The Blue and the Gray (1982– )

America just before and during the Civil War, as seen through the eyes of an artist correspondent.

Stars:

Stacy Keach, John Hammond, Diane Baker

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Stacy Keach	...	Jonas Steele (3 episodes, 1982)
John Hammond	...	John Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
Diane Baker	...	Evelyn Hale (3 episodes, 1982)
Kathleen Beller	...	Kathy Reynolds (3 episodes, 1982)
Paul Benedict	...	Arbuthnot (3 episodes, 1982)
Lloyd Bridges	...	Ben Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
Rory Calhoun	...	Gen. George Meade (3 episodes, 1982)
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Maggie Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
David Doyle	...	Phineas Wade (3 episodes, 1982)
Michael Horton	...	Mark Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
Warren Oates	...	Maj. Welles (3 episodes, 1982)
Gerald S. O'Loughlin	...	Sgt. O'Toole (3 episodes, 1982)
Geraldine Page	...	Mrs. Lovelace (3 episodes, 1982)
Dan Shor	...	Luke Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
Rip Torn	...	Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (3 episodes, 1982)
Robert Vaughn	...	Sen. Reynolds (3 episodes, 1982)
John Vernon	...	Secretary of State Seward (3 episodes, 1982)
Paul Winfield	...	Jonathan Henry (3 episodes, 1982)
Gregory Peck	...	Abraham Lincoln (3 episodes, 1982)
Julia Duffy	...	Mary Hale (3 episodes, 1982)
Robin Gammell	...	Jacob Hale Sr. (3 episodes, 1982)
David W. Harper	...	James Hale (3 episodes, 1982)
Gregg Henry	...	Lester Bedell (3 episodes, 1982)
Cooper Huckabee	...	Matthew Geyser (3 episodes, 1982)
Brian Kerwin	...	Malachy Hale (3 episodes, 1982)
William Lucking	...	Capt. Potts (3 episodes, 1982)
Charles Napier	...	Maj. Harrison (3 episodes, 1982)
Walter Olkewicz	...	Pvt. Grundy (3 episodes, 1982)
Penny Peyser	...	Emma Gayser (3 episodes, 1982)
Duncan Regehr	...	Capt. Randolph (3 episodes, 1982)
David Rounds	...	Christopher Spencer (3 episodes, 1982)
Christopher Stone	...	Maj. Fairburn (3 episodes, 1982)
Bruce Abbott	...	Jake Hale Jr. (3 episodes, 1982)
Walter Brooke	...	Gen. Herman Haupt (3 episodes, 1982)
Janice Carroll	...	Mary Todd Lincoln (3 episodes, 1982)
Fredric Cook	...	Captain Grimes (3 episodes, 1982)
John Dennis Johnston	...	Lt. Hardy (3 episodes, 1982)
Warwick Sims	...	Count Von Ziller (3 episodes, 1982)
Fred Stuthman	...	George (older employee at the Gettysburgh Newspaper) (3 episodes, 1982)
Robert Symonds	...	Gen. Robert E. Lee (3 episodes, 1982)
Maggie Wellman	...	Nell (3 episodes, 1982)
James Carroll Jordan	...	Professor Lowe (2 episodes, 1982)
William Bryan Curran	...	Dr. Bennett (2 episodes, 1982)
Alex Harvey	...	Calvery Colonel (2 episodes, 1982)
Steve Nevil	...	Johnny Reb (2 episodes, 1982)
Jordan Rhodes	...	Pennsylvania Colonel (2 episodes, 1982)
Matthew Tobin	...	James Hale's Doctor (2 episodes, 1982)
William Wellman Jr.	...	Lt. Mercer (2 episodes, 1982)

Storyline

America just before and during the Civil War, as seen through the eyes of an artist correspondent.

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Plot Keywords:

civil war | prostitute | color in title | war violence | epic battle | 

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 November 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Azules y grises

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Television, Larry White/Lou Reda Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

381 min 296 min (Recut 2005 Version) 381 min (Original 1982 Version)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The final film project of Sterling Hayden.

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Goofs

In the Civil War the primary infantry weapon was the muzzle-loading musket. For close up shots most of the soldiers use the British made .577 Pattern 1853 Enfield Rifle Musket, which was imported in large quantities during the Civil War by both sides. However, in many scenes (especially the Vicksburg scene with victorious Union troops) many of the soldiers can be seen carrying the .45-70 U.S. Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield rifle, a shortened breech-loading version of the U.S. Model 1861 Springfield Rifle Musket.

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Quotes

Jonas Steele: [has just been addressed as a "Bluebelly Colonel"] Major. Bluebelly Major.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cleveland Show: The Blue, the Gray and the Brown (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Rock of Ages"
Lyrics by Au­gus­tus M. Top­la­dy
Music by Thom­as Hast­ings

User Reviews

An epic TV mini worth remembering

I first saw this mini-series while in 5th grade history class as part of our studies on the Civil War, and I thought it was excellent. Many years later, I watched it again after finding a copy of the unabridged version (all 6+ hours of it!). I wasn't sure how it would stand the test of time (both as a 16 year old production and my own view of it, being 16 years older now) and braced myself for disappointment; however, I was very pleasantly surprised. The movie is as well done as I remembered it.

It's an engrossing movie that gives an honest, frank look at the inherent moral ambiguity of war, as well as the additional consequences of the Civil War, where "brother fought brother". Although the movie certainly takes dramatic license (the main character, a young Southerner who relocates to the north after becoming disillusioned with the cruel treatment of slaves, ends up stumbling across his staunchly pro-Confederate siblings as if they're all wandering around in the same town instead of an entire country!), you can see that the film makers took great pains to portray as many perspectives as possible, to show that each and every person involved in the war was human, with their own thoughts and feelings. I'm certainly no Civil War expert, but I thought it was a very balanced portrait. What's more amazing is that the mini rarely drags despite sometimes taking a leisurely pace during its 6 hour run-time. Although we all know how the movie with ultimately end, it keeps you interested in the lives of all the characters it introduces. I thought Stacy Keach did a particularly good job despite a few hammy lines. This mini-series should definitely be on any must-see list of war films.