Presidents in the Movies

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Iwan W. Morgan

   Pages 1-25

3. Transition: The Making of Screen Presidents

   • Ian Scott

   Pages 27-44

4. D.W. Griffith’s Abraham Lincoln

   • Melvyn Stokes

   Pages 45-63

5. The “Picture Man”: The Cinematic Strife of Theodore Roosevelt

   • Brian Neve

   Pages 65-86

6. Darryl F. Zanuck’s Wilson

   • Mark Wheeler

   Pages 87-108

7. The “Confidence” President: Franklin D. Roosevelt in Film

   • Harry Keyishian

   Pages 109-129

8. The Cinematic Kennedy: Thirteen Days and the Burnishing of an Image

   • Mark White

   Pages 131-150

9. The President Impeached: Tennessee Johnson and Nixon

   • Iwan W. Morgan

   Pages 151-176

10. Oliver Stone’s Improbable W.

    • Kingsley Marshall

    Pages 177-191

11. Back Matter

    Pages 193-198

    PDF

Cinematic depictions of real U.S. presidents from Abraham Lincoln to George W. Bush explore how Hollywood movies represent American history and politics on screen. Morgan and his contributors show how films blend myth and reality to present a positive message about presidents as the epitome of America's values and idealism until unpopular foreign wars in Vietnam and Iraq led to a darker portrayal of the imperial presidency, operated by Richard Nixon and Bush 43. This exciting new collection further considers how Hollywood has continually reinterpreted historically significant presidents, notably Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, to fit the times in which movies about them were made.

• Abraham Lincoln
• American History
• cinema
• Franklin D. Roosevelt
• George W. Bush
• Hollywood
• idealism
• Lincoln, Abraham
• politics
• Richard Nixon
• Theodore Roosevelt

"The collaborators of this volume have focused on how real/actual presidents have been depicted in motion pictures and how those portraits have contributed to the historical reputation and image of the office holders. There is no end to the study and interest in the presidency in film. Every possible perspective on the topic of the presidency is of value these days as the chief executive s power increases beyond traditional boundaries." - Peter C. Rollins, Regents Professor, Emeritus of English, Oklahoma State University and Winner of the 2011 Oklahoma Humanities Award

• United States Presidency Centre, Institute for the Study of the Americas, School of Advanced Study, University of London, UK

  Iwan W. Morgan

Iwan W. Morgan is a Professor of US Studies and Head of US Programmes at the Institute of the Americas, University College London, UK.

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