Wilson (1944 film)

Wilson is a 1944 American biographical film about Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States. Shot in Technicolor and directed by Henry King, the film stars Alexander Knox, Charles Coburn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell, Ruth Nelson, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, William Eythe and Mary Anderson. Darryl F. Zanuck, then head of 20th Century-Fox, was an ardent admirer of Wilson and personally oversaw production. Character actor Alexander Knox was cast in a rare leading role as Wilson who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.

Wilson received critical acclaim, earning ten nominations at the 17th Academy Awards and winning five, including Best Writing, Original Screenplay. However, it was a box office bomb due to its unusually high budget. Zanuck was so disappointed over the failure of the film that for years he forbade Fox employees from mentioning the film in his presence.