Cinema and television about the American Civil War
Encyclopedia
Before 1920
- Barbara Frietchie: The Story of a Patriotic American Woman (1908)
- The Guerrilla (1908)
- The FugitiveThe Fugitive (1910 film)The Fugitive is a 1910 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive at the film archive of the Library of Congress and at George Eastman House.-Cast:* Kate Bruce - Confederate Mother* Edward Dillon - John, Confederate Son* Clara T...
(1910) - The House with Closed ShuttersThe House with Closed ShuttersThe House with Closed Shutters is a 1910 drama film directed by D.W. Griffith. Prints of the film exist in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art, George Eastman House and the Library of Congress. -Cast:* Henry B...
(1910) - In the Border StatesIn the Border StatesIn the Border States is a 1910 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive in the film archives of the Museum of Modern Art and the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Charles West - Young Father* Charles Arling...
(1910) - The Battle (1911), directed by D.W. Griffith
- His Trust FulfilledHis Trust FulfilledHis Trust Fulfilled is a 1911 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of this film survive in the film archives of the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art.-Cast:* Wilfred Lucas - George* Claire McDowell - Mrs...
(1911) - Railroad Raiders of '62 (1911)
- Swords and HeartsSwords and Hearts- Cast :*Wilfred Lucas as Hugh Frazier*Claire McDowell as Irene Lambert*Dorothy West as Jenny Baker*William J. Butler as Old Ben*Charles West as The Suitor*Francis J. Grandon as Jennie's Father*Verner Clarges as Hugh's Father...
(1911) - For Her SakeFor Her SakeFor Her Sake is a 1911 American silent short war romance film. The film starred William Garwood as a confederate soldier in love....
(1911) - Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight (1912)
- The InformerThe Informer (1912 film)The Informer is a 1912 drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film survive at the film archive of the Library of Congress.-Cast:* Walter Miller - The Confederate Captain* Mary Pickford - The Confederate Captain's Sweetheart* Henry B...
(1912) - The LieThe Lie (1912 film)The Lie is a silent war drama/romance motion picture short starring King Baggot and Lottie Briscoe.Directed by King Baggot and William Robert Daly and produced by Carl Laemmle's IMP Studios, the screenplay was written by A. Castlebaum.-Cast:...
(1912) - The Seventh Son (1912)
- The Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg (1913 film)The Battle of Gettysburg is a 1913 silent drama film directed by Charles Giblyn and Thomas H. Ince. The film is now considered to be lost, although some battlefield footage was used by Mack Sennett in his comedy Cohen Saves the Flag, which was shot on location alongside this production. However...
(1913) - The Battle of Shiloh (1913)
- The Price of Victory (1913)
- The Seed of the Fathers (1913)
- Dan (1914)
- The Sleeping SentinelThe Sleeping SentinelThe Sleeping Sentinel is a 1914 American black-and-white silent film that depicted President Abraham Lincoln pardoning a military sentry who had been sentenced to die for sleeping while on duty....
(1914) - Barbara Frietchie (1915)
- The Birth of a NationThe Birth of a NationThe Birth of a Nation is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay , and co-produced the film . It was released on February 8, 1915...
(1915), also known as The Clansmen, controversial film directed by D.W. Griffith - Colonel Carter of Cartersville (1915)
- The CowardThe Coward (1915 film)The Coward is a 1915 film produced by Thomas H. Ince. Set during the Civil War, the film stars Frank Keenan as a Virginia colonel and Charles Ray as his weak-willed son. The son is forced, at gunpoint, by his father to enlist in the Confederate army. He is terrified by the war and deserts during...
(1915) - According to the Code (1916)
- Her Father's Son (1916)
- Naked HeartsNaked HeartsNaked Hearts is a 1966 French drama film directed by Édouard Luntz. It was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Gérard Zimmermann - Zim* Marise Maire - Jacqueline* Eric Penet - Jean-Pierre* Françoise Bonneau - Patricia...
(1916) - The Sting of Victory (1916)
- The Blood of His Fathers (1917)
- The Field of Honor (1917)
- The Lincoln Cycle (1917)
- The Spreading DawnThe Spreading DawnThe Spreading Dawn is a 1917 silent film drama produced by Samuel Goldwyn in his first year of producing independently in his own studio and starring Broadway stage star Jane Cowl in her second and final silent. It was directed by Laurence Trimble, the then husband of Cowl's stage writing partner...
(1917) - Hearts of Love (1918)
- The Last RebelThe Last RebelThe Last Rebel is the seventh studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 1993.-Track listing:# "Good Lovin's Hard to Find" – 3:55...
(1918) - Morgan's Raiders (1918)
- The Scarlet DropThe Scarlet DropThe Scarlet Drop is a 1918 Western film directed by John Ford and featuring Harry Carey. Just over 30 minutes of footage of the film now survives in the Getty Images Archive.-Cast:* Harry Carey - 'Kaintuck' Harry Ridge* Molly Malone - Molly Calvert...
(1918) - The Son of Democracy (1918)
- Miss Dulcie from Dixie (1918)
- Hay Foot, Straw Foot (1919)
- Secret Service (1919)
1920s
- The Copperhead (1920)
- Held by the Enemy (1920)
- Hitchin' PostsHitchin' PostsHitchin' Posts is a 1920 drama film directed by John Ford. The film is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Frank Mayo - Jefferson Todd* Beatrice Burnham - Barbara Brereton* C.E. Anderson - Captain of steamer* Matthew Biddulph - Maj. Grey...
(1920) - The Kentucky Colonel (1920)
- The Little Shepherd of Kingdom ComeThe Little Shepherd of Kingdom ComeThe Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come is a 1961 film directed by Andrew McLaglen. It stars Jimmie Rodgers and Luana Patten. It is based on the 1903 novel of the same title by John Fox, Jr.-Cast:*Jimmie Rodgers as Chad*Luana Patten as Melissa Turner...
(1920) - The Highest LawThe Highest LawThe Highest Law is the debut album by the Japanese thrash metal band Ritual Carnage. It was released in 1998 by Osmose Productions.-Track listing:# "Servant of the Black" – 3:47# "The Unjust" – 2:48# "Succumb to the Beast" – 2:19...
(1921) - Johnny Ring and the Captain's Sword (1921)
- Grandma's BoyGrandma's Boy (1922 film)Grandma's Boy is a 1922 Family comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. The film was highly influential, helping to pioneer feature-length comedies which combined gags with character development.-Plot:...
(1922) - Barbara Frietchie (1924)
- The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924)
- The Warrens of VirginiaThe Warrens of Virginia (1924 film)The Warrens of Virginia is a 1924 drama film directed by Elmer Clifton. It was produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation.-Plot:As the American Civil War begins, Ned Burton leaves his Southern love, Agatha Warren, and joins the Union army...
(1924) - Hands Up!Hands Up! (1926 film)Hands Up! is a silent comedy film directed by Clarence Badger, co-written by Monte Brice and Lloyd Corrigan, and starring Raymond Griffith, one of the great silent movie comedians.-Plot:...
(1926) - The GeneralThe General (1927 film)The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film released by United Artists inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, which happened in 1862. Buster Keaton starred in the film and co-directed it with Clyde Bruckman...
(1927), film by Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
about The Great Locomotive Chase - The Heart of MarylandThe Heart of MarylandThe Heart of Maryland is a silent 1927 costume drama produced and distributed by Warner Brothers and directed by Lloyd Bacon. The film stars Dolores Costello in the title character. This film is the last silent version of the oft filmed Victorian story with versions having been produced in 1915 and...
(1927) - Court-MartialCourt-martialA court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
(1928) - Morgan's Last Raid (1929)
- The Overland Telegraph (1929)
1930s
- Only the BraveOnly the BraveOnly the Brave is a 2006 independent film about the 100th Infantry Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, a segregated World War II fighting unit completely made up of Japanese Americans, which for its size and length service became the most decorated unit in U.S. military history...
(1930) - Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln (film)Abraham Lincoln, also released under the title D. W. Griffith's 'Abraham Lincoln', is a biographical film about American president Abraham Lincoln directed by D. W. Griffith. It stars Walter Huston as Lincoln and Una Merkel, in her first talking role, as Ann Rutledge...
(1930) - Little WomenLittle WomenLittle Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott . The book was written and set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts. It was published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869...
(1933Little Women (1933 film)Little Women is a 1933 American drama film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay by Sarah Y. Mason and Victor Heerman is based on the classic novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott...
, 1949Little Women (1949 film)Little Women directed by Mervyn LeRoy is based on Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Sally Benson, Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason, and Andrew Solt...
, 1978Little Women (1978 film)For other motion pictures of this title, see Little Women Little Women is a 1978 romantic family drama television film directed by David Lowell Rich and based upon Louisa May Alcott's novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Suzanne Clauser...
, 1994Little Women (1994 film)Little Women is a 1994 American drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on the Louisa May Alcott novel of the same name. It is the fifth feature film adaptation of the Alcott classic, following silent versions released in 1917 and 1918, a 1933 George...
), adaptations of the book written by Louisa May AlcottLouisa May AlcottLouisa May Alcott was an American novelist. She is best known for the novel Little Women and its sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys. Little Women was set in the Alcott family home, Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, and published in 1868... - Operator 13Operator 13-Plot:The Civil War, shortly after the Battle of Bull Run, the Union forces are in retreat. In a US Military Hospital, the Pauline Cushman Players are performing for wounded soldiers...
(1934) - The Littlest RebelThe Littlest RebelThe Littlest Rebel is a 1935 American dramatic film directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Edwin J. Burke was adapted from a play of the same name by Edward Peple and focuses on the tribulations of a plantation-owning family during the American Civil War...
(1935), starring Shirley TempleShirley TempleShirley Temple Black , born Shirley Jane Temple, is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia... - So Red the Rose (1935)
- Uncivil WarriorsUncivil WarriorsUncivil Warriors is the eighth short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1935), a comedy starring The Three Stooges - The Prisoner of Shark IslandThe Prisoner of Shark IslandThe Prisoner of Shark Island is a 1936 film loosely based on the life of Samuel Mudd, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, directed by John Ford, and starring Warner Baxter and Gloria Stuart.-Plot:...
(1936), a film about alleged Lincoln assassination co-conspirator Samuel MuddSamuel MuddSamuel Alexander Mudd I, M.D. was an American physician who was convicted and imprisoned for aiding and conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the 1865 assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. He was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson and released from prison in 1869... - General SpankyGeneral SpankyGeneral Spanky is a 1936 American comedy film produced by Hal Roach. A spin-off of Roach's popular Our Gang short subjects, the film stars George "Spanky" McFarland, Phillips Holmes, Rosina Lawrence, Billie "Buckwheat" Thomas, and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer...
(1936), a comedy starring Our GangOur GangOur Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
. - Hearts in BondageHearts in Bondage- Cast :*James Dunn as Lieutenant Kenneth Reynolds*Mae Clarke as Constance Jordan*David Manners as Raymond Jordan*Charlotte Henry as Julie Buchanan*Henry B. Walthall as Captain Buchanan*Fritz Leiber as Captain John Ericsson*George Irving as Commodore Jordan...
(1936) - Trailin' West (1936)
- Under Southern StarsUnder Southern StarsUnder Southern Stars is an Australian patriotic song with lyrics written by former Australian immigration minister and Senator Amanda Vanstone...
(1937) - Western Gold (1937)
- John Ericsson - segraren vid Hampton Roads (1937), film about the inventor of the USS MonitorUSS MonitorUSS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
, John EricssonJohn EricssonJohn Ericsson was a Swedish-American inventor and mechanical engineer, as was his brother Nils Ericson. He was born at Långbanshyttan in Värmland, Sweden, but primarily came to be active in England and the United States... - Strange Glory (1938)
- Lincoln in the White House (1939)
- The Arizona KidThe Arizona KidThe Arizona Kid is a 1939 American western film directed by Joseph Kane under the Republic Pictures banner. The film stars Roy Rogers as a Confederate officer in Missouri during the American Civil War.-Cast:*Roy Rogers ... Roy Rogers...
(1939) - Gone with the WindGone with the Wind (film)Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(1939), romance starring Vivien LeighVivien LeighVivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
and Clark GableClark GableWilliam Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
, featuring life before and after the Battle of AtlantaBattle of AtlantaThe Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
1940s
- ColoradoColorado (1940 film)Colorado is a 1940 American Western film directed by Joseph Kane and starring Roy Rogers.-Cast:*Roy Rogers as Lieutenant Jerry Burke*George 'Gabby' Hayes as 'Gabby' Whittaker*Pauline Moore as Lylah Sanford...
(1940) - Dark CommandDark CommandDark Command is a 1940 western film starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne and Walter Pidgeon loosely based on Quantrill's Raiders in the American Civil War. Directed by Raoul Walsh from the novel by W.R...
(1940) - Santa Fe TrailSanta Fe Trail (film)Santa Fe Trail is a 1940 western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. The film was one of the top-grossing films of the year, being the seventh Flynn-de Havilland collaboration. The film also has nothing to do with its namesake, the famed Santa Fe Trail...
(1940), drama starring Errol FlynnErrol FlynnErrol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
about the life of J.E.B. StuartJ.E.B. StuartJames Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart was a U.S. Army officer from Virginia and a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb", from the initials of his given names. Stuart was a cavalry commander known for his mastery of reconnaissance and the use... - Swanee RiverSwanee River (film)Swanee River is a biopic about Stephen Foster, a songwriter from Pittsburgh who falls in love with the South, marries a Southern girl, then is accused of sympathizing when the Civil War breaks out...
(1940), a biopic about American composer Stephen FosterStephen FosterStephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century... - Belle StarrBelle StarrMyra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr , better known as Belle Starr, was a notorious American outlaw.-Early life:...
(1941) - They Died With Their Boots OnThey Died with Their Boots OnThey Died with Their Boots On is a 1941 western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland. Despite being rife with historical inaccuracies, the film was one of the top-grossing films of the year, being the last of eight Flynn–de Havilland collaborations.Like...
(1941), biopic about General George Custer - Oklahoma Raiders (1944)
- Raiders of Ghost CityRaiders of Ghost CityRaiders of Ghost City is a Universal movie serial.-Cast:* Dennis Moore as Captain Steve Clark* Wanda McKay as Cathy Haines* Lionel Atwill as Erich von Rugen, alias Alex Morel* Joe Sawyer as Idaho Jones* Regis Toomey as Captain Clay Randolph...
(1944) - Uncivil War BirdsUncivil War BirdsUncivil War Birds is the 90th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges . The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.-Plot:...
(1946), a Three StoogesThree StoogesThe Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
film - Mourning Becomes ElectraMourning Becomes Electra (film)Mourning Becomes Electra is a 1947 American film by Dudley Nichols adapted from the 1931 Eugene O'Neill play of the same title. The film stars Rosalind Russell, Michael Redgrave, Raymond Massey, Katina Paxinou, Leo Genn and Kirk Douglas....
(1947) - A Southern YankeeA Southern YankeeA Southern Yankee is an American comedy film, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Red Skelton and Arlene Dahl, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A semi-remake of Buster Keaton's The General , Skelton plays a Union soldier who spies for the Confederacy during the American Civil War....
(1948), comedy - Tap RootsTap RootsTap Roots is a 1948 period film set during the American Civil War. It is very loosely based on the true life story of Newton Knight, a farm owner who attempted to secede Jones County from Mississippi....
(1948), drama
1950s
- The Outriders (1950)
- Rocky MountainRocky Mountain (film)Rocky Mountain is a 1950 war film directed by William Keighley and starring Errol Flynn. It takes place during the American Civil War.-Plot:...
(1950) - Two Flags WestTwo Flags WestTwo Flags West is a 1950 Western drama set during the American Civil War, directed by Robert Wise and starring Joseph Cotton, Jeff Chandler, Linda Darnell, and Cornell Wilde...
(1950) - The Last Outpost (1951)
- The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage (film)The Red Badge of Courage is a 1951 war film made by MGM. It was directed by John Huston and produced by Gottfried Reinhardt with Dore Schary as executive producer. The screenplay is by John Huston, adapted by Albert Band from the Stephen Crane novel of the same name. The cinematography is by...
(1951), adapted from the novelThe Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane . Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound—a "red badge of courage"—to...
by Stephen CraneStephen CraneStephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism... - Red Mountain (1951)
- The Redhead and the CowboyThe Redhead and the CowboyThe Redhead and the Cowboy is a 1951 western movie starring Glenn Ford. Directed by Leslie Fenton.- Synopsis :Gil Kyle finds himself caught up in the politics and unrest of the American Civil War and soon gets himself framed for a murder...
(1951) - Silver CanyonSilver CanyonSilver Canyon is a novel written by Louis L'Amour set in south-central Utah Territory in 1881. It was originally published in a shorter version, named Riders of the Dawn, in the magazine Giant Western in June 1951, and then published in hardback in 1956 by Bouregy and Curl and in paperback by...
(1951) - I Dream of Jeanie (1952), remake of Swanee RiverSwanee River (film)Swanee River is a biopic about Stephen Foster, a songwriter from Pittsburgh who falls in love with the South, marries a Southern girl, then is accused of sympathizing when the Civil War breaks out...
- Springfield RifleSpringfield Rifle (1952 film)Springfield Rifle is a western film, directed by Andre de Toth and released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1952. The film is set during the American Civil War and stars Gary Cooper in the lead role as Major Alex Kearney. Phyllis Thaxter played the lead female role as Erin Kearney. The film also...
(1952) - Escape from Fort BravoEscape from Fort BravoEscape from Fort Bravo is a 1953 western film set during the American Civil War. It stars William Holden, Eleanor Parker, and John Forsythe.-Plot:...
(1953) - Kansas PacificKansas Pacific (film)Kansas Pacific is a 1953 U.S. Cinecolor western film released by Allied Artists Pictures and directed by Ray Nazarro. It stars Sterling Hayden and Eve Miller. The movie offers a fictionalized account of the struggle to build the Kansas Pacific Railway in the 1860s during the American Civil War...
(1953) - Rebel City (1953)
- A Time Out of WarA Time Out of WarA Time Out of War is a 1954 short war film directed by Denis Sanders. It won an Academy Award in 1955 for Best Short Subject , first prize at the Venice Film Festival Live Action Short Film category, and a special BAFTA Award....
(1954) - The Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg (1955 film)The Battle of Gettysburg is a 1955 American documentary film about the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards....
(1955), documentary - Five Guns WestFive Guns WestFive Guns West is a 1955 Western film set during the American Civil War directed by Roger Corman....
(1955) - YellowneckYellowneckYellowneck is a 1955 American film directed by R. John Hugh that told the story of five deserters from the Confederate Army who make their way past the Everglades and angry Seminole Indians, in an attempt to get to the Florida coast and then to Cuba....
(1955) - Friendly PersuasionFriendly Persuasion (film)Friendly Persuasion is a 1956 Civil War film starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert Middleton and Phyllis Love. The screenplay was adapted by Michael Wilson from the 1945 novel The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West, and was directed by William Wyler...
(1956), Palme d'OrPalme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
-winning film starring Gary CooperGary CooperFrank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made... - The Great Locomotive ChaseThe Great Locomotive Chase (film)The Great Locomotive Chase is a 1956 Walt Disney Productions CinemaScope adventure film based on the real Great Locomotive Chase that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War. The film stars Fess Parker as James J...
(1956), second film about The Great Locomotive Chase - Band of AngelsBand of AngelsBand of Angels is a 1957 romantic drama film set in the American South before and during the American Civil War, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Penn Warren. It starred Clark Gable, Yvonne De Carlo, and Sidney Poitier. The movie was directed by Raoul Walsh.-Plot:Amantha Starr is the...
(1957) - Raintree CountyRaintree County (film)Raintree County is a 1957 Technicolor film drama about the American Civil War. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Eva Marie Saint, and Lee Marvin....
(1957) - The True Story of the Civil WarThe True Story of the Civil WarThe True Story of the Civil War is a 1956 short documentary film directed by Louis Clyde Stoumen. It won an Academy Award in 1957 for Documentary Short Subject.-External links:...
(1957), documentary - The Horse SoldiersThe Horse SoldiersThe Horse Soldiers is a 1959 DeLuxe Color war film, set in the American Civil War, directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, William Holden and Constance Towers...
(1959), western, starring John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
, based on the Grierson's RaidGrierson's RaidGrierson's Raid was a Union cavalry raid during the Vicksburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It ran from April 17 to May 2, 1863, as a diversion from Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's main attack plan on Vicksburg, Mississippi....
in the Vicksburg CampaignVicksburg CampaignThe Vicksburg Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi River. The Union Army of the Tennessee under Maj. Gen....
and the Battle of Newton's StationBattle of Newton's StationThe Battle of Newton's Station was an engagement on April 24, 1863, in Newton's Station, Mississippi, during Grierson's Raid of the American Civil War.... - The Jayhawkers!The Jayhawkers!The Jayhawkers! is a movie set in pre-Civil War Kansas starring Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker, and directed by Melvin Frank.-Cast:Jeff Chandler ... Luke Darcy Fess Parker ... Cam Bleeker Nicole Maurey ... Jeanne Dubois Henry Silva ... Lordan...
(1959)
1960s
- Mysterious IslandMysterious Island (1961 film)Mysterious Island is a 1961 film released by Morningside Productions. Based very loosely upon the novel The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, the film was produced by Charles H. Schneer and Ray Harryhausen. Directed by Cy Endfield, it was released through Columbia Pictures...
(1961) - How the West Was WonHow the West Was Won (film)How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film. The picture was one of the last "old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean...
(1962) - An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1962), French short film that won awards at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and the Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers... - Au coeur de la vie (1963)
- Johnny Shiloh (TV) (1963), "Disneyland" film about drummer boy John ClemJohn ClemJohn Lincoln Clem was a United States Army general who had served as a drummer boy in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He gained fame for his bravery on the battlefield, becoming the youngest noncommissioned officer in Army history. He retired from the Army in 1915, having attained the...
- Major DundeeMajor DundeeMajor Dundee is a 1965 Western film written by Harry Julian Fink and directed by Sam Peckinpah. It starred Charlton Heston and Richard Harris as officers from opposing sides in the American Civil War who band together to hunt down a band of Apaches....
(1965) - ShenandoahShenandoah (film)Shenandoah is a 1965 American Civil War film starring James Stewart, Doug McClure, Glenn Corbett, Patrick Wayne, and Katharine Ross. The picture was directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Though set during the American Civil War, the film's strong antiwar and humanitarian themes resonated with audiences...
(1965) - Alvarez KellyAlvarez KellyAlvarez Kelly is a 1966 war film set in the American Civil War. It starred William Holden and Richard Widmark. The film was based on the real-life Beefsteak Raid of September 1864.-Plot:...
(1966) - The Good, the Bad and the UglyThe Good, the Bad and the UglyThe Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a 1966 Italian epic spaghetti western film directed by Sergio Leone, starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in the title roles. The screenplay was written by Age & Scarpelli, Luciano Vincenzoni and Leone, based on a story by Vincenzoni and Leone...
(1966), western, directed by Sergio LeoneSergio LeoneSergio Leone was an Italian film director, producer and screenwriter most associated with the "Spaghetti Western" genre.Leone's film-making style includes juxtaposing extreme close-up shots with lengthy long shots...
and starring Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, that involves an encounter with both UnionUnion (American Civil War)During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and ConfederateConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
forces - A Time for KillingA Time for KillingA Time for Killing is a 1967 Western film started by Roger Corman but finished by Phil Karlson, and starring Glenn Ford, George Hamilton and Inger Stevens....
(1967) - Journey to Shiloh (1968)
- The UndefeatedThe Undefeated (1969 film)The Undefeated is a 1969 American Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and John Wayne and starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson. The film portrays events surrounding the French Intervention in Mexico and is also loosely based on General J. O...
(1969), western, starring John WayneJohn WayneMarion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
and Rock HudsonRock HudsonRoy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
1970s
- The Andersonville TrialThe Andersonville TrialThe Andersonville Trial was a television adaptation of a 1959 hit Broadway play by Saul Levitt, presented as an episode of PBS's 1970-71 season of Hollywood Television Theatre....
(TV) (1971) - The BeguiledThe BeguiledThe Beguiled is a 1971 drama film directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page. The script was written by Albert Maltz and is based on the 1966 Southern Gothic novel written by Thomas P. Cullinan, originally titled A Painted Devil...
(1971) - The Outlaw Josey WalesThe Outlaw Josey WalesThe Outlaw Josey Wales is a 1976 American revisionist Western film set during and after the end of the American Civil War. It was directed by and starred Clint Eastwood , with Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Sam Bottoms, and Geraldine Keams.The film was adapted by Sonia Chernus and Philip Kaufman...
(1976), Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
film about guerrilla warfare in Missouri
1980s and 1990s
- The Shadow RidersThe Shadow Riders (film)The Shadow Riders is a 1982 television film western that first aired in the United States on September 28, 1982. It is based on the novel of the same name by Louis L'Amour, and is directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. The movie reunites actors Tom Selleck, Sam Elliot, and Jeff Osterhage, who also starred...
(1982) made for television film, starring Tom SelleckTom SelleckThomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
and Sam ElliottSam ElliottSamuel Pack "Sam" Elliott is an American actor. His rangy physique, thick horseshoe moustache, and deep, resonant voice match the iconic image of a cowboy or rancher, and he has often been cast in such roles.-Early life:Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, to a physical training... - Glory (1989), drama, starring Matthew BroderickMatthew BroderickMatthew Broderick is an American film and stage actor who, among other roles, played the title character in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Adult Simba in The Lion King film series, and Leo Bloom in the film and Broadway productions of The Producers.He has won two Tony Awards, one in 1983 for his...
and Denzel WashingtonDenzel WashingtonDenzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
, about the African-American 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryThe 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War... - Across Five AprilsAcross Five AprilsAcross Five Aprils is a novel by Irene Hunt, set in the Civil War era. Jethro Creighton, the main character, was Irene Hunt's real grandfather. He told her the stories, and she incorporated them into Across Five Aprils.-Plot summary:...
(1990) - Dances With WolvesDances with WolvesDances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
(1990) - IroncladsIronclads (film)Ironclads is a 1991 made-for-television movie produced by Ted Turner's TNT company about the events behind the creation of the CSS Virginia from the remains of the USS Merrimack and the battle between the Virginia and the USS Monitor in the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8, 1862-March 9, 1862...
(1991), made-for-TV drama about the ironclad warships CSS VirginiaCSS VirginiaCSS Virginia was the first steam-powered ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy, built during the first year of the American Civil War; she was constructed as a casemate ironclad using the raised and cut down original lower hull and steam engines of the scuttled . Virginia was one of the...
and the USS MonitorUSS MonitorUSS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
, which clashed at the Battle of Hampton RoadsBattle of Hampton RoadsThe Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as either the Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack or the Battle of Ironclads, was the most noted and arguably most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies... - Gettysburg (1993), war film featuring Tom BerengerTom BerengerTom Berenger is an American actor known mainly for his roles in action films.-Early life:Berenger was born as Thomas Michael Moore in Chicago to an Irish Catholic family. Berenger's father was a printer for the Chicago Sun-Times. Berenger has a sister, Susan...
and Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
about the Battle of GettysburgBattle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac... - Ghost BrigadeGhost BrigadeGhost Brigade is a 1993 supernatural horror film set during American Civil War and directed by George Hickenlooper. Starring Corbin Bernsen, Adrian Pasdar, and Martin Sheen, the film was also released under the alternate titles The Killing Box and Grey Knight.-Synopsis:When slave traders bring back...
(1993) - SommersbySommersbySommersby is a 1993 romantic drama film directed by Jon Amiel and starring Richard Gere, Jodie Foster, Bill Pullman and James Earl Jones.Set in the Reconstruction period following the U.S...
(1993) - Ozarks: Legacy and Legend (1995)
- AndersonvilleAndersonville (film)Andersonville is a film directed by John Frankenheimer about a group of Union soldiers during the American Civil War who are captured by the Confederates and sent to an infamous Confederate prison camp....
(1996), television film about the notorious Andersonville prison camp - The Tempest (1998), TV adaptation of the Shakespeare play set in the Civil War
- The HunleyThe HunleyThe Hunley is a 1999 television movie directed by John Gray and starring Armand Assante, Donald Sutherland, Alex Jennings, Michael Dolan and Christopher Bauer. The film is based on the true story of the H. L. Hunley submarine and the Action of 17 February 1864....
(TV) (1999), film about the Confederate submarine H. L. HunleyH. L. Hunley (submarine)H. L. Hunley was a submarine of the Confederate States of America that played a small part in the American Civil War, but a large role in the history of naval warfare. The Hunley demonstrated both the advantages and the dangers of undersea warfare... - Ride with the Devil (1999), Ang LeeAng LeeAng Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
film about the guerrilla battles in Kansas and Missouri between the jayhawkers and the bushwhackers
2000s
- Wicked SpringWicked SpringWicked Spring is a 2002 war drama film directed, produced, and written by Kevin Hershberger. The film focuses on a Confederate soldier in 1864, Harrison Bolding , lost in the Battle of the Wilderness at night with two other soldiers from his company...
(2002) - Gangs of New YorkGangs of New YorkGangs of New York is a 2002 historical film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian, and Kenneth Lonergan. The film was inspired by Herbert Asbury's 1928 nonfiction book, The Gangs of New...
(2002), drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
, about the New York Draft RiotsNew York Draft RiotsThe New York City draft riots were violent disturbances in New York City that were the culmination of discontent with new laws passed by Congress to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots were the largest civil insurrection in American history apart from the Civil War itself... - The Miracle Men (2002)
- Gods and GeneralsGods and Generals (film)Gods and Generals is a 2003 American film based on the novel Gods and Generals by Jeffrey Shaara. It depicts events that take place prior to those shown in the 1993 film Gettysburg, which was based on The Killer Angels, a novel by Shaara's father, Michael...
(2003), prequel to Gettysburg and covers the battles of First Bull RunFirst Battle of Bull RunFirst Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
, FredericksburgBattle of FredericksburgThe Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, between General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside...
, and ChancellorsvilleBattle of ChancellorsvilleThe Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on... - Cold MountainCold Mountain (film)Cold Mountain is a 2003 war drama film written and directed by Anthony Minghella. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Charles Frazier...
(2003), drama, starring Jude LawJude LawDavid Jude Heyworth Law , known professionally as Jude Law, is an English actor, film producer and director.He began acting with the National Youth Music Theatre in 1987, and had his first television role in 1989...
and Nicole KidmanNicole KidmanNicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
, that features the Battle of the CraterBattle of the CraterThe Battle of the Crater was a battle of the American Civil War, part of the Siege of Petersburg. It took place on July 30, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee and the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General George G. Meade The...
and aftermath of the war - C.S.A.: The Confederate States of AmericaC.S.A.: The Confederate States of AmericaC.S.A.: The Confederate States of America is a 2004 mockumentary directed by Kevin Willmott. It is a fictional "tongue-in-cheek" account of an alternate history, in which the Confederates won the American Civil War, establishing the new Confederate States of America...
(2004), alternative history film which speculates what would happen had the South won the Civil War - Dead BirdsDead Birds (2004 film)Dead Birds is a 2004 American horror film directed by Alex Turner.-Synopsis:A handful of thieves discover that they have more to worry about than the law in this independent horror story, set during the American Civil War.-Plot:...
(2004) - The ColtThe Colt (film)The Colt is a 2005 television movie made for Hallmark Channel. The film is set during the American Civil War, and is based on the short story by Nobel Prize winner Mikhail Sholokhov.-Plot:...
(2005), drama, starring Ryan MerrimanRyan MerrimanRyan Earl Merriman is an American actor. He began his acting career as a child actor during the mid-1990s and has appeared in several feature films and television shows.-Background:...
, features Battle of the WildernessBattle of the WildernessThe Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by... - Prairie Rose (2006)
- 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America is a ten-hour, ten-part television miniseries that aired on the History Channel from April 9 through April 13, 2006. The material was later adapted and published as a book by the same title.-Overview:...
(2006), TV, recounting the Battle of AntietamBattle of AntietamThe Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000... - Freedom (2007)
- The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert AdamsThe Last Confederate: The Story of Robert AdamsThe Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams is a 2007 film, starring Julian Adams, Amy Redford, Mickey Rooney, Tippi Hedren about the life of Confederate Captain Robert Adams II. It was released in 2007 by ThinkFilm, and garnered 10 awards on the film festival circuit.-External links:**** *...
(2007) - Sons of Virginia (2007)
- Dog JackDog JackDog Jack is a 2010 film based on the book of the same name by Florence W. Biros.The story revolves around an escaped slave boy named Jed who joins the 102nd Pennsylvania Regiment during the American Civil War...
(2009)
Television shows and miniseries
- RootsRoots (TV miniseries)Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
(1977) - The Blue and the Gray (1982), TV miniseries
- Civil War CombatCivil War CombatCivil War Combat was a series hosted by The History Channel in 1999 to 2003. It described battles of the American Civil War in a graphic, realistic level...
- Grey Ghost
- North and SouthNorth and South (TV miniseries)North and South is the title of three American television miniseries broadcast on the ABC network in 1985, 1986, and 1994. Set before, during, and immediately after the American Civil War, they are based on the 1980s trilogy of novels North and South by John Jakes. The 1985 first installment, North...
(Book I - November 3, 1985 Book II - May 4, 1986 Book III - February 27, 1994) - The AmericansThe Americans (TV series)The Americans was a television series broadcast in the United States by NBC-TV in 1961, about the American Civil War as seen through the eyes of brothers on opposite sides of the conflict.- Background :...
(1961), TV series
Documentaries
- The Battle of GettysburgThe Battle of Gettysburg (1955 film)The Battle of Gettysburg is a 1955 American documentary film about the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards....
(1955) - The Civil War (first broadcast on PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
from September 23 to Thursday, September 27, 1990) - The Great Battles of the Civil War (TV series 1994)
- Sherman's MarchSherman's March (2007 film)Sherman's March is a 2007 American Civil War television documentary first aired on the History Channel. The film is directed by Rick King and the executive producer is Jason Williams...