Wilson (1944) on Netflix
New Jersey's Democratic machine recruits Woodrow Wilson, Princeton's president, to run for governor. He wins in 1910 and governs independently of the machine, then takes the presidency in 1912.
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- Netflix3.8/5
- IMDb6.3/101,875 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes89%
Trailer
Plot summary
In 1909 Woodrow Wilson heads Princeton University and has written books about democratic government. The local Democratic machine in New Jersey convinces him to run for governor, and after he wins in 1910 he shows that he does not answer to it, taking up progressive causes. A national turn toward reform and a split in the Republican Party give him a chance to win on the Democratic ticket; he takes the nomination and the presidency in 1912, then pushes through a set of programs called the New Freedom. When war breaks out in Europe in 1914, he tries to keep the United States neutral.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Wilson (1944)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a protege of Woodrow Wilson's, screened Wilson for guests at the Second Quebec Conference in 1944; British Prime Minister Winston Churchill excused himself halfway through and went to bed.
- Darryl F. Zanuck was so disappointed over Wilson's failure at the box office that for years he forbade Fox employees from mentioning the film in his presence.
- The United States Department of War prohibited Wilson from being exhibited on Armed Forces bases during World War II under the Soldier Voting Act's provisions against political material that could influence the elections of November 7, 1944, and ticket sales were damaged.
- Dwight Frye was cast as Secretary of War Newton D. Baker in Wilson but died of a heart attack on November 7, 1943, a few days before he was due to start filming.
- Theaters that usually charged 25 cents admission were forced to charge Fox's stipulated $1.10 for Wilson, about US$19.95 in 2025, and customers stayed away in droves.
- Before Alexander Knox was cast as Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Colman and Frank Conroy were considered for the part, and Claudette Colbert was considered for one of Wilson's wives.
- Wilson was first intended as a historical drama about a fictional American family in the Progressive Era, before Lamar Trotti rewrote it into a biopic about Woodrow Wilson.
- With a budget of $5.2 million, Wilson was the most expensive film Fox had produced at that time; much of the money went into accurate White House sets including the East Room, Blue Room, Oval Office and Lincoln Bedroom.
