Shenandoah (1965)

A patriarch widower (a magnificent James Stewart) from Virginia is determined to keep his family out of the Civil War (1861-1865). He attempts to remain neutral against the ravages of war but the happenings get worse and his six sons (Patrick Wayne, Glen Corbett, Rosemary Forsyth , Tim McIntire , among others) are involved . His daughter (Rosemary Forsyth) marries a confederate officer (Doug McClure) and his adolescent son is prisoned by Yankees .

Good Western with powerful story that captures action , emotion and sentimental drama . The opening battle scenes are taken from ¨The Raintree country¨ and are printed as a mirror image of the original footage . Superb acting by the veteran James Stewart as the heartbreaking father who is forced into action to find his unfortunate sons. Largely secondary cast as Paul Fix as a doctor , Denver Pyle as the Pastor , George Kennedy as Yankee General , Strother Martin as train machinist , Harry Carey Jr , Bob Steele , among them . Film debut for Katherine Ross , previously her successful 'Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid' . The tale was the basis for posterior Broadway musical stage played by John Cullum . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by William H. Clothier , John Ford's usual . Rousing musical score with sensitive leitmotif by Frank Skinner . The motion picture was well directed by Andrew V. McLagen . He is a John Ford's disciple and son of the giant actor Victor McLagen . He's an expert on Western as ¨Last hard men¨ , ¨Rare breed¨, and ¨Bandolero¨ again with James Stewart and of course 'Shenandoah', his best Western . And directed several John Wayne vehicles as ¨McLintock¨ , ¨Chisum¨, and ¨Cahill¨ . Furthermore , specialist on Warlike genre as ¨Devil's brigand¨, ¨Wild Geese¨, ¨Sea wolves¨ , among them. Rating : Above average, well worth seeing . The flick will appeal to James Stewart fans.

Fmovies: In Shenandoah, Virginia, the widower farmer Charlie Anderson (James Stewart) lives a peaceful life with his six sons - Jacob (Glenn Corbett), James (Patrick Wayne), Nathan (Charles Robinson), John (James McMullan), Henry (Tim McIntire) and Boy (Phillip Alford), his daughter Jennie (Rosemary Forsyth), and his daughter-in-law and James' wife Ann Anderson (Katharine Ross) in his farm.

Charlie does not let his sons to join the army to fight in the American Civil War that he considers that it is not their war. Meanwhile Jennie marries to her beloved Lieutenant Sam (Doug McClure), but they do not have honeymoon since Sam has to go to the front. When Charlie's youngest son Boy is mistakenly taken prisoner by soldiers from the North. Charlie rides with his sons to rescue Boy, while James and Ann stays in the farm. But it is time of violence and war, and tragedy reaches the Anderson family.

The heartbreaking and unforgettable "Shenandoah" is one of my favorite westerns, with the story of a family caught by the American Civil War. The plot has elements of "Friendly Persuasion", with the strong code of honor of the patriarch of a family and James Stewart has another top- notch performance. My favorite scene is when Charlie prepares the room of an abandoned farm to give the opportunity of a honeymoon to Jeannie and Sam. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Shenandoah"

Note: On 09 Dec 2018 I saw this film again.

I saw this movie the 1st time with my dad when I was in grade school. It brings up a lot of big issues. Like "High Noon" or "The Searchers" there is an underlying theme that may or may not have been intended. Released in 1965 when Vietnam was just beginning to become a hot issue. In his last 'chat' with his dead wife, he vocalized a dove perspective on war in general--that the people who think that war is a good idea usually aren't the ones who will be dodging bullets, chemical weapons or bombs.

Having the youngest son rescued by an African American was also a daring move at the time.

Worth a look. It may not be historically accurate, but it touches on some important and timely, considering the nature of current events.

Shenandoah fmovies. Director Andrew McLaglen and Universal starred James Stewart in this fine family film. Co starring are two young Universal contract actresses Katharine Ross and Rosemary Forsyth. Ms. Ross would go on to do John Wayne's Hellfighters and then go onto great acclaim in The Graduate and also Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman. Also in the cast is handsome Patrick Wayne son of the great John Wayne, along with other reliable stars such as George Kennedy and rugged Glenn Corbett and Doug McClure who provide fine support.

Can anyone recall if James Stewart ever gave a bad performance? I surely cannot! Mr. Stewart excels in this film which I thought would have garnered him another Oscar nomination.

I must have seen this film 10 times and every time it leaves a lump in my throat, its something about Jimmy Stewarts acting and the storyline that I find so believable and so sad. The three scenes that really get me are when he speaks about his missing son being the apple of his eye, when he confronts the soldier who accidentally shoots his son and most of all the final scene in the Church. I know some people may find the film sentimental but I just feel that its the best ever , even better than Its A Wonderful Life. I think as you get older and you have your own family the things that J Stewart say have real meaning and therefore I recommend anyone with a soul to watch this film and enjoy a sentimental but ultimately uplifting film

A peaceful, hardworking farming family suffers the strains and unavoidable losses of the Civil War in `Shenandoah.' James Stewart is the head of the clan, who does not keep slaves and refuses to fight for men who do. Since the death of his wife, he has raised his large family to work hard and fight for what is right, and now the onset of the war forces them to come to terms with everything they believe in.

The film is largely set on Stewart's farm in the Shenandoah Valley. At the start of the film, the family tries to go about its business as if the war did not exist. Ignoring the war becomes increasingly difficult, however, with soldiers constantly marching through the property trying to recruit the sons and requisition the livestock. When the youngest son is taken prisoner Stewart decides the time has come to take action, so they set out to find the boy. Along the way, lives are lost, values are tested, and mindsets are changed with experience.

Stewart's performance as the proud patriarch is excellent. It is a grizzled, more mature Jimmy Stewart than one is used to, with a cigar stub constantly dangling from his mouth and a perpetual scowl on his face, but in essence it is the same proud, upright character that he has always specialized in. He is effective in conveying the fear and vulnerability of a man who is unsure of the right thing to do, looking out for his family and land in the midst of a war-torn nation. His conversations at his wife's gravestone stand among the most poignant work of his career.

`Shenandoah' takes its time in telling its story, interspersing simple, low-key scenes (in church, at the dinner table) with action sequences. Its characters are real people with real problems, and with whom the audience can readily identify. It is a mature, beautifully realized film, with scenic photography and sensitive performances.