LBJ: The Early Years
| LBJ: The Early Years | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Directed by | Peter Werner |
| Starring |
Randy Quaid Patti LuPone Morgan Brittany Pat Hingle Barry Corbin Jack Blessing |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | John Brice Sandra Saxon Brice Charles W. Fries |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Editor(s) | Steve Cohen |
| Running time | 155 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Louis Rudolph Films Brice Productions Fries Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Original release | February 1, 1987 (U.S.) |
LBJ: The Early Years was a television movie that appeared on the NBC network in February 1987, depicting the pre-presidential life of the 36th President of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson from 1963 until 1969. Actor Randy Quaid won a Golden Globe award for his portrayal of Johnson.
In 1934, Then clerk for Texas Congressman Richard Kleberg, Lyndon Johnson (Randy Quaid) runs up the steps of the Capitol to meet with future Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn (Pat Hingle), who is sure he will work beside Johnson in the future. Johnson then runs off with his boss's Cadillac, driving all night to pick up his fiancee Lady Bird Johnson (Patti LuPone) at the home of her father in Texas. They both drive back to Washington, D.C., and have a bad run-in with Kleberg's standoffish wife, who thinks he is sabotaging her husband for his own political gain.
After being fired by the Congressman (through his wife's intervention), Johnson wakes up one morning to find that another Congressman has died, leaving the seat vacant. He prods a local judge who is very politically connected, Judge Alvin Wirtz (Barry Corbin), into giving him a chance to run for Congress. Judge Wirtz tells Johnson that the former Congressman's widow might run for the seat, and that he'll need $10,000 just to make it a contest. Lady Bird Johnson's father provides the $10,000, and gets confirmation that the widow will not run. Johnson then tours the hill country of Texas, bringing along his father and his wife to campaign. He promises that he shall provide services such as power and running water to the people, and goes stumping, pushing harder and harder. It is after a gruelling schedule and many, many cigarettes and Milk of Magnesia bottles later that the pain is so great in his abdominal area that Johnson collapses. Lady Bird appears at the bedside of her husband, who had an operation to remove a ruptured appendix and is now recuperating. When he awakens, she tell him that he had won the election and calls him 'Congressman'. Johnson is then shown inside the Capitol, taking an elevator ride up with his friend Sam Rayburn, leaving his wife as the elevator doors close.
...
Wikipedia