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I just graduated with a B.A. in History from The Ohio State University. I wrote a paper about the life of U.S. Grant. First, I read Grant's autobiography. Grant was a childhood horse expert. He wanted to be a math teacher, but his grades were too low. He went into the military. At West Point, he fell in love with and later married Julia Dent, the sister of another student.
Our class covered the Civil War, Grant's presidency, then his business bankruptcy. Mark Twain enters here (as in this movie). Twain wanted to publish Grant's autobiography so Mrs. Grant could have an income. Grant was near death, but Twain persuaded him to finish writing just before the end.
Twain saved Julia's life financially (the movie showed the check being made out to Julia Dent Grant), giving her the largest royalty check ever given to anyone. She later moved to New York City, becoming friends with Varina Howell Davis (widow of Confederate President Jefferson Davis), who had also moved to NYC after Davis' death. Newspaper stories talked about "the famous widows".
I enjoyed seeing the Grant portrayal in this movie. I am glad they did not show the buffoonish-alcoholism associated with him, though Julia admitted he was certainly no teetotaler. How many other drunkards can say that their face is on the $50.00 bill?
I enjoyed Fredric March as Mark Twain. I read "Tom Sawyer" during my childhood. In another college course, we had a lecture about Mark Twain the philosopher. Twain said that God exists, but He sends us evil to overcome so that we can be good again.
15/10.
score 10/10
gkeith_1 23 April 2009
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2056673/ |
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6-3-2021 12:06:17