Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker (1994) (TV)

Director:

Harry Moses

Writer (WGA):

Harry Moses (written by)

Release Date:

27 February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

The story of Johnson Whittaker, one of the first African-American cadets admitted to West Point. Tied down and beaten by his fellow cadets...

Plot Keywords:

West Point | Racism | Told In Flashback | Courtroom | Rutherford Hayes

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Richard Greener
Sam Waterston	...	Daniel Chamberlain
Mason Adams	...	Henry D. Hyde
Val Avery	...	Gen. Sherman
Eddie Bracken	...	Maj. Charles T. Alexander
Gene Canfield	...	McIntosh
Robert Clohessy	...	Dan Broyles
Al Freeman Jr.	...	Old Johnson Whittaker
Ken Garito	...	Cadet Lewis Ostheim
Greg Germann	...	Vernon Bailey
John Glover	...	Maj. Asa Bird Gardiner
Brad Greenquist	...	Dr. Beard
Peter Maloney	...	Capt. William Smith Michie
George Martin	...	President Rutherford B. Hayes
Scott Paetty	...	Cadet George Burnett
Josef Sommer	...	Col. Morrow
Seth Gilliam	...	Cadet Johnson C. Whittaker
Anthony Rapp	...	Cadet Frederick G. Hodgson
John Wehr	...	Cadet Blake
Ralph Williams	...	Stuart
Jim Grimshaw	...	Grimes
Joel Abel	...	Gen. Miles
Alan Sader	...	Col. Lugenbeel
James Bigwood	...	Albert S. Southworth
Kevin R. Hershberger	...	Cadet (as Kevin Hershberger)
Robert Straley	...	Cadet
George M. Brooke IV	...	Cadet
Ford Flannagan	...	Chamberlain's Secretary
Mary Jefferson	...	Wilma
Bill Kux	...	Harvard Club Maitre D'
Jean-Claude Matte	...	Harvard Wine Club Steward
Charles Thomas Baxter	...	Train Conductor
Jeanette Chorpenning	...	Tavern Waitress
Richard Pelzman	...	Beefy Orderly
Leon Pridgen	...	John Whittaker
Michael Kennedy	...	Court Clerk
Michael Stanton Kennedy	...	Clerk of the Court
Michael Mansfield	...	Judge
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Foster	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Charly Kayle	...	Court room observer (uncredited)

Directed by
Harry Moses

Writing credits (WGA)
Harry Moses		(written by)

Produced by
James Bigwood	....	line producer
Harry Moses	....	producer
Bob Rubin	....	executive producer
Bill Siegler	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Terence Blanchard

Cinematography by
Ken Kelsch

Film Editing by
Jay Freund

Casting by
Leonard Finger
Stephanie Klapper

Production Design by
Howard Cummings

Art Direction by
Jea DeVoe

Set Decoration by
Lisa Caperton

Costume Design by
Paul A. Simmons Jr.		(as Paul Simmons)

Makeup Department
Shirley Baker	....	additional hair stylist
Nancy Cates	....	additional makeup artist
Joseph P. Hurt	....	makeup department head
Rachel Kick	....	assistant hair stylist (as Rachael Kick)
Rachel Kick	....	assistant makeup artist (as Rachael Kick)
Sharon Pearson	....	additional hair stylist
Rosalee Riggle	....	hair stylist (as Rose Bologa)
Sharon Spradlin-Barrett	....	additional makeup artist (as Sharon Barrett)

Production Management
James Bigwood	....	unit production manager
Steven Hewitt	....	executive in charge of production
Tim King	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Otie Brown	....	second assistant director
Timothy J. Lonsdale	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Chris Arias	....	construction foreman
Clifford D. Eubank	....	set dresser (as Cliff Eubank)
Liz Fowler	....	set dresser (as Lizabeth Fowler)
Marty Garrigan	....	property master (as Martin Garrigan)
Thomas J. Garrigan	....	assistant property master (as Thomas Garrigan)
Eric Gruber	....	construction coordinator
Michael D. Harrell	....	lead man (as Mike Harrell)
R. Mark Hughes	....	on-set dresser
Kalina Ivanov	....	storyboard artist
Heather S. Jenkins	....	buyer (as Heather Jenkins)
Lucy Payne	....	draper
Kitty Sachs	....	draper
Ronald H. Sachs	....	painter (as Ronald Sachs)
Leigh Sellinger	....	painter (as Leigh Ann Sellinger)
Stephen G. Shifflette	....	set dresser (as Steve Shifflette)
Tracee Shuler	....	additional props
Jason Winebarger	....	charge scenic

Sound Department
Tim Boggs	....	supervising adr editor
Mark Cookson	....	sound effects editor (as Mark Goodson)
Louis Creveling	....	dialogue editor
Lisle Engle	....	sound effects editor (as Lile Engle)
William G. Flick	....	boom operator (as William Flick)
Robert Friedman	....	foley artist
Patrick Giraudi	....	dialogue editor
David Grant	....	dialogue editor
Dan Jamele	....	dialogue editor
Stanley Kastner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Marcil	....	adr mixer
Debbie Melford	....	adr editor
David Melhase	....	digital transfer engineer
Keith Olson	....	foley artist
Timothy Pearson	....	foley artist (as Tim Pearson)
John Ross	....	sound re-recording mixer
Craig Sadler	....	sound effects editor
Steve Scoville	....	dialogue editor
James Thornton	....	production sound mixer
David Torres	....	foley mixer (as Dave Torres)
Paul Urmson	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Lisa Reynolds	....	special effects assistant
Bob Shelley	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Adams	....	grip (as Mike Adams)
Tom Barrett	....	best boy grip
Kip Bogdahn	....	camera production assistant
Jim Bridges	....	still photographer
Skelly Cummings	....	dolly grip
Barry Davis	....	electrician
Michael Flynn	....	electrician
David Hammett	....	electric production assistant (as Dave Hammett)
Jay Kemp	....	best boy electric
Carter Kesler	....	grip
Robert Kummert	....	key grip
Dennis A. Livesey	....	first assistant camera
Greg Martin	....	grip
Charlie McNamara	....	gaffer
Todd Ranson	....	electrician
Carl Shermat	....	grip
Robert Smith	....	electrician
Robert Spencer	....	electrician
Michael C. Stailey	....	second assistant camera (as Mike Stailey)

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
William Butler	....	costumer
Ani Lytle	....	costume assistant
Paul A. Simmons Jr.	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Paul Simmons Jr.)
Omar J. Simmons	....	costumer

Editorial Department
David Leveen	....	on-line editor
Nina Murano	....	post-production secretary
Larry Trosko	....	colorist
Christine P. Williams	....	assistant editor (as Christine Williams)

Music Department
James Nichols	....	music recordist

Transportation Department
Robert Foster Jr.	....	driver
Bobby Jones	....	transportation captain
Tom Mawyer	....	transportation coordinator (as Tommy Mawyer)

Other crew
Julie Paige Adams	....	set production assistant (as Julie Adams)
Christopher Albert	....	assistant location manager
Charles Thomas Baxter	....	location manager (as Charley Baxter)
Susan Bluttman	....	unit publicist
Grace Browder	....	production secretary
Keith Gibson	....	military advisor (as Lt. Col. Keith Gibson)
Rebecca Gibson	....	assistant production office coordinator
Karen Gnat	....	coordinator: Ultra Entertainment
Susanne Harris	....	title designer
Kevin R. Hershberger	....	cadet wrangler (as Kevin Hershberger)
Patricia Ann Holmes	....	production auditor (as Patricia Holmes)
Kurt Kulhanek	....	set production assistant
Nita Long-Mawyer	....	coordinator: livestock (as Nita Long)
John F. Marszalek	....	source book: "Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker"
Dave Mullins	....	additional wrangler
Kitty Olisky	....	production coordinator
Michael Parker	....	set production assistant
Wendy Lee Roberts	....	script supervisor (as Wendy Roberts)
Bob Terrell	....	craft service (as Bob Terrill)
Ernie Ward	....	additional wrangler
Susan Zeh	....	accounting production assistant

Distributors

• Showtime (1994) (USA) (TV)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• KNM Home Entertainment (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Mundial Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

"Assault at West Point" - International (English title) (alternative title)
"Assault at Westpoint" - USA (short title)

Runtime:

Brazil:95 min | USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Buena Vista, Virginia, USA

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Garand rifle on the cover picture wasn't designed till the 1930s.

Quotes:

Maj. Asa Bird Gardiner:They shouted, "This is how we mark hogs down South". How do they mark hogs down South?
Cadet Johnson Whittaker:I don't know, I'm not a hogs marker.

Good Acting, but not for title character

I am glad this story was dramatized. It is an excellent, if not frustrating story and it is played out well. I do have to disagree with the portrayal of Johnson Whittaker, though. I do not feel Seth Gilliam did a good job at portraying the conflict, emotion and frustration he must have felt. Scenes with Samuel L Jackson were, as always, excellent. And Sam Waterston was excellent playing a bigoted lawyer conflicted in his feelings towards race and upholding the law. This movie makes you incredulous. But, since it is accurate and based on the court records, gives us a good indication of the incredible injustices that the supposed justice system was upholding in the late 1800s. (I know, it was a court martial, not a trial, but still presumably based on justice.)