A Southern Movie: Weird but Watchable

“The Legend of Van Dorn” has recently been released. It takes a bit of history and weaves a romantic story, which must be mostly imaginary, around it.



Confederate Major General Earl Van Dorn (1820-1863) was a brave and able soldier who rendered valuable service to the Confederacy. Before the war he had been recognised for conspicuous bravery in the Mexican War and against the Comanches.


Van Dorn is said to have been a handsome blond and very attractive to women. It seems he made use of this with women, including married ones. In 1863 he was assassinated by a conspicuously wronged husband. The film makes Van Dorn’s affair with Mrs. Peters into a tearjerker love story which is probably more fiction than fact.


Keeping this always in mind, I somewhat appreciated watching the movie. Most of the creators and lead characters are Southern-born and not well-known. The accents are better than in most such movies. The battle scenes are somewhat more accurate than usual, I think. Gen. Bedford Forrest is well-played by David B. Meadows, from West Virginia and a former combat experienced Navy Seal.


A relaxed hour and a half with this might be pleasant, and certainly better than Hollywood’s usual degenerate trash.