Rough Riders (miniseries)
| Rough Riders | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | war |
| Written by | John Milius Hugh Wilson |
| Directed by | John Milius |
| Starring |
Tom Berenger Sam Elliott Gary Busey |
| Music by | Peter Bernstein |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Tom Berenger executive William J. MacDonald Robert Katz Moctesuma Esparza Larry Levinson co-producer Frank Q. Dobbs |
| Cinematography | Anthony B. Richmond |
| Editor(s) | Sam Citron |
| Running time | 184 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Affinity Entertainment Esparza Katz Larry Levinson Productions |
| Budget | $19 million |
| Release | |
| Original release | 20 July – 21 July 1997 |
Rough Riders is a 1997 television miniseries directed and co-written by John Milius about future President Theodore Roosevelt and the regiment known as the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry; a.k.a. the Rough Riders. The series prominently shows the bravery of the volunteers at the Battle of San Juan Hill, part of the Spanish–American War of 1898. It was released on DVD in 2006. The series originally aired on TNT with a four-hour running time, including commercials, over two consecutive nights during July 1997.
In 1898 the US government decided to intervene on the side of the Cuban rebels in their struggle against Spanish rule. Assistant Navy Secretary Theodore Roosevelt decides to experience the war first hand by promoting and joining a volunteer cavalry regiment.
The regiment, later known as the Rough Riders, brings together volunteers from all corners of the nation and all walks of life. They include a stagecoach robber, Henry Nash, and patrician men.
When Roosevelt and his men finally land on Cuba, they face ambush, intense enemy fire, and a desperate, outnumbered charge up a defended hill.
John Milius had long been an admirer of Teddy Roosevelt, and featured him as a character in his film, The Wind and the Lion (1975) (played by Brian Keith). He had tried to make a film about Roosevelt and the Rough Riders for a number of years but "nobody cared," he said. "When I would pitch a film about Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War, they wouldn't get it. They would say, 'It's not exactly a Western, and it's not a war picture, so what is it?' I think it's both. The last great Western of the 19th century.... [Roosevelt was] an extraordinary character. He makes a really good contrast to the way things are today. He put his money where his mouth was. He was the real thing."
Tom Berenger had starred in Gettysburg (1993) for Ted Turner and was also a long time admirer of Roosevelt. Berenger pitched the idea of a mini series on the Rough Riders to Turner, giving him an outline, and Turner agreed to finance a four hour mini series for TNT.
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