When we first meet Tennessee Johnson, he's an ignorant hick who makes a living as a tailor. He's illiterate and never seen the need to learn, until he meets Ruth Hussey. She's a librarian with class and education, and he offers to mend her clothes for free if she'll teach him to read. It's humiliating for him to ask a woman for that kind of help, and the look in Van Heflin's eyes just breaks your heart.
Andrew Johnson's life is a truly incredible story. If you don't know anything about him, you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat. Van Heflin does a wonderful job, and as he rises higher in the social strata, you can still see his rough edges and background. He doesn't just become a politician and feel comfortable in starched collars; he remembers where he came from and feels compelled to lead the people because of the injustices all around him. It's a very layered performance, but because of the unpopularity of the president he portrays, he didn't receive any accolades or acclaim. At the Hot Toasty Rag Awards, we were proud to nominate Van for Best Actor.
Lionel Barrymore plays President Johnson's savvy nemesis, Thaddeus Stevens, and as usual, he's wonderfully likable as a villain. Even as you're rooting for Van, Lionel will make you chuckle as he snakes his way through the screen. You'll also see in the supporting cast Charles Dingle, Noah Beery, Montagu Love, Russell Hicks, Regis Tommey, Marjorie Main, Louise Beavers, and early appearances by character actors Ray Teal and Jeff Corey. I'd definitely recommend this movie if you like political biopics or dramas surrounded by the Civil War; not many have been made of Andrew Johnson.
Andrew Johnson's life is a truly incredible story. If you don't know anything about him, you'll be sitting on the edge of your seat. Van Heflin does a wonderful job, and as he rises higher in the social strata, you can still see his rough edges and background. He doesn't just become a politician and feel comfortable in starched collars; he remembers where he came from and feels compelled to lead the people because of the injustices all around him. It's a very layered performance, but because of the unpopularity of the president he portrays, he didn't receive any accolades or acclaim. At the Hot Toasty Rag Awards, we were proud to nominate Van for Best Actor.
Lionel Barrymore plays President Johnson's savvy nemesis, Thaddeus Stevens, and as usual, he's wonderfully likable as a villain. Even as you're rooting for Van, Lionel will make you chuckle as he snakes his way through the screen. You'll also see in the supporting cast Charles Dingle, Noah Beery, Montagu Love, Russell Hicks, Regis Tommey, Marjorie Main, Louise Beavers, and early appearances by character actors Ray Teal and Jeff Corey. I'd definitely recommend this movie if you like political biopics or dramas surrounded by the Civil War; not many have been made of Andrew Johnson.