Bill O'Reilly's 'Killing Lincoln' Movie Review

'Killing Lincoln': From left, Geraldine Hughes, Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson (playing John Wilkes Booth) star in this docudrama on the National Geographic Channel, Sunday night at 8 PM, Eastern and Pacific times; 7 PM, Central Time.

So, back in October of 2012, I read Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard - here is my review of the ebook. Mareena had downloaded this ebook for me as an early Christmas present in 2011, although I didn't get a chance to read the book until October of 2012. While I did enjoy the book, and I picked it to be my Book of the Month for October, if truth be known, the book was incredibly over-hyped in my opinion, and didn't live up entirely to all the incredible press that it received. Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard was still very good - I just thought that it was slightly less interesting than all the reviews made it out to be!

Tonight, from 8-10 PM on the National Geographic Channel, 'Killing Lincoln', a docudrama narrated by Tom Hanks, and starring Billy Campbell (as Abraham Lincoln) and Jesse Johnson (as John Wilkes Booth) will be broadcast. The film was produced by Tony Scott prior to his death in August of 2012, and his younger brother Ridley Scott was co-executive producer of the film. 

Who Plays President Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States?
 

Apart from being an actor with roles in such television shows as 'Once and Again' and an episode of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' along with many others on his resume, Billy Campbell took 13 months off to circumnavigate the globe on a sailing trawler in early 2005. Billy Campbell is the second cousin of 'Burn Notice' actor Bruce Campbell.

Who Plays John Wilkes Booth -

Famous Stage Actor and Assassin of Abraham Lincoln?

Jesse Johnson is also a television actor with many television and movie roles on his resume. He speaks fluent Spanish and is also a song-writer and a muti-instrumentalist who is currently in the studio recording an album. He is the son of actors Don Johnson and Patti D'arbanville.

My Review of the Movie Adaptation of Bill O'Reilly's 'Killing Lincoln':

I really enjoyed the movie adaptation of 'Killing Lincoln' - both Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson were well-suited to their respective roles. Billy Campbell has had roles in the 1993 movie Gettysburg and the 2003 prequel Gods and Generals, before playing Abraham Lincoln in 'Killing Lincoln'. Jesse Johnson is the son of an actor, as well as being an actor himself - John Wilkes Booth was a member of the famous 19th-century acting family, the Booth Family.

John Wilkes' father, Junius Brutus Booth, was a Shakespearean actor of some acclaim; his older brother, Edwin, became famous for his portrayal of Hamlet and founded both Booth's Theatre in Manhattan in 1869 and The Players' Club in 1888. On an interesting side note, Edwin Booth saved the life of Abraham Lincoln's eldest son, Robert, when he fell off a train platform in New Jersey. The incident may have taken place sometime in late 1864 or early 1865, shortly before John Wilkes Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Edwin Booth didn't learn the identity of the young man whose life he'd saved until several months after the president's assassination, and the fact that he had saved the life of Abraham Lincoln's son is said to have brought Edwin Booth a small measure of comfort following his brother's assassination of the president.

Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. was overshadowed not only by his father, Junius Brutus Booth, Sr. and his brothers Edwin and John Wilkes, but also by his wife Agnes Booth, who was a successful actress in her own right. Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. was an actor and theatre manager of the Boston Theatre, the Walnut Street Theatre, Winter Garden Theatre and Booth's Theatre. He was briefly imprisoned in Washington, D. C. after his brother John Wilkes assassinated the president. At the time of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. was fulfilling an acting engagement in Cincinnati, Ohio. Even so, he was arrested and hurried by train to the Old Capitol Prison. I ultimately give the movie adaption of Bill O'Reilly's 'Killing Lincoln' an A+!

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight