Stretched out to nearly eight agonising hours, this 1982 CBS miniseries attempted to tell the story of the Civil War through the eyes of John Geyser (John Hammond), a sensitive young newspaper illustrator (shades of John-Boy Walton) originally from Virginia but finding his allegiance a little further north.
At a reported cost of $16 million, the miniseries was laden with authentic costumes, grand battle scenes and a star-studded cast that included Gregory Peck in his TV-movie debut in the role of Abraham Lincoln.
It was a mind (and butt) numbing experience full of hokey acting and sloppy direction that moved as fast as refrigerated honey.
The battle of Bull Run, for example, was presented as an unbelievable mess of sloppy staging and camera placement.
In fact, most of the camera work had the look of an episode of Matlock, and the overall pacing seemed to skip over anything important while dwelling endlessly on unimportant details and characters.
The Blue and the Gray was also filled with weirdly confusing moments, like an early scene where two characters named John discuss a third character also named John or an unexpected shot of a shirtless Stacy Keach – as Union spy Jonas Steele – standing in profile rubbing his own ass.
Jonas Steele
Stacy Keach John Geyser
John Hammond Mary Hale
Julia Duffy Jacob Hale Sr.
Robin Gammell James Hale
David W. Harper Lester Bedell
Gregg Henry Matthew Geyser
Cooper Huckabee Professor Lowe
James Carroll Jordan Malachy Hale
Brian Kerwin Capt. Potts
William Lucking Maj. Harrison
Charles Napier Pvt. Grundy
Walter Olkewicz Emma Gayser
Penny Peyser Capt. Randolph
Duncan Regehr Christopher Spencer
David Rounds Maj. Fairburn
Christopher Stone Evelyn Hale
Diane Baker Kathy Reynolds
Kathleen Beller Arbuthnot
Paul Benedict Ben Geyser
Lloyd Bridges Gen. George Meade
Rory Calhoun Maggie Geyser
Colleen Dewhurst Phineas Wade
David Doyle Mark Geyser
Michael Horton Maj. Welles
Warren Oates Sgt. O’Toole
Gerald S. O’Loughlin Mrs Lovelace
Geraldine Page Luke Geyser
Dan Shor Gen. Ulysses S. Grant
Rip Torn Sen. Reynolds
Robert Vaughn Secretary of State Seward
John Vernon John Brown
Sterling Hayden Jonathan Henry
Paul Winfield Abraham Lincoln
Gregory Peck Jake Hale Jr.
Bruce Abbott Mary Todd Lincoln
Janice Carroll Hattie
Veronica Redd George
Fred Stuthman Alvin Mooney
John Voldstad Gen. Herman Haupt
Walter Brooke Johnny Reb
Steve Nevil Lt. Hardy
John Dennis Johnston Captain Grimes
Fredric Cook Dr Bennett
William Bryan Curran Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert Symonds Lt. Mercer
William Wellman Jr. Bates
Ebbe Roe Smith Lamar
Paul Harper Luanne
Diane Sommerfield Sergeant Ogilvie
Peter Jason Count Von Ziller
Warwick Sims Nell
Maggie Wellman Sykes
MC Gainey Judge Richard Parker
John Petlock Secretary of War Stanton
John Rolloff Private Lawrence ‘Coward’ Jones
George Newbern
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The battle of Bull Run, for example, was presented as an unbelievable mess of sloppy staging and camera placement.
