The Blue and the Gray (miniseries)

*The Blue and the Gray*
The Blue and the Gray
	DVD cover
Created by	John Leekley and Bruce Catton
Screenplay by	Ian McLellan Hunter
Story by	John Leekley and Bruce Catton
Directed by	Andrew V. McLaglen
Starring	John Hammond; Stacy Keach; Lloyd Bridges; Gregory Peck
Theme music composer	Bruce Broughton
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	3
Production
Producers	Hugh Benson; Harry Thomason
Editors	Fred A. Chulack; Bud Friedgen
Running time	381 minutes
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	November 14 –; November 17, 1982

The Blue and the Gray is a television miniseries that first aired on CBS in three installments on November 14, November 16, and November 17, 1982. Set during the American Civil War, the series starred John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Lloyd Bridges, and Gregory Peck as President Abraham Lincoln. It was executive produced by Larry White and Lou Reda, in association with Columbia Pictures Television. A novel of the same name by John Leekley was published as a companion to the series in 1982, based on a story by John Leekley and Bruce Catton and the teleplay by Ian McLellan Hunter. The title refers to the colors of the uniforms worn by United States Army and Confederate States Army soldiers respectively.

Synopsis

The plot revolves around the families of two sisters; Maggie Geyser and Evelyn Hale. The Geysers are farmers who reside near Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Hales own a small newspaper in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Geysers are generally indifferent to the issue of slavery, but are sympathetic to the Southern cause. The lone exception in the family is son John, an artistic young man who becomes sympathetic to the plight of Southern slaves and free Negroes. The Hales are pro-Union and anti-slavery, but, like many Northerners at the time, they hope for a peaceful solution to the nation's problems.

The drama begins in 1859 when John leaves the Geyser family farm for Pennsylvania, where he gets a job as an artist correspondent for the paper owned by his uncle, Jacob Hale, Sr. John's first assignment takes him to the trial of abolitionist John Brown, where he meets and befriends the mysterious Jonas Steele, a former Jayhawker and Pinkerton detective. Jonas returns with John to Gettysburg and falls in love with John's cousin Mary, but is afraid to commit to her, thanks to his troubling dreams that seem to predict the future.

After falling out with his family over the issues of slavery and secession during Christmas of 1860, John returns to Pennsylvania, while John's brothers Matthew, Mark, and Luke join the Confederate Army. John's cousins, Malachy and Jake Hale, join the Union Army. The Hales' youngest child, 16-year-old James, lies about his age to join the Union Army, but contracts dysentery and dies before he sees any action. Caught "betwixt and between", John will not fight for the South, but is unwilling to bear arms against his own brothers. After being reunited with Jonas Steele, who has joined the Union Army as a scout, John becomes a war correspondent for Harper's Weekly. Jonas is commissioned to use his detective skills (being a former Pinkerton detective) to investigate a series of gruesome war crimes. Meanwhile, John travels with the Union Army and witnesses many of the important events of the Civil War, including First Bull Run, the Peninsula Campaign, the Siege of Vicksburg, Battle of the Wilderness (where his brother Mark is killed in front of him), Lee's surrender at Appomattox and Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

At Bull Run, John meets Kathy Reynolds, the daughter of a senator, who, despite her higher social standing, proves to be a good war nurse. Jonas overcomes his doubts and marries Mary. John's sister, Emma, and her child are caught up in the Siege of Vicksburg, where her husband, Lester, is killed. The Battle of Gettysburg is a prominent focal point of the story; Mary is killed as the battle rages near the Steele home, just as one of Jonas' dreams had predicted. John reconciles with his family as he, his father, and Matthew join a group of Confederate troops in defending the Geyser homestead against a Union Army attack. The Union Army is driven off, but Matthew is killed in the skirmish. Despite being a Union officer, Jonas gains the respect of the Geysers (and possibly a future with Emma) by orchestrating Luke's rescue from a Union POW camp. Jonas finally locates the war crimes assailant, Confederate Major Welles, and kills him. He suffers a serious sword injury to his right arm during the fight resulting in the arm being subsequently amputated. Later, his strange dream of President Lincoln's death arrives too late to save the President at Ford's Theatre. The Hales and the Geysers come together after the war to celebrate John and Kathy's wedding at the Geyser homestead in Virginia.

Cast

John Hammond as John Geyser
Stacy Keach as Jonas Steele
Colleen Dewhurst as Maggie Geyser
Lloyd Bridges as Ben Geyser
Kathleen Beller as Kathy Reynolds
Brian Kerwin as Malachy Hale
Bruce Abbott as Jacob "Jake" Hale, Jr.
Cooper Huckabee as Matthew Geyser
Michael Horton as Mark Geyser
Julia Duffy as Mary Hale Steele
Penny Peyser as Emma Geyser Bedell
Warren Oates as Major Welles
Sterling Hayden as John Brown
Diane Baker as Evelyn Hale
Dan Shor as Luke Geyser
Gregory Peck as Abraham Lincoln
Paul Winfield as Jonathan Henry
Robert Vaughn as Senator Reynolds
Rory Calhoun as General George G. Meade
Gregg Henry as Lester Bedell
David W. Harper as James Hale
Robin Gammell as Jacob Hale, Sr.
Geraldine Page as Mrs. Lovelace
Rip Torn as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Robert Symonds as Gen Robert E. Lee
Gerald S. O'Loughlin as Sgt. O'Toole
Veronica Redd as Hattie
John Voldstad as Alvin Mooney
Gregg Palmer as Bull Run Colonel
Julius Harris as Swamp Preacher
Royce D. Applegate as 1st Cell Reporter
Noble Willingham as Cavalry General on Balloon Field
Paul Benedict as Mr. Arbuthnot
William Lucking as Capt. Potts
Charles Napier as Maj. Harrison
George Newbern as Private Lawrence "Coward" Jones
Walter Olkewicz as Pvt. Grundy
Duncan Regehr as Capt. Randolph
John Vernon as Secretary of State William Seward
Steve Nevil as Johnny the Rebel
Frank Broyles as Abraham Lincoln's Doctor
Chuck Dovish as injured Union soldier

Production notes

Although the series is largely set in Virginia, it was filmed entirely on location in Arkansas, except for the segment representing the Elmira, New York Federal prison camp which was filmed in the stockade at nearby Fort Gibson State Park, Oklahoma.^[1]

Soundtrack

Bruce Broughton's entire 2-hour score presented in stereo from the only surviving complete 1/4" two-track master elements was released on limited edition CD limited in 2008 on the Intrada label.

DVD release

The Blue and the Gray was released on Region 1 DVD in 3- and 2-disc sets. The first was released on November 6, 2001, and the second on July 26, 2005. The 3-disc edition runs 381 minutes, while the 2-disc edition is an abridged 296-minute cut.