Wilson (1944)

“Now I know why the Democratic Party chose a jackass for a mascot.” – Prof. Henry Holmes

Number of Times Seen – 1 (7 Oct 2013)

Brief Synopsis – The political life of the 28th US President Woodrow Wilson is told in this epic biography.

My Take on it – I have always been a history buff and have wanted to see this movie for probably over 20-25 years, but only now found it.

I must say that this movie was done very well for 1940’s standards and it is a very well done epic bio.

I truly love the way they use newspaper headlines to tell many parts of the tale.  A picture truly can tell a thousand words.  This seems to be the role Alexander Knox was born to play and he definitely gives off a very presidential aura to his character and the story itself.

The problem with this movie is that it is quite dry.  Perhaps it’s because it tries to cover so much material in 2.5 hours and it seems to be somewhat squashed together.

As an amateur presidential historian, I was giddy finally having the chance to see this.

It is rumored that this movie was the most extravagant and expensive one filmed up to that day and despite that it bombed in the theater.

It won 5 of 10 Oscars (all in technical categories).

I wonder how a Wilson biopic would look today.

Bottom Line – Well done epic, especially taking into account that it was made in 1944. Gives a clear picture of the life of Wilson. Recommended!

Rating – Globe Worthy