‘Tennessee Johnson’ Blu-Ray Review – An Entertaining Yet Overly Generous Portrait Of A Flawed President

During Hollywood’s golden era, biographical dramas were often a big box-office draw, and Tennessee Johnson gave M-G-M an opportunity to showcase the impressive skills of studio newcomer Van Heflin, who had just earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar * for the 1941 crime hit Johnny Eager. The studio found an ideal role for Heflin in Andrew Johnson, the Tennessee tailor-turned- senator who broke with the South, rose to the vice presidency under Abraham Lincoln and soon became — after Lincoln’s assassination — the first U.S. president to face impeachment. With inspired direction by William Dieterle (The Life of Emile Zola), Heflin convinces as Johnson “by the sheer sincerity and strength of his performance” (The New York Times), while studio stalwart Lionel Barrymore portrays Johnson’s nemesis, Thaddeus Stevens, and Ruth Hussey plays his devoted wife. As with most biopics of the era, the film should be viewed today as a reflection of Hollywood’s tendency to take factual liberties in order to give audiences an uplifting story and, above all, entertain.

For thoughts on Tennessee Johnson, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Tennessee Johnson for the first time on Blu-Ray with 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the best surviving elements. The label delivers a truly dazzling transfer as this disc stands out as a highlight from this era of classic Hollywood. This black and white feature shot by Harold Rosson has impeccably resolved natural film grain throughout which provides a commendable amount of detail to the image. Print damage has been eradicated as you avoid any nicks, scratches or flicker. The presentation allows for a favorable amount of depth in every setting. Highlights are well maintained and black levels hold firm with no evidence of any crush. Warner Archive always works very well within their bag of tricks.  

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray release comes with a newly restored DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that handles this material as well as you could hope given the age of the source. This film is replete with fiery exchanges of dialogue which never fail to come through clearly throughout the duration. The environmental effects and the score from Herbert Stothart are properly balanced so that the dialogue never struggles for prominence. There does not appear to be much at all in the way of damage or age related wear and tear to the track. The only minor deficiencies are the fleeting moments when music sounds a bit thin in the upper registers. This is a pretty great audio presentation for fans. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles available on the disc. 

Special Features

• Screen Guild Radio Broadcast with Gary Cooper and Ruth Hussey – 7/5/43: A 30-minute radio broadcast featuring Gary Cooper, Ruth Hussey, Lionel Barrymore and Ralph Morgan.

• Classic Tom & Jerry Short – Baby Puss: An eight-minute Tom & Jerry short featuring Tom being treated like a baby by the little girl of the house and being subsequently teased by Jerry. This is presented in HD and DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. 

• Classic MGM Short – Heavenly Music: A 22-minute live-action short in which a band leader must prove he is worthy of being admitted to the Hall of Music in heaven is presented here in HD. 

• Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Tennessee Johnson is a very entertaining presidential drama, if not exactly a truthful one. If you are looking for historical accuracy, you are going to be driven mad by this one. This famously flawed leader has been given the royal treatment in terms of image rehabilitation including fabricated speeches that make him seem notably thoughtful. The truth is a little less kind to Johnson, but judging this strictly as a movie you will find yourself moved by many moments. Van Heflin does a really nice job in the lead role, and he is supported quite capably by a peerless ensemble. Director William Dieterle knows how to craft a rousing picture, but we are not sure if Johnson himself deserved it. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a reference quality A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. While Sunrise At Campobello is our preferred presidential drama as of late, this is an engaging time if you know what you are signing up to watch. Recommended 

Tennessee Johnson can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.