The Andersonville Trial

TV Movie
1970
2h 30m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

A dramatization of the 1865 war-crimes trial of Henry Wirz, commandant of the notorious Confederate POW camp at Andersonville, Georgia.A dramatization of the 1865 war-crimes trial of Henry Wirz, commandant of the notorious Confederate POW camp at Andersonville, Georgia.A dramatization of the 1865 war-crimes trial of Henry Wirz, commandant of the notorious Confederate POW camp at Andersonville, Georgia.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

505

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 3 Primetime Emmys
- 4 wins & 2 nominations total

Trivia
All of the witnesses as portrayed in the film are the actual witnesses who testified at Wirz's trial, and their dialogue in many cases is taken almost verbatim from the trial transcript. The major change from history is that Wirz did not testify and the whole "moral issue", around which this film revolves, was never raised at the trial.

Goofs
Early on, a captain played by Martin Sheen comes into the court to tell Gen. Wallace that the defendant tried to hurt himself. The crossed sabers insignia of the cavalry on Sheen's cap is upside down.

Connections
Featured in The 23rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1971)

User reviews16

Review

Featured review

8/10

First-rate historical drama

A wonderful TV movie about the most notorious of the "concentration camps" of the American Civil War. It has a first-rate cast, with Richard Basehart giving an especially intense performance as the camp commandant. I hope some day it comes out on video or is rebroadcast, perhaps by the History Channel.