IMDb RATING
6.4/10
1.7K
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A chronicle of the political career of US President Woodrow Wilson.A chronicle of the political career of US President Woodrow Wilson.A chronicle of the political career of US President Woodrow Wilson.
- Won 5 Oscars
- 7 wins & 7 nominations total
Cedric Hardwicke
- Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
- (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFranklin D. Roosevelt screened the film at the Second Quebec Conference in 1944. Among those watching were Winston Churchill who was decidedly unimpressed and left early to go to bed. For his part, Roosevelt, upon seeing the part with Wilson suffering a stroke while advocating for the League of Nations, remarked, "by God, that's not going to happen to me!"
- GoofsWhen Wilson is elected governor of New Jersey, the movie states that he won all 22 counties. New Jersey has (and had in 1910) only 21 counties.
- Quotes
Professor Henry Holmes: Now I know why the Democratic Party chose a jackass for a mascot.
- ConnectionsFeatured in History Brought to Life (1950)
Featured review
"He means what he says."
Neither its quality nor its good reviews alas were sufficient to prevent this biopic being Darryl F. Zanuck's most expensive failure.
Canadian Alexander Knox was a little-known character actor when he landed the role of Woodrow Wilson and he comes through with flying colours, especially as it is far more difficult to play 'good' than 'bad'. He deservedly won a Golden Globe for his performance. Great support from Thomas Mitchell, Charles Coburn and Cedric Hardwicke who wisely avoids an American accent as Republican Henry Cabot Lodge. Mrs. Wilson the second is played by the wondrous and captivating Geraldine Fitzgerald. An Oscar was awarded to Barbara McLean for her superb editing and Leon Shamroy picked up the third of his four Oscars for his stunning cinematography.
Certain aspects of Wilson's presidency have been conveniently passed over of course, especially his support of segregation. His role in the Treaty of Versailles is ambiguous. Despite his assurances to President Clemenceau that Germany would never again be allowed to attempt world conquest it was the punitive reparations that France was allowed to impose that enabled Hitler to gain power and to make WW2 inevitable. Wilson's advocacy of The League of Nations as a means of securing world peace, although well-intentioned, turned out to be a pipedeam as that organisation proved itself utterly worthless, not unlike its successor, the so-called United Nations.
Although Wilson was no saint he was certainly a cut above the assorted crooks, charlatans, shysters and sociopaths who have inhabited the White House in recent decades.
Despite its inaccuracies as an historical record this film justifies its two and a half-hour length and is well directed by Henry King who gets the best out of his cast. Even to non-Americans who have little or no interest in the chicanery and jiggery-pokery of American politics this should still be of interest to those few who appreciate good film making.
Canadian Alexander Knox was a little-known character actor when he landed the role of Woodrow Wilson and he comes through with flying colours, especially as it is far more difficult to play 'good' than 'bad'. He deservedly won a Golden Globe for his performance. Great support from Thomas Mitchell, Charles Coburn and Cedric Hardwicke who wisely avoids an American accent as Republican Henry Cabot Lodge. Mrs. Wilson the second is played by the wondrous and captivating Geraldine Fitzgerald. An Oscar was awarded to Barbara McLean for her superb editing and Leon Shamroy picked up the third of his four Oscars for his stunning cinematography.
Certain aspects of Wilson's presidency have been conveniently passed over of course, especially his support of segregation. His role in the Treaty of Versailles is ambiguous. Despite his assurances to President Clemenceau that Germany would never again be allowed to attempt world conquest it was the punitive reparations that France was allowed to impose that enabled Hitler to gain power and to make WW2 inevitable. Wilson's advocacy of The League of Nations as a means of securing world peace, although well-intentioned, turned out to be a pipedeam as that organisation proved itself utterly worthless, not unlike its successor, the so-called United Nations.
Although Wilson was no saint he was certainly a cut above the assorted crooks, charlatans, shysters and sociopaths who have inhabited the White House in recent decades.
Despite its inaccuracies as an historical record this film justifies its two and a half-hour length and is well directed by Henry King who gets the best out of his cast. Even to non-Americans who have little or no interest in the chicanery and jiggery-pokery of American politics this should still be of interest to those few who appreciate good film making.
helpful•30
- brogmiller
- Dec 24, 2020
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $4,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 34 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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