Glory (1989)

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers (WGA):

Robert Gould Shaw (letters)
Lincoln Kirstein (book)
(more)

Release Date:

15 December 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Their innocence. Their heritage. Their lives. Nothing would be spared in the fight for their freedom.

Plot:

Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.

Plot Keywords:

Army | Prejudice | Civil War | Black Soldier | Soldier

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Matthew Broderick	...	Col. Robert Gould Shaw
Denzel Washington	...	Pvt. Trip
Cary Elwes	...	Maj. Cabot Forbes
Morgan Freeman	...	Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins
Jihmi Kennedy	...	Pvt. Jupiter Sharts
Andre Braugher	...	Cpl. Thomas Searles
John Finn	...	Sgt. Maj. Mulcahy
Donovan Leitch	...	Capt. Charles Fessenden Morse
JD Cullum	...	Henry Sturgis Russell (as John David Cullum)
Alan North	...	Gov. John Albion Andrew
Bob Gunton	...	Gen. Charles Garrison Harker
Cliff De Young	...	Col. James M. Montgomery (as Cliff DeYoung)
Christian Baskous	...	Edward L. Pierce
RonReaco Lee	...	Mute drummer boy
Jay O. Sanders	...	Gen. George Crockett Strong
Richard Riehle	...	Kendric, quatermaster
Daniel Jenkins	...	'A' Co. officer
Michael Smith Guess	...	'A' Co. soldier
Abdul Salaam El Razzac	...	'A' Co. soldier
Peter Michael Goetz	...	Francis George Shaw
Pete Munro	...	Surgeon
Benji Wilhoite	...	Young soldier at Antietam
Ethan Phillips	...	Hospital steward
Mark A. Levy	...	Bigoted soldier
Randell Haynes	...	Haggis, paymaster
Afemo Omilami	...	Tall contraband
Keith Noble	...	Short contraband
Dan Biggers	...	Minister
Marc Gowan	...	Dr. William B. Rogers
Raymond Godshall Jr.	...	Dr. Charles G. Thorpe
Bob Minor	...	Contraband soldier in Darien
Joan Riordan	...	White woman
Saundra Dunson-Franks	...	Black woman (as Saundra Franks)
Mark A. Jones	...	54th Massachusetts soldier
Peter Grandfield	...	10th Connecticut soldier
Mark Margolis	...	10th Connecticut soldier
Paul Desmond	...	10th Connecticut soldier
Tom Barrington	...	10th Connecticut soldier
Michael Fowler	...	10th Connecticut soldier
Richard Wright	...	10th Connecticut soldier
The Boys Choir of Harlem	...	Boys choir
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jane Alexander	...	Sarah Blake Sturgis Shaw (uncredited)
Frank Blair	...	Darian Farmer (uncredited)
Carla Brothers	...	Charlotte Forten (uncredited)
Bill Chemerka	...	Confederate Officer (uncredited)
Rachel Lea Grundfast	...	Ellen Shaw (uncredited)
Kevin Hershberger	...	Confederate Soldier (uncredited)
Kevin Jarre	...	10th Connecticut soldier (uncredited)
Jay Lance	...	Union Soldier (uncredited)
William Mathis	...	Union soldier (uncredited)
Bill Nunn	...	(uncredited)
Larry Peterson	...	Union Officer (uncredited)
Alejandro de Quesada	...	Confederate / Union Soldier (uncredited)
Roger Ragland	...	Cavalry officer (uncredited)
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Frederick Douglass (uncredited)
Michael Wayne Thomas	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Edward Zwick

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Gould Shaw		(letters)
Lincoln Kirstein		(book "Lay This Laurel")
Peter Burchard		(book "One Gallant Rush")
Kevin Jarre		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pieter Jan Brugge	....	co-producer
Sarah Caplan	....	associate producer
Freddie Fields	....	producer
P.K. Fields	....	associate producer (as P.K. Fields Zimmerman)
Ray Herbeck Jr.	....	associate producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Freddie Francis

Film Editing by
Steven Rosenblum

Casting by
Mary Colquhoun

Production Design by
Norman Garwood

Art Direction by
Keith Pain		(supervising art director)
Dan Webster

Set Decoration by
Garrett Lewis

Costume Design by
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

Makeup Department
Everett Burrell	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions
Elle Elliott	....	key hair stylist (as Elle Elliot)
Carl Fullerton	....	makeup department supervisor
Julian Ledger	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions
Francisco X. Pérez	....	key makeup artist (as Frank Carrisosa)
Linda Peterson	....	hair stylist
Ron Pipes	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions (as Ron Pipes II)
Sean Rodgers	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions
Mike Trcic	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions (as Michael Trcic)
Kevin Yagher	....	makeup effects creator
Mark C. Yagher	....	makeup effects crew: Kevin Yagher Productions
Vera Yurtchuk	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pieter Jan Brugge	....	unit production manager
Carol Dantuono	....	post-production supervisor (as Carol Dantuono Blake)
Tom Luse	....	assistant unit production manager
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Vebe Borge	....	second assistant director: second unit
Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr.	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Joe Caracciolo Jr.)
Karen Estelle Collins	....	additional second assistant director (as Karen E. Collins)
Skip Cosper	....	first assistant director
Douglas Dean III	....	second assistant director (as Douglas F. Dean III)
Louis D'Esposito	....	first assistant director: second unit
Dan Lerner	....	second unit director
Douglas S. Ornstein	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Doug Ornstein)
Robert Rothbard	....	second assistant director
Richard 'Dub' Wright	....	additional second assistant director (as Richard Wayde Wright)

Art Department
Guy Barnes	....	property master
Tony Belmonte	....	drapery
Kelly Farrah	....	assistant property master
Bobby Joe Garren	....	greens foreman (as Bobby Garren)
Doug Lewis	....	assistant property master (as Douglas C. Lewis)
Mike Margaros	....	labor foreman
Ben Massi	....	paint foreman (as Benny P. Massi)
Bernard Alan McPherson	....	construction foreman (as Bernie McPherson)
Alan Munro	....	production illustrater
Andrew Precht	....	assistant art director
John Root	....	sign painter
Marvin Salsberg	....	construction coordinator
Jeff Spellerberg	....	assistant property master
Mark Woods	....	lead man
Dave Barnes	....	art production assistant (uncredited)
Ken Counts	....	set constructor (uncredited)
Patrick Fuhrman	....	set dresser (uncredited)
K. Drew Fuller	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Paul Vincent Fusco	....	props (uncredited)
Scott C. Garrett	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Amy McGary	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Abbott	....	digital sound effects recordist
Bill Abbott	....	sound mixer: second unit
Albert Aquino	....	boom operator
Robert Batha	....	assistant sound editor
Bob Beher	....	assistant sound editor (as Robert Behr)
Lon Bender	....	sound designer (as Lon E. Bender)
Lon Bender	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Lon E. Bender)
Weldon Brown	....	adr mixer
James Cavarretta	....	dubbing recordist (as Jim Cavarretta)
Laurel Doran	....	foley artist
Dean Drabin	....	foley mixer
Sukey Fontelieu	....	foley supervisor
George Fredrick	....	sound editor
Scott Martin Gershin	....	sound editor
Avram D. Gold	....	sound editor (as Avram Gold)
Kevin Hearst	....	sound editor
Devon Heffley Curry	....	adr editor (as Devon Heffley-Curry)
Chris Hogan	....	digital sound editor: weapons
Alan Holly	....	foley mixer
Jack Keller	....	dubbing recordist
Chet Leonard	....	cable person
Steve Mann	....	sound editor
Joseph A. Mayer	....	adr supervisor (as Joe Mayer)
Lisa Miller	....	assistant sound editor
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist (as J. Dan O'Connell)
Kelly Oxford	....	assistant sound editor (as Kelley Oxford)
Dan M. Rich	....	sound editor (as Dan Rich)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gregg C. Rudloff)
Frank Smathers	....	sound editor
David Spence	....	sound editor
Wylie Stateman	....	digital sound effects recordist
Alicia Stevenson	....	foley artist
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kim Waugh	....	digital sound effects recordist
Russell Williams II	....	production sound mixer (as Russell Williams)
Marshall Winn	....	sound editor (as Marshall Wynn)
David W. Alstadter	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Phil Hadaway	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)
Mark Lanza	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Motyer	....	voiceover recordist (uncredited)
David Young	....	digital sound technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Phil Cory	....	special effects coordinator
Hans Metz	....	special effects supervisor (as Han's Metz)
David Simmons	....	special effects supervisor (as Dave Simmons)
Ray Svedin	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	special visual effects: Illusion Arts Inc.
Bill Taylor	....	special visual effects: Illusion Arts Inc.

Stunts
John Ashby	....	stunts
Bruce Paul Barbour	....	stunts (as Bruce Barbour)
Alex Brown	....	stunts
Alonzo Brown Jr.	....	stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Harold Burns	....	stunts
Hank Calia	....	stunts
Eric Chambers	....	stunts
Carl Ciarfalio	....	stunts
Danny Costa	....	stunts
Scott Dale	....	stunts
Gregg Dandridge	....	stunts
Vince Deadrick Sr.	....	stunts
Nick Dimitri	....	stunts
Greg Wayne Elam	....	stunts (as Greg Elam)
Ousaun Elam	....	stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Ralph Garrett	....	stunts
Jerry Gatlin	....	stunts
Dale Gibson	....	stunts
Dick Hancock	....	stunts
Clifford Happy	....	stunts
Bill Hart	....	stunts
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (as Orwin Harvey)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts
Johnny Hock	....	stunts (as John Hock Conrad)
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
Terry James	....	stunts
Jeff Jensen	....	stunts
Mike Johnson	....	stunts
Harold Jones	....	stunts
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Steve Kelso	....	stunts
Wayne King	....	stunts
Paul M. Lane	....	stunts
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Al Lee	....	stunts
Irving E. Lewis	....	stunts (as Irving Lewis)
Dan Mabry	....	stunts (as Danny Mabry)
Eric Mansker	....	stunts
Anderson Martin	....	stunts
Rusty McClennon	....	stunts
Bufort McClerkins	....	stunts
Dwayne McGee	....	stunts
Bill McIntosh	....	stunts
Jimmy Medearis	....	stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunt coordinator
Rita Minor	....	stunts
Bennie Moore	....	stunts
Perry Nichols	....	stunts
Conrad E. Palmisano	....	stunts (as E. Palmisano)
Manny Perry	....	stunts (as Manuel Perry)
Jeff Ramsey	....	stunts
Mario Roberts	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts
John-Clay Scott	....	stunts
Mel Scott	....	stunts
John Sherrod	....	stunts
Al Simon	....	stunts
Lincoln Simonds	....	stunts
Jeff Smolek	....	stunts
Neil Summers	....	stunts
R.L. Tolbert	....	stunts
Tierre Turner	....	stunts
William Upton	....	stunts
Rock A. Walker	....	stunts (as Rock Walker)
Marvin Walters	....	stunts
Richard Washington	....	stunts
Brian J. Williams	....	stunts
Gerard G. Williams	....	stunts (as Gerard Williams)
James Winburn	....	stunts (as Jim Winburn)
Gene Witham	....	stunts
Ray Woodfork	....	stunts
Kevin Beard	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert Giardina	....	stunts (uncredited)
Randy Tharpe	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ralph Brandofino	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
Allan Bullard	....	grip: second unit (as Alan Bullard)
Keith Bunting	....	grip
Andrew Casey	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Don Cerrone	....	key grip
Marie Cosindas	....	special photographer
Stephen Crawford	....	best boy electric (as Steve Crawford)
Vito DePalma	....	second assistant camera
James P. Dolan	....	gaffer: second unit (as J.P. Dolan)
Fred H. Dresch	....	electrician (as Fred Dresch)
Bobby Earnhardt	....	electrician (as Robert Earnhardt)
Michael Fedack	....	dolly grip
Larry Huston	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Carl Johnson	....	electrician
Stan Keitt	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Steven Mann	....	first assistant camera (as Steven 'Manny' Mann)
Steve Mathis	....	gaffer (as Steven Mathis)
Jeff Moore	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Merrick Morton	....	still photographer
Vinnie Nappo	....	best boy electric: second unit (as Vincent Nappo)
Nick Nelson	....	electrician
Wade O'Connor	....	grip
Briggs Palmer	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Douglas Pellegrino	....	assistant camera: "b" camera (as Doug Pellegrino)
Charles Quinlivan	....	best boy grip
C. Alan Rawlins	....	grip
Riko Schatke	....	grip (as Riko R. Schatke)
George Skelly	....	key grip: second unit
C. Ashley Sudge	....	grip: second unit (as Ashley Sudge)
David Wagreich	....	director of photography: second unit
Joe D'Alessandro	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
John R. Kaplan	....	grip: Boston unit (uncredited)
David Larue	....	grip (uncredited)
Brett Laumann	....	electrician (uncredited)
William M. Weberg	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Billy Dowd	....	extras casting coordinator
Shay Griffin	....	casting: Atlanta
Avy Kaufman	....	casting assistant (as Avy Kausman)
Donna Larson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frank Perry Rose	....	costume supervisor (as Frank Rose)
Paul Simmons	....	key costumer: men
Betty Jean Slater	....	key costumer: women
Layne Brightwell	....	costumer (uncredited)
Larry Robert Stanfield	....	wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Battle Davis	....	additional editor (as T. Battle Davis)
Tracey Featherston	....	assistant editor
Robert Frazen	....	assistant editor
Martha Huntley	....	assistant editor
Bob Noland	....	color timer
Brent White	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jim Henrikson	....	music editor
Jerry Kadovitz	....	assistant music editor
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
Walter J. Turnbull	....	founder/conductor: The Boys Choir of Harlem (as Dr. Walter J. Turnbull)
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John Orlebeck	....	transportation captain
Bryce Guy Williams	....	transportation coordinator (as Bryce Williams)
Albert B. Cooper IV	....	transportation (uncredited)
Larry Robert Stanfield	....	driver: cast (uncredited)

Other crew
Sheila Allen	....	assistant location manager
B.H. Barry	....	battle consultant
Stanley T. Bielowicz	....	first aid (as Stan Bielowicz)
Kathie Broyles	....	title designer
Sidney Gecker	....	script supervisor: second unit (as Sid Gecker)
Karen Gordon	....	production accountant
Peter Grandfield	....	production assistant
John B. Griffin	....	location manager
Patti Hawn	....	publicist
Jeannie Jeha	....	production coordinator
Patrice A. Kiley	....	production secretary: Georgia
Daniel Kuttner	....	craft service
Kelly K. Learman	....	assistant: Mr. Fields
Maurice Lospinoso	....	craft service
Jimmy Medearis	....	boss wrangler
Pat Newcomb	....	public relations
Doris Newman-Layne	....	production coordinator (as Doris Newman Layne)
Jeffrey A. Okun	....	title designer (as Jeff Okun)
Connie Papineau	....	script supervisor
Pattee Roedig	....	assistant production accountant
Paul Rousakis	....	production assistant
Burton Sharp	....	adr group coordinator
Gwen Taylor-Stacy	....	assistant production accountant
Paul Warner	....	assistant: Mr. Zwick (as Paul W. Warner)
J. Walt Waters	....	production assistant
Louise Del Araujo	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Billy L. 'Butch' Frank	....	historical consultant (uncredited)
John Guss	....	historical technical assistant (uncredited)
John Guss	....	stand-in: Cary Elwes (uncredited)
Mary Cay Hollander	....	pre-production coordinator (uncredited)
Dane Pizzuti Krogman	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Roger Ragland	....	armorer: cannons (uncredited)
Andy Redmond	....	historical technical assistant (uncredited)
Rodney Saulsberry	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Ned R. Shapiro	....	location manager (uncredited)
Leon Watkins	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Kevin R. Young	....	assistant re-enactor coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Norman Bielowicz	....	special thanks: Georgia Film Commission (as Mr. Norman Bielowicz)
Patricia Broderick	....	special thanks
Wesley Buford	....	special thanks
Mark Edwards	....	acknowledgment: 4th U.S. Colored Troops
Dale Fetzer	....	acknowledgment: Historical Impressions, Inc.
Shelby Foote	....	special thanks
Dr. Ray Giron	....	acknowledgment: Ft. McIntosh Armory
William Gwaltney	....	acknowledgment: The National Park Service
Ardie Ivy	....	special thanks: vice chancellor, UCLA
Tom Kaufman	....	special thanks: special assistant to the mayor (as Mr. Tom Kaufman)
J. Leonard Ledbetter	....	special thanks: Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Steve Lillard	....	acknowledgment: The Blue-Grey Army Artillery Battalion
Karl Luthin	....	acknowledgment: 7th Illinois Cavalry, Inc. (as Dr. Karl Luthin)
Arthur Mendonza	....	special thanks: city manager (as Mr. Arthur Mendonza)
Ron Nichols	....	acknowledgment: First Arkansas Regt. of African Descent
Mike Riley	....	special thanks: Georgia Film Commission (as Mr. Mike Riley)
John P. Rousakis	....	special thanks (as Mayor John P. Rousakis)
Scott Smith	....	acknowledgment: Old Fort Jackson, Savannah, GA.
Richard F. Snow	....	special thanks: American Heritage

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Pictures Corporation (1990) (UK) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1994) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (USA) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 (2000) (DVD) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M (cable rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | USA:PG (edited version) | Norway:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

African-American National Historic Site - 14 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

The film depicts the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry training through the Christmas holidays of presumably 1862 (after the September 1862 Battle of Antietam), but the real 54th Massachusetts did not organize until March 1863, and were engaged in their first battle on James Island, South Carolina on 16 July 1863, and then Battery Wagner (the final battle in the film) on 18 July 1863.

Goofs:

Factual errors: As Rawlins hands out the Enfield rifles, he calls out each one's serial number. Authentic Enfield rifles don't have serial numbers, but the reproductions do.

Quotes:

[the 54th has just been attached to Col. Montgomery's regiment in the hope of seeing combat. The troops are marching thru the regiment's camp]
Cpl. Thomas Searles: Who are these ragamuffins?
John Rawlins: Contraband soldiers, straight from the field.
Short contraband: Hey, we slaves in the field when the Yankee man come. Say we soldiers.
[to Thomas]
Short contraband: Hey, where from?
Cpl. Thomas Searles: Massachusetts.
Tall contraband: You walk like the bukra soldier, even talk like him!
Cpl. Thomas Searles: [to Rawlins] What'd he say?
John Rawlins: He says we march like white soldiers. How you like the Army, contraband?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

A Classic

"Glory" is a modern film classic that highlights a little-known chapter of the Civil War.

I recently purchased the DVD, and was just as moved (if not more so) as the first time I saw it.

Broderick, Freeman, and Washington, along with a stellar cast play it faultlessly. I still remember the brouhaha over the casting of Matthew Broderick as Shaw, and I see that even now some IMDb posters single him out for fault in "Glory." Sorry, but I disagree. One should remember that the real Col. Shaw was a young man in his mid-20s - hardly a grizzled old veteran - despite his high rank. Broderick actually does bear a resemblance to Shaw, and shouldn't be criticized for his boyish looks. I felt every nuance of the burden he carried, and thought Broderick did a wonderful job.

Denzel Washington's powerful acting may never again have a showcase like it did in "Glory." His beauty, rage, and pride scream in every frame. His Oscar for this break-out role was highly deserved. Trip's character is really the distillation of what this film is all about: the black man's heart-rending battle for worth, recognition, and dignity. As far as I'm concerned no one BUT Washington could have played Trip. Thank God for Denzel!

Morgan Freeman is the film's human core. His quiet compassion and leadership keeps the soldiers focused. His one angry confrontation with Trip proves he has the goods to back up a field promotion to Sergeant Major.

Freeman (an appropriate reminder of where surnames come from) is the father figure the regiment desperately needs in a time of death and crisis. The men look to him for his calming wisdom and reasonable, fair demeanor.

Films like "Saving Private Ryan" raised the technical bar for battle scenes.

The fighting scenes in "Glory" are, unfortunately, it's weakest element. The staging and choreography are mediocre at best. And other than a scene where the 54th Massachusetts is given a hero's flanking onto the battlefield beaches of South Carolina, these shots don't emotionally engage the viewer. Still, in the end, "Glory" isn't about big, noisy battles. It's about the transcendence of the human spirit in the face of bigotry, bad treatment, and almost certain death. It's about a watershed moment in our bloody history that elevated us all and must never be forgotten.

"Glory" is, indeed, glorious.