Tennessee Johnson

About Tennessee Johnson

Tennessee Johnson was a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States. It was directed by William Dieterle and written by Milton Ginzburg, Alvin Meyes, John Balderston, and Wells Root. It starred Van Heflin as Johnson, Lionel Barrymore as his nemesis, Thaddeus Stevens, and Ruth Hussey as Eliza McCardle Johnson. The film depicts the events building up to the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson. It is somewhat historically inaccurate: among other errors, the film's climax depicts Johnson passionately delivering an oration in his own defense on the U.S. Senate floor near the end of his impeachment trial. In fact, Johnson never appeared in person at his trial and was represented by legal counsel only.

Runaway tailor's apprentice Andrew Johnson (Van Johnson) wanders into the Tennessee town of Greenville. He is persuaded to settle there. He barters his services to the librarian, Eliza McCardle (Ruth Hussey), in return for her teaching him to read and write and eventually marries her.

Stung by the injustice of the monopoly of power by the landowners and with the encouragement of his wife, Johnson starts organizing political meetings. One is broken up by the powers that be; in the resulting fighting, one of Johnson's friends is killed. He dissuades the others from resorting to violence. Instead, he is talked into running for sheriff and is elected. By 1860, the eve of the American Civil War, he has risen to state senator.