Saturday, May 19, 2018

US Presidents that have a non documentary biographical film, or miniseries


US Presidents that have a non-documentary biographical film and or mini-series. 

At this time there is a total of 68 movies, and miniseries. From that 20 out of the 45 men that have held the office of President of the United States have a non-documentary film.

All of these films are biographical but not a documentary. In other words, no docudramas, or fiction such as Lincoln fighting vampires and zombies [Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012), Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012)], FDR battling werewolves [FDR: American Badass (2012) or Trump Vs The Illuminati (2020)] 


At the time of writing this The President with the most movies etc... is John F Kennedy with 12, second is Franklin Delano Roosevelt with 9 and Abraham Lincoln in third place with 9 The other 14 Presidents have 1 to 6 movies. The remaining 31 have 0. 

George Washington 1789-1797

The Crossing (2000) 
Based on the book The Crossing by Howard Fast [First Published in 1971] Washington’s crossing of the Delaware and attacking the Hessian forces at Trenton. 

George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (1986) 
Based on the biography Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner [First Published in1974]. This picks up after part one and is about his time as the first President of the United States of America. 

George Washington (1984) 
Based on the Biography Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner [First Published in1974]. General George Washington and what he did during The Revolutionary War.


John Adams 1797-1801

John Adams (2008) 
Based on the biography John Adams by David McCullough [First Published in 2001]. The story of the second US President starting with the Boston Massacre and following him through the revolution, his time as a US Ambassador, Vice President, and as the second President Of the United States of America.

The Adams Chronicles (1976)
PBS miniseries about several generations of the Adams Family. The miniseries is inspired by/based on The Adams Chronicles: Four Generations of Greatness by Jack Shepherd [First Published in 1975]. 


Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809

Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000) 
Miniseries about Jefferson’s romantic relationship with his mistress and slave Sally Hemings. 

Jefferson in Paris (1995)
Set in France during the years of 1784-1789. The film is about Jefferson’s years as the US Ambassador to France before the French Revolution. 

James Madison 1809-1817

Magnificent Doll (1946) 
James Madison and Aaron Burr compete to win the heart of future First Lady Dolly Madison. 

James Monroe 1817-1825

John Quincy Adams 1825-1829

Amistad (1997)
Mende captives on a Spanish ship revolt and try to return home.  Only to be recaptured in US waters. This leads to a trial on wither they are slaves or free. Former President John Q Adams helps defend the captives in the court of law.

The Adams Chronicles (1976)
PBS miniseries about several generations of the Adams Family. The miniseries is inspired by/based on The Adams Chronicles: Four Generations of Greatness by Jack Shepherd [First Published in 1975]. 


Andrew Jackson 1829-1837

The Presidents Lady (1953) 
Based on the book The Presidents Lady by Irving Stone [First Published in 1951]. The pre-presidential life of Andrew Jackson and his relationship with his future wife with Rachael Donaldson.

Martin Van Buren 1837-1841

William Henry Harrison 1841-1841

John Tyler 1841-1845

James K Polk 1845-1849

Zachary Taylor 1849-1850

Millard Fillmore 1850-1853

Franklin Pierce 1853-1857

James Buchanan 1857-1861

Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865

Lincoln (2012) 
Based on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abrham Lincoln by Doris Kerns Goodwin [First Published in 2005].  Near the end of the US Civil War President Lincoln fights to add an amendment to the Constitution to ban slavery. 

Gore Vidal’s: Lincoln (1988) 
Based on the novel, Lincoln by Gore Vidal [First Published in 1984]. This Miniseries is about Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency from the beginning to the end of his life and presidency. 


Lincoln (1974) 
Miniseries on the life of President Abraham Lincoln 

Abe Lincoln in Illinois A.K.A.  Spirit of the People (1940) 
Based on the 1938 stage play Abe Lincoln in Illinois by Robert E. Sherwood [First Published in 1938].  The Life of Abraham Lincoln before he became President.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) 
This is the story of the 10 years in which Abraham Lincoln worked as a Lawyer. 


Abraham Lincoln (1930)
 An early biopic of Lincolns life and times. 

The Dramatic Life of Abraham Lincoln (1924) 
The life, the Presidency and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C.

Andrew Johnson 1865-1869

Tennessee Johnson (1942)
 After President Lincoln is killed Vice President Andrew Jackson becomes President. The film covers the life of Johnson from his escape from indentured servitude thru his impeachment. 

Ulysses S Grant 1869-1877 

Rutherford B Hayes 1877-1881

James A Garfield 1881-1881

Chester A Arthur 1881-1885

Grover Cleveland 1885-1889  

Benjamin Harris 1889-1893

Grover Cleveland 1893-1897

William McKinley 1897-1901

Theodore Roosevelt 1901-1909

The Rough Riders (1997) 
The military unit created by Theodore Roosevelt and their exploits in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. 

Rough Riders (1927) 
Silent film about Theodore Roosevelt creating a volunteer unit named The Rough Riders to fight in the Spanish-American War and their various adventures. 


William Howard Taft 1909-1913

Woodrow Wilson 1913-1921

Wilson (1944) 
The political career of Woodrow Wilson which starts with his final year as the Dean of Princeton University and the start of his political career with his run for Governor of New Jersey.  With the film proceeding to his last years in the White House as the 28th President of the United States of America. 


Warren G Harding 1921-1923

Calvin College 1923-1929

Herbert Hoover 1929-1933

Franklin D Roosevelt 1933-1945

Atlantic Crossing (2021) 
Miniseries about the wartime relationship between President Roosevelt and The Norwegian Crown Princess Martha Sofia Lovisa Dagmar Thyra. 

Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) 
President FDR hosting Great Britain’s Royal Family during their 1939 visit to the US and specifically The Hyde Park retreat in New York. 

Warm Springs (2005) 

After Franklin D Roosevelt contracts Polio, he searches for a cure. This is his story about that search. 

World War II: When Lions Roared (1994) 
TV Movie on the subject of the Tehran Conference between President Frankin Delano Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Dictator Joseph Stalin. 

 
FDR That Man in the White House (1982) 
Based on the one man play That Man In The White House by Frank Kingdom [First Published in 1944]. 

F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980)
Based on the book FDR's Last Year by Jim Bishiop [First Published in 1974] Biopic of FDR's last year of life April 1944-1945. 


Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977) 
Based on the Biography Eleanor & Franklin by Joseph P. Lash [First Published in 1971]. Part 2 picks up after part 1 and is about their 12 years in the White House as President and First Lady.  

Eleanor & Franklin: The Early Years (1976) 
Based on the Biography Eleanor & Franklin by Joseph P. Lash [First Published in 1971]. Part 1 of a Miniseries on the pre–White House life of Eleanor & Franklin Roosevelt. 

Sunrise at Campobello (1960) 
Based on the stage play Sunrise At Campobello by Dore Schary [First Published in 1958]. After contracting Polio at Campobello, South Carolina, Franklin D Roosevelt looks to find a cure and seeks to reenter politics. 

Harry S Truman 1945-1953

Truman (1995) 
Based on the biography Truman by Davis McCullough [First Published in 1992] This Biopic of President Truman starting with his life before entering politics to the end of his presidency from HBO.

Harry S Truman: Plain Speaking (1976) 
Based on the book Plain Speaking: A Oral Biography of Harry S Truman by Merle Miller [First Published in 1974]. A TV movie about the life of President Truman. 

Collision Course: Truman VS MacArthur (1976) 
President Truman and General MacArthur disagree on how the war in Korea is to be fought and won. The disagreement escalated resulting in Truman relieving MacArthur from command.  

Give ‘em Hell Harry! (1975) 
One man play Give ‘em Hell Harry!: Reminiscences by Samuel Gallu [First Published in 1975]. 

Dwight D Eisenhower 1953-1961

Ike: Countdown to D-day (2004) 
This is a TV movie about General Eisenhower and the 90 days lading to D-Day June 6, 1944. 

Ike: The War Years (1980) 
An Edited shorter edited version of the 1979 miniseries. 
An account of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his many accomplishments during WWII

Ike: The War Years (1979) 
An account of General Dwight D. Eisenhower and his many accomplishments during WWII. 


John F Kennedy 1961-1963 

Parkland (2013) 
Based on the book Four Days in November: The Assassination of President John F Kennedy by Vincent Bugliosi [First Published in 2007]. The events that happened at the Parkland hospital on Friday November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated and the following days and beginning of the investigation into his death. 

The Kennedy's (2011) 
Miniseries about a few generations of the Kennedy family, and their triumphs and tragedies beginning with Joe Kennedy and ending with Robert Kennedy’s death in 1968. The miniseries is followed by the miniseries The Kennedy’s After Camelot (2017) which is about Ted Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy and her children. 


Thirteen Days (2000) 
Based on the book The Kennedy Tapes: Inside The White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Erenst R May [First Published in 1997].  A dramatic depiction of the Kennedy administration’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis.  

JFK Reckless Youth (1993) 
Based on the biography JFK: Reckless Youth by Nigel Hamilton [First Published in 1992]. Miniseries on John F Kennedy from childhood to his life as a three term Congressman for Massachusetts.

JFK (1991)
Based on the books On The Trail of Assassins by Jim Garrison [First Published in 1988] and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs [First Published in 1989]. Louisiana district attorney Jim Garrison examines the assassination of JFK and the events that followed. 

The Kennedy's of Massachusetts (1990)
Based on the book The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys: An American Saga by Doris Kearns Goodwin [First Published in 1987]. Miniseries on 55 years of the Kennedy clan starting with Joe Kennedy graduating from Harvard University in 1912. 

Hoover Vs The Kennedy’s: The Second Civil War (1987) 
Miniseries on the feud between FBI Director J Edgar Hoover and the Kennedy Family. Starting at the 1960 Democratic Convention and ending with the death of Robert Kennedy in 1968. 

Prince Jack (1984) 
President John F Kennedy making decisions about Civil Rights issues during his Presidency. 

Kennedy (1983) 
Miniseries about President John F. Kennedy and his years in the White House. 

The Missiles of October (1974) 
Based on the book Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Robert F Kennedy [First Published in 1968]. TV movie about the Kennedy administration’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis.  

Executive Action (1973) 
This is a film version of one of the conspiracy theories about the Kennedy assassination. 

PT 109 (1963) 
Based on the book PT 109 John F Kennedy in World War II by Robert John Donovan [First Published in 1961]. During WWII Lieutenant John F Kennedy takes command of a PT boat in the Solomon Islands. During his command the boat is sunk by the Japanese and the survivors make their way to Kasolo Island (also known as Plum Pudding Island and later Kennedy Island) in the Solomon Island Chain where they work on being found and rescued. 


Lyndon B Johnson 1963-1969

LBJ (2016) 
Story of LBJ becoming President after the assignation of John F Kennedy and his term as the US President.

All The Way (2016) 
Based on the book All The Way by Robert Schenkkan [First Published in 2012]. This is an HBO film is about LBJ’s first year as the US President. 

Path to War (2002) 
Johnson and his administration deal with the escalation of the Vietnam War. 

Lyndon Johnson (1987) 
One man play about President LBJ.

LBJ The Early Years (1987) 
TV movie about LBJ’s life during the years of 1934 – 1963. 

Richard Nixon 1969-1974

Elvis & Nixon (2016) 
The true story of the most requested photo in the national archives. One day Elvis decides to meet President Nixon. Elvis goes to the White House and the two have a meeting. 

Frost/Nixon (2008) 
Based on the book Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan [Fiest Published in 2007]. Three years after Nixon left office, he gave an all-inclusive interview to Davis Frost. This film is a dramatized account of those events. 

Nixon (1995) 
A biopic of Richard Nixon from childhood to his term as the US President. 

Kissinger and Nixon (1995) 
Based on the book Kissinger by Walter Isaacson [First Publishd in 1992] This TV movie is about Nixon and Kissinger working together in the lead up to the Paris Peace Accords in 1973.
 
The Final Days (1989) 
Based on the book The Final Days by Washington Post Reporters Woodward and Bernstein [First Published in 1976]. The film chronicles the final days of President Richard Nixon's administration. 

All The President's Men (1976) 
Washington Post reporters Woodward and Bernstein uncover and report on the Watergate scandals which lead to President Nixon resigning. Based All The President’s Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward [First published in 1974].

Gerald Ford 1974-1977

Jimmy Carter 1977-1981

Ronald Reagan 1981-1989

Reagan (2024)
Based on the book The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and The Fall of Communism by Paul Kengor [First Published in 2006]. The story of Ronald Reagan with perspectives of from The Soviet Union on Ronald Regan and why he went into politics and as well as going over his important moments of his life from childhood to college student, Hollywood actor, Governer of California and President of The United States of America. 

The Reagan’s (2003) 
This is a TV movie about Ronald Reagan early life and ending with his last day in office as the US President. 

The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001) 
Based on the true events with John Hinckley shooting President Ronald Reagan and what followed. 

George HW Bush 1989-1993  

Bill Clinton 1993-2001

George W Bush 2001-2009

W. (2008) 
A biographical film of George W Bush just after his finished his eight years in office. 

Barack Obama 2009-2017

Barry (2016) 
The college years of Barack Obama as he attended Occidental College in Los Angeles. 

Southside With You (2016) 

Story based on the first date of Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s in the Southside of Chicago, Illinois.
 
Donald J Trump 2017-2020 

The Apprentice (2024)
The early decades of Trump starting his business empire and working with and learning from lawyer Roy Cohn. 

Trump Unauthorized (2005) 
Based on the book The Trumps: Three Generations That Built An Empire by Gwenda Blair [First Published in 2000]. TV movie about Donald Trump starting with his first ventures in real estate to his life in 2005. About 12 years before he became President of the US.  

Donald Trump is the only President to have a movie made about him and his life before becoming President of the US. 

Joe Biden 2021-2024 

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