This biographical movie has a scene that happens today –
January 14. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.
GEORGE WALLACE
In 1972 Governor George Wallace
of Alabama, who’s running for the Democratic presidential nomination travels to
Laurel, Maryland and is paralyzed in an assassination attempt. We flashback to
1955 when Wallace was “Big” Jim Folsom’s successful gubernatorial campaign
manager. Folsom is a liberal on race matters and Wallace is his political
heir. In 1958 Wallace runs an
economically progressive campaign, but the KKK supports the other more racist
candidate and he loses and to top it off his wife, Lurleen, wants to leave him.
We flash forward to Wallace’s inauguration as governor on January 14, 1963
where he says, “Segregation Today, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever”.
[1:01:17 to 1:14:20] Wallace became the pro-segregation candidate and convinced
his wife to stay. He calls out state troopers against demonstrations led by Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. in Birmingham. Wallace tells the US Attorney General
“Bobbie” Kennedy that he will oppose the integration of the University of
Alabama. Wallace makes his infamous ‘stand in the doorway’. His speech at Harvard University causes a
riot. Wallace thinks the Sixth St. church bombing was caused by civil rights agitators,
not the KKK. He again calls out the troopers to stop marchers at the Raymond
Pettus Bridge. His wife gets cancer. Wallace asks for a constitutional
amendment so he can run again, but this is refused, so his wife runs for
governor and wins, but dies in office. In 1970 he meets Cornelia Spivey whom he
marries and Wallace is elected governor again. After he is paralyzed Wallace
and his wife argue and later divorce. However, being shot causes him to have a
change of heart and revert back to his earlier views on race. Wallace tries to
apologize to “Big” Jim Folsom, whom he had spurned, but is refused. He does go
to the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, the biggest African-American church in Montgomery, and apologizes
to the members.
A good although somewhat
sanitized biopic of this controversial figure.
Carry Me Home by Diane
McWhorter (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2001) at page 311 gives the date of
his inauguration.
Producers - John Frankenheimer and Julian Krainin
Director - John Frankenheimer
Screenplay - Paul Monash and Marshall Frady
Awards - The film won the
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Sinise), Outstanding
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Winningham) and Outstanding
Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special (Frankenheimer) Emmys.
It was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
(Jolie), Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Movie, Outstanding
Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie, Outstanding Makeup for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Special and Outstanding Miniseries at the 50th
Primetime Emmy Awards.
Running Time – 2 hours 58 minutes
Released - August 24, 1997
Starring -
Gary Sinise as George Wallace
Angelina Jolie as Cornelia Wallace
Mare Winningham as Lurleen Wallace
Joe Don Baker as “Big’ Jim Folsom
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