
- #071
This film, which portrays the US Cavalry negatively, was seen as a sharp allegory for the rapidly lost Vietnam War of the period.
- #072
Native American peoples generally call the Battle of the Little Bighorn the 'Battle of the Greasy Grass.'
- #073
The Cheyenne character Little Horse (Robert Little Star) is a 'two-spirit' individual who prefers the clothing worn by women in his culture. He invites Jack Crabb (Dustin Hoffman) to live with him, and Crabb, unlike most portrayals in the westerns of the period, is impressed and honored by the offer. Two-spirit is a modern, inclusive term used by some Native North Americans to describe individuals who fulfill traditional third-gender or different gender roles.
- #074
When Merriweather is forced by the lynch mob to reveal the contents of his elixir, he lists clove oil. The same substance was used in the film Marathon Man (1976) to relieve Dustin Hoffman's pain after torture.
Deeper Meaning (2)
- #075
The old-age makeup was regarded as a milestone that represented a new way of doing things using translucent, sculpted latex appliances at the time. It set a standard still in use today.
- #076
With its negative portrayal of the U.S. Cavalry, the film was seen by many as a sharp allegory for America's involvement in Vietnam, which was rapidly deteriorating at home at the time.
Career & Awards (5)
- #077
Chief Dan George became the first Native American to be nominated for an acting Oscar.
- #078
It was included on the American Film Institute's 1998 list of 400 films nominated for the 100 Best American Films.
- #079
The film contains Chief Dan George's only Oscar-nominated performance.
- #080
The film's cast includes three Oscar winners — Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway and Martin Balsam — and two Oscar nominees: Chief Dan George and William Hickey.
- #081
Chief Dan George, who played Old Lodge Skins, was chief of the Burrard band in Vancouver. He had previously appeared in the series Cariboo Country as a westerner named Smith, was nominated for an Oscar for Little Big Man, and afterward became a spokesman for the indigenous peoples of North America.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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