"North and South" (1985) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

3 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War | Western

Plot:

Two friends, one northern and one southern, struggle to maintain their friendship as events build towards the American Civil War.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Plantation | Civil War | Southerner | Epic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Kirstie Alley	...	Virgilia Hazard / ... (6 episodes, 1985)
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Garrison Grady (6 episodes, 1985)
David Carradine	...	Justin LaMotte (6 episodes, 1985)
Philip Casnoff	...	Elkanah Bent / ... (6 episodes, 1985)
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Madeline Fabray LaMotte (6 episodes, 1985)
Genie Francis	...	Brett Main / ... (6 episodes, 1985)
Terri Garber	...	Ashton Main Huntoon (6 episodes, 1985)
Wendy Kilbourne	...	Constance Flynn Hazard / ... (6 episodes, 1985)
Jim Metzler	...	James Huntoon (6 episodes, 1985)
James Read	...	George Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
Lewis Smith	...	Charles Main (6 episodes, 1985)
John Stockwell	...	Billy Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
Patrick Swayze	...	Orry Main (6 episodes, 1985)
Johnny Cash	...	John Brown (6 episodes, 1985)
Olivia Cole	...	Maum Sally (6 episodes, 1985)
Morgan Fairchild	...	Burdetta Halloran (6 episodes, 1985)
Robert Guillaume	...	Frederick Douglass (6 episodes, 1985)
Hal Holbrook	...	Abraham Lincoln (6 episodes, 1985)
Gene Kelly	...	Sen. Charles Edwards (6 episodes, 1985)
Robert Mitchum	...	Patrick Flynn (6 episodes, 1985)
Jean Simmons	...	Clarissa Main (6 episodes, 1985)
David Ogden Stiers	...	Congressman Sam Greene (6 episodes, 1985)
Inga Swenson	...	Maude Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Madam Conti (6 episodes, 1985)
John Anderson	...	William Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
Lee Bergere	...	Nicholas Fabray (6 episodes, 1985)
Jonathan Frakes	...	Stanley Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
Wendy Fulton	...	Isabel Truscott Hazard (6 episodes, 1985)
David Harris	...	Priam (6 episodes, 1985)
Mitch Ryan	...	Tillet Main (6 episodes, 1985)
Forest Whitaker	...	Cuffey (6 episodes, 1985)
Erica Gimpel	...	Semiramis (4 episodes, 1985)
William Ostrander	...	Forbes LaMotte (4 episodes, 1985)
Tony Frank	...	Salem Jones (3 episodes, 1985)
Alveda King Beale	...	Slave (3 episodes, 1985)
Walter Barnes	...	Benny Haven (2 episodes, 1985)
Nikki Creswell	...	Young Brett Main (2 episodes, 1985)
Chris Douridas	...	George McClellan (2 episodes, 1985)
Temi Epstein	...	Young Ashton Main (2 episodes, 1985)
William Preston Daly	...	Tom 'Stonewall' Jackson (2 episodes, 1985)
Arthur Gilliard	...	Nathaniel (2 episodes, 1985)
Cody W. Hampton	...	George Pickett (2 episodes, 1985)
Tuck Milligan	...	Smith Dawkins (2 episodes, 1985)
Andy Stahl	...	Cadet Ned Fisk (2 episodes, 1985)
Robert Vaucresson	...	Jed (2 episodes, 1985)

Runtime:

561 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) (2006) | UK:15 (season 2) | UK:PG (season 1) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Boone Hall Plantation - 1235 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, USA

Company:

David L. Wolper Productions

Trivia:

Cost $25 million to make.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Orry throws Ashton out of Mont Royal he goes back to the study to pick up his cane. When he bends down to pick up the cane his tie is undone but is perfectly tied when he stands back up.

Quotes:

Justin: [after Madeline gives her opinion about secession in public] My dear, you forget yourself. Nobody here in this company cares what you have to say.
[drags her out of the room]
George: They're married, Orry. He's an arrogant ass but there's nothing you can do about it.
Orry Main: I'd like to horse whip him!
George: So would I. But it's not the time or the place.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Psych: An Evening with Mr. Yang (#3.16)" (2009)

North and South

The 1985 miniseries 'North and South' is a great depiction of the events leading up to the Civil War. 2 young men, Orry Main from South Carolina and George Hazard from Pennsylvania, meet at West Point and quickly become friends.

Each member of the Main and Hazard Families represent an actual viewpoint that was held during the turbulent political climate of antebellum America, such as the abolitionist Northerner, The Southern sympathizing Northerner, The sadistic Southern slave owner, The Southern Loyalist, just to list a few.

There are many differences between the miniseries and the 3 volume books by John Jakes (North and South, Love and War, and Heaven and Hell). Unlike their literary counterparts, the actors and actresses who portray these historic figures are all very good looking and bigger than life on screen. The dresses worn by the women are impeccable.

I highly recommend the "North and South" miniseries.