GLORY 133
Glory (1989)
Synopsis
Glory is an American war film directed by Edward Zwick and starring Matthew
Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman that recounts
the unsuccessful Union assault on Fort Wagner by an all- black regiment during
the Civil War. The screenplay was written by Kevin Jarre, based on the letters of
Union Army Col. Robert Gould Shaw, Peter Burchard’s novel, One Gallant Rush
(1965), and Lincoln Kirstein’s Lay This Laurel (1973), a compilation of photos of
the monument to the 54th Mas sa chu setts Volunteer Infantry at Boston Common.
Background
Screenwriter Kevin Jarre (1954–2011), an equestrian and a Civil War buff, knew
about Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Mas sa chu setts Volunteer Regiment— the
first black unit to fight in the Civil War— but his interest in the topic was not fully
ignited until he met ballet impresario Lincoln Kirstein in Saratoga, New York, in
June 1985. Kirstein had lived in Boston in the 1920s while attending Harvard and
harbored a lifelong fascination with the story of Shaw and the 54th after encoun-
tering Augustus Saint- Gaudens’ 1897 bronze relief Shaw memorial on the edge of
Boston Common. Inspired by Kirstein’s enthusiasm for the subject, Jarre read every-
thing he could find about Shaw and the 54th, including Shaw’s letters; the journal
of Charlotte Forten (a black abolitionist and close friend of Shaw’s); Peter Burchard’s
novel based on Shaw’s letters, One Gallant Rush: Robert Gould Shaw and His Brave
Black Regiment (St. Martin’s 1965); and Kirstein’s own book on Shaw, Lay This
Laurel (Eakins Press, 1973). In the fall of 1985 Jarre wrote a screen adaptation in
four weeks and initially placed his script with director Bruce Beresford (Breaker
Morant), who brought in producer Freddie Fields. Fields negotiated a production
deal with Columbia Pictures— but the movie stalled after Columbia Chairman
David Puttnam was fired in September 1987. Freddie Fields soon struck a deal
with Tri- Star Pictures, a Columbia subsidiary, and Edward Zwick replaced Beres-
ford as director.
Production
In order to assure historical accuracy, Zwick hired Civil War historian/novelist
Shelby Foote (1916–2005). Filming of Glory took place between 9 February and
27 April 1989, mostly in Georgia. The brief opening Battle of Antietam scenes were
staged near McDonough, Georgia, near Atlanta (and 662 miles south of the battle’s
actual location, near Sharpsburg, Mary land), enhanced by a mock-up of the land-
mark Dunker Church and footage taken of the 125th anniversary reenactment of
the Battle of Gettysburg in June 1988 that involved some 11,000 participants. Scenes
supposedly taking place in Boston were actually filmed in Savannah, Georgia. The
simulated burning of Darien, Georgia, was shot just west of Savannah, about 62
miles north of the actual town. The skirmish at James Island, South Carolina
(aka Battle of Grimball’s Landing, 16 June 1863), was filmed at Rose Dhu Island