There was obviously some history between these two characters, but what was it? Collingwood suffered some disgrace and Thursday got the glory? Why does Collingwood turn down Thursday's offer of a drink with the comment, "It's a little early, even for me."?
This is only conjecture. The officer corp in the late 1800s was a small group. Officers came from West Point, Military College<VMI>, and appointment. So if Collingwood was disgraced during the Civil War, he might have turned drink for a time while trying to come to grips with what happened. If that occurred, the gossip would have spread throughout the Officer Corp. Officers who never met U.S. Grant knew of his problem with the bottle and it hinder him early in the Civil War.
The line could be Thursday offering a bottle to him to see if he would return to drink after his demotion. Collingswood curt reply was an way to answer his commanders doubt without 'calling him out'.
I'm a Luna-tic and more importantly a JESUS-tic.
It's the Bible, you get credit for trying!
More conjecture:
Thursday's foolishness and recklessness gained him glory, while Collingwod's common sense may have seemed like cowardice, for which he was vilified.
It looked to me like Collingwood was a recovering alcoholic while Thursday was a closet alcoholic.
> There was obviously some history between these two characters, but what was it?
-Collingwood is a former alcoholic, as many Ford heroes are.
-While Collingwood greeted Thrusday as a friend at his arrival, Thursday was stuck on discipline and ranks, treated him as a subordinate since he is the new commanding officer, then continued to rant on the "lack of discipline" in the Fort, which of course means heavy criticism on how the former commanding officer, Collingwood, used to run the Fort. That is quite obviously insulting.
In the climactic battle scene when Thursday reunites with his rapidly dwindling command, Collingwood quips something like "This time you're the one who's late, Owen!" Perhaps in earlier combat Collingwood did not bring his unit into battle when expected. It may have appeared to others that he failed to carry out a combat assignment.
In an earlier scene Collingwood is bitter because he "knows what the Army thinks of me." Someone consoles him with "Yes, but you know what the men think of you." Whatever his superiors think of him, the implication is that the enlisted men think he is a stand-up guy.
The Army may have had a higher opinion of his abilities than he thought. As he is going into the final battle the telegram arrives with his transfer orders to become an instructor at West Point. I imagine that's an assignment they don't give out to just anybody.
Cheers,
There's no such thing as a former alcoholic!
If you are an alcoholic, you are one for life.
Collingwood if he does have a problem, and as he does drink at the supper party, is what is known as an Active Alcoholic.
Since this film is loosely based on Custer, I wonder if some incident in Custer's history on the plains may shed light on the subject. I read "Son of the Morning Star" some years ago & most of the facts are a little hazy. I am presently reading "Touched by Fire", a book about Custer by Louise Barnett. I have just started it & only gotten to Custer's early years in Kansas. Maybe something will pop out as I read it. Of course, it could to refer to an incident during the Civil War. Just some thoughts.
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