Lush, romanticized biopic of President Andrew Jackson (Charlton Heston) and his wife, Rachel Donelson Robards (Susan Hayward), who bond when Jackson escorts Robards (Margaret Wycherley), then married to another man, on a dangerous riverboat trip from Nashville to Natchez, Miss. They fall in love and decide to marry once her first marriage is annulled. Some question the legitimacy of their marriage since it took place before her divorce was final, and they marry again. Jackson wins his party’s nomination and runs for president and wins, but the new First Lady dies before the couple moves into the White House.
Susan Hayward, who stars as Mrs. Jackson in The President?s Lady (1953), arrived in Hollywood in 1937 as one of the hopefuls auditioning for the part of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind (1939).
Academy Award Nominations: Best Art Direction; Best Costume Design.
production details
USA | Twentieth Century Fox | 96 minutes | 1953
Director: Henry Levin
Producer: Sol C. Siegel
Original Story: Ruth Attaway
Director of Photography: Leo Tover
Editing: William B. Murphy
Music:Alfred Newman
Script: John Patrick
Production Design: Charles F. Le Maire, Renie
Art Direction: Leland Fuller, Lyle Wheeler
cast
John George as Spectator at Speech (uncredited)
Carl Betz as Charles Dickinson
Ralph Dumke as Col. Stark
Susan Hayward as Rachel Donaldson
Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson
John McIntire as John Overton
Fay Bainter as Mrs. Donaldson
Ruth Attaway as Moll
Margaret Wycherly as Mrs. Robards
Gladys Hurlbut as Mrs. Phariss
Nina Varela as Mrs. “Peachblossom” Stark
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