Antebellum Period Movies & TV

Antebellum Period Movies & TV

Nightmares from the Mind of Poe (2006)

Nightmares offers a uniquely biographical perspective on American author Edgar Allan Poe's most well-known thrillers, including "The Tale-Tale Heart," "The Premature Burial," and "The Raven." Revisit these classics with some new insight into Poe's deepest fears and his darkest memories.

P.T. Barnum (1999)

This Emmy-nominated film delves into the spectacular rags-to-riches tale of P. T. Barnum, the famous showman who in the nineteenth century created "The Greatest Show on Earth," which was performed most recently with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey until its shutdown in mid-2017.

Moby Dick (1956)

Although several adaptations of Herman Melville's most famous novel have been produced since the 1926 silent film The Sea Beast, this version written by Ray Bradbury, directed by John Huston, and starring Gregory Peck remains the best.

Davy Crockett, King of Wild Frontier (1955)

Considered by some to be the first true television miniseries, Davy Crockett became one of Walt Disney's most successful productions (and lucrative merchandising exploits). Coupled with the opening of Frontierland in the Disneyland theme park and the mass production of coonskin caps, this TV program turned the antebellum-era American frontiersman into a 1950s pop phenomenon. Watch out for the annoyingly catchy theme song.

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1927)

Early African-American actor James B. Lowe stars as Uncle Tom in this, one of the most famous screen adaptations of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 abolitionist novel. Seven decades after the book's publication, Stowe's tale about the injustices of slavery takes on new meanings.