SHENANDOAH
DIRECTED BY ANDREW V. McLAGLEN
PRODUCED BY ROBERT ARTHUR
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Information From IMDb
Plot Summary
Charlie Anderson is a farmer in Shenandoah, Virginia and finds himself
(and his family) in the middle of the Civil War.
He decides not to get involved in the war because
he believes that this is not "his" war.
But he eventually has to get involved when his youngest boy
is taken prisoner by the North.
Written by Paul T. Mason
Full Cast
James Stewart ... Charlie Anderson
Doug McClure ... Lt. Sam
Glenn Corbett ... Jacob Anderson
Patrick Wayne ... James Anderson
Rosemary Forsyth ... Jennie Anderson
Phillip Alford ... Boy Anderson
Katharine Ross ... Mrs. Ann Anderson
Charles Robinson ... Nathan Anderson
Jim McMullan ... John Anderson (as James McMullan)
Tim McIntire ... Henry Anderson
Gene Jackson ... Gabriel (as Eugene Jackson Jr.)
Paul Fix ... Dr. Tom Witherspoon
Denver Pyle ... Pastor Bjoerling
George Kennedy ... Col. Fairchild
James Best ... Carter, Rebel Soldier
Tom Simcox ... Lt. Johnson
Berkeley Harris ... Capt. Richards
Harry Carey Jr. ... Jenkins (rebel soldier)
Kevin Hagen ... Mule (rebel deserter)
Dabbs Greer ... Abernathy
Strother Martin ... Train Engineer
Kelly Thordsen ... Federal Purchasing Agent Carroll
Rayford Barnes ... Horace - Rebel Deserter (uncredited)
Lane Bradford ... Tatum (uncredited)
James Carter ... Rider with Purchasing Agents (uncredited)
John Daheim ... Federal Purchasing Agent Osborne (uncredited)
Edward Faulkner ... Union Sergeant (uncredited)
Herman Hack ... Church Member (uncredited)
James Heneghan Jr. ... Young Picket on Road (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry ... Rider with Purchasing Agents (uncredited)
Hoke Howell ... Crying Prisoner (uncredited)
Leroy Johnson ... Rider with Purchasing Agents (uncredited)
Matthew McCue ... Man in Church (uncredited)
Pae Miller ... Black Woman (uncredited)
Gregg Palmer ... Guard (uncredited)
Wayne Peters ... Confederate Corporal (uncredited)
Beverly Randolph ... Baby Martha Anderson (uncredited)
Kimberly Randolph ... Baby Martha Anderson (uncredited)
Bob Steele ... Union Train Guard (uncredited)
Peter Wayne ... Confederate Corporal (uncredited)
Henry Wills ... Rider with Purchasing Agents (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen ... Federal Purchasing Agent Marshall (uncredited)
Writing Credits
James Lee Barrett written by
Original Music
Frank Skinner
Cinematography
William H. Clothier
Trivia
The opening battle scenes are taken from Raintree County (1957) and are printed as a mirror image of the original footage. (The same scenes can also be seen in, among other films, How the West Was Won (1962).)
The movie was turned into the stage musical under the same title in 1975 starring John Cullum.
Katherine Ross' film debut.
In Disneyland's 50th fireworks show, "Remember, Dreams Come True," a portion of the music can be heard. It plays before the Frontierland sequence.
In the wedding scene, the corporal states that "the Yankees ... have broken thru at Winchester ..." That occurred on Monday, Sep. 19, 1864 (the 3rd Battle of Winchester).
Donna Theodore was nominated for the 1975 Tony Award (New York City) for Supporting or Features Actress in a Musical for "Shenandoah" in the role of Anne.
The Broadway musical based on this movie opened on January 7, 1975 at the Alvin Theater and ran for 1050 performances and received 1975 Tony Award nominations for Best Musical, Book and Score.
The train that Anderson stops is pulled by a locomotive called the 'General Gault'. The source of the name is unclear. The only noted pre-ACW military person of that name served in Napoleon's forces. A search of the web, reveals only two other Generals of that name, one from the USA (Army ?) in the 1950s and one Canadian (served in the Second World War).
Goofs
* Crew or equipment visible: During much of the farm sequences, you can see the distinct shadow of the camera.
* Factual errors: When Boy and other confederate troops are being attacked by union troops, Boy is firing a Trapdoor Springfield rifle, which was not invented until after the civil war.
* Anachronisms: There are power lines crossing the river, in the opening shot
* Revealing mistakes: When Pa Anderson first emerges from the front door of the farmhouse, he casts a shadow in two different directions on the wall behind him.
* Anachronisms: The Andersons carry repeating rifles, which were available in the 1860s, but quite expensive, and also quite rare. However, the rifles carried in the movie are of a type (with a loading gate) not invented until 1866.
* Revealing mistakes: During the boy's battle the morning after his escape from prison, you can see the bayonet of a confederate soldier wobble revealing that it is made of rubber.
* Anachronisms: In the scene in which Charlie Anderson talks to Colonel Fairchild about his mistakenly abducted son in the Union camp, there is clearly a white automobile being driven (from right to left) in the background.
* Factual errors: When Boy and Gabriel are found by the creek there is a young African-American soldier with the Union band. Then later Gabriel, a young African-American boy, is seen fighting along side Union troops. Free Blacks and former slaves did not integrate into Union regiments, but instead, served in all-Negro regiments.
* Factual errors: Sam tells the Confederate prisoners that the war is lost and to go home. However, references to both Gettysburg and Vicksburg indicate the film takes place in the summer of 1863 two years before the statement could be accurately made.
* Anachronisms: The locomotive on the train that gets burned is equipped with air brakes, which were not invented until 1872. Although the locomotive is mostly filmed at such an angle that the air brake equipment is not visible, a connecting air hose can be seen on the front when the train is stopping for the fire on the track, and whenever the train is stopped, hissing noises from the air compressor can be heard.
* Factual errors: Dr. Witherspoon tells Charlie Anderson that one of his boys fell at Gettysburg at Little Round Top. No Virginia regiments fought on Little Round Top.
* Factual errors: In the battle where Boy is wounded, the manner in which the Confederate soldier loads his weapon is wrong. He would have used paper cartridges, not separate powder and ball. Unless carrying a personally owned weapon (which he is obviously not), a soldier would not even have a powder flask.
Filming Locations
Golden Oak Ranch - 19802 Placerita Canyon Road, Newhall, California, USA
Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA
Oregon, USA
Stage 27, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA