The Andersonville Trial

When I saw this being rebroadcast on Ovation (part of the Trio/Oxygen genre cable channels), I was surprised to see a younger William Shatner doing what he's always done best - overacting and over-emoting. At the same time, I felt that it was done with pure intentions, and was an overall stellar performance.

Andersonville was a Confederate prisoner of war camp renowned for its inhumanity to its prisoners. Photos taken of survivors are similar in appearance to survivors of Auschwitz--gaunt skeletons with skin stretched over them.

I saw "The Andersonville Trial" on Bravo about four years ago and was struck by its power. It is a highly literate play, dealing with very important and perhaps timeless issues -- responsibility for and complicity in war crimes.

I watched this on TV when I was 13 or 14 yrs old and was engrossed in it. It left a lasting impression on me.

Based on a Broadway play, THE ANDERSONVILLE TRIAL was a made for television production directed by George C. Scott with a number of major performances, led by William Schatner as the Union Prosecutor, and Jack Cassidy as the Southern born defense counsel for Confederate Captain Henry Wirtz (Richard Basehart).

Back in 1998, I submitted the below review of The Andersonville Trial. Over the course of years, I searched for a video copy of the show, and finally paid a high price for it at eBay!

This pocket-sized movie has an epic sized heart. Was George C.

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 have not seen this this very fine courtroom drama in almost thirty years, but it remains an unforgettable experience. Basehart, Shatner, Cassidy, Salmi, and Mitchell all give excellent performances.