- New film by Island-based company to be shown across America
- It was made by Jersey-based company Colonial Pictures, led by Alastair Layzell
- Film to be shown on 4 August, two days before the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965,
- It is narrated by actor Morgan Freeman
A JERSEY-BASED film production company has made a documentary about former American President Lyndon B Johnson’s pivotal contribution to the civil rights movement.
The film, which will be shown across America on 4 August two days before the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, is narrated by actor Morgan Freeman.
It was made by Jersey-based company Colonial Pictures, led by Alastair Layzell, whose team also produced the film JFK: One PM Central Standard Time about events during the hour following the assassination of American president John F Kennedy in 1963.
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT 1964
- First proposed by President Kennedy, it survived strong opposition from southern members of Congress
- The act was signed by Lyndon B Johnson and ended segregation in public places including schools, and it banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex or national origin
VOTING RIGHTS ACT 1965
- This act prohibited racial discrimination in voting
- It was designed to enact the voting rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments to the US Constitution
When Kennedy was assassinated, Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson suddenly became one of the world’s most powerful men.
JFK & LBJ: A Time for Greatness – which is the second part of a trilogy focusing on aspects of American history between 1958 and 1968 – describes how Johnson engineered the passing of two of the most important laws Congress ever approved: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Mr Layzell described the era of 1958 to 1968 as a fascinating time in American history. As well as tracking down people from Johnson’s administration to interview, the film team obtained a recording made at the White House when Johnson called Luther King after Kennedy’s funeral and pledged to ensure Kennedy’s work on civil rights legislation would continue.
For many, President Johnson is remembered for escalating the United States’ military involvement in Vietnam.
‘Our latest film shows that President Johnson used the contacts and power from his former role as the majority leader of the Democrats to push through these life-changing laws,’ Mr Layzell said.
Those involved in the film’s making alongside Mr Layzell, who worked as producer and director, were Jersey-based director of photography Richard Hall, assistant cameraman Liam Le Guillou and Anne Dunning as production assistant.
‘We were also fortunate that when we approached actor Morgan Freeman, who has an amazing voice, to narrate the film, he was in London working on another production and agreed to do it,’ Mr Layzell said.
The 90-minute documentary, in which Texan actor Mark Murphey plays the title role, records the pivotal role Johnson played, alongside civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr, in bringing about legislation ending racial segregation in public places and in voting.
It follows the recent film Selma, which was about the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march. Some who worked with Johnson have criticised that film for portraying Johnson as hindering rather than pushing for legislation outlawing discrimination.
The production has had a BAFTA-hosted premiere in New York and there will be a private showing in the Island in September.
JFK: One PM Central Standard Time, which was also seen nationwide across the United States, was narrated by actor George Clooney and included interviews with American journalists who worked on the story. The title referred to the broadcast in which CBS television anchorman Walter Cronkite first announced to Americans that President Kennedy had died.
