Tall Tales & Legends: John Henry (1987)
This 1980s series included an episode on John Henry. Danny Glover stars, and Shelley Duvall hosts. The film has an after-school special feel—a bit cheesy—but it's still worth watching.
Transcontinental Railroad (2003)
This episode of PBS's American Experience takes an interesting and entertaining look at the transcontinental railroad. The southern railroads on which John Henry may have worked and died aren't central to the story, but the film illustrates the nature and scale of the work undertaken by railroad crews.