Until Edward Zwick's 1989 film "Glory" was released, the deeds of the 54th Regiment of the Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry were known mostly only to a few historians and Civil War enthusiasts.

An all-black regiment headed by a white officer, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (played in the movie by Matthew Broderick), the 54th was initially treated poorly. It was given substandard equipment and the black troops were paid less than white soldiers.

Then on July 18, 1863, Shaw led 600 of his troops in an attack on Fort Wagner, which guarded the Port of Charleston, S.C. Some 281 of the regiment were killed, wounded or captured, including Shaw.

Though the 54th continued to fight over the next two years, taking part in operations throughout the South, the 54th Massachusetts is remembered for its single night of ... well, for want of a better word, glory. The 54th returned to Boston in September 1865 where a statue of Shaw and his men was erected in 1897.

Zwick's movie, which will screen today at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Regal Cinemas theater at Northtown Mall, ended up winning three Academy Awards, one of which went to Denzel Washington (Best Supporting Actor).