1776 (1972)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Peter H. Hunt

Writers:

Sherman Edwards (play)
Peter Stone (play)

Release Date:

17 November 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | History | Musical

Plot:

The film version of the Broadway musical comedy of the same name. In the days leading up to July 4, 1776...

Plot Keywords:

Thomas Jefferson | Broadway Musical | Declaration Of Independence | John Adams | Benjamin Franklin

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

William Daniels	...	John Adams (MA)
Howard Da Silva	...	Dr. Benjamin Franklin (PA)
Ken Howard	...	Thomas Jefferson (VA)
Donald Madden	...	John Dickinson (PA)
John Cullum	...	Edward Rutledge (SC)
Roy Poole	...	Stephen Hopkins (RI)
David Ford	...	Congressional President John Hancock (MA)
Ron Holgate	...	Richard Henry Lee (VA)
Ray Middleton	...	Col. Thomas McKean (DE)
William Hansen	...	Caesar Rodney (DE)
Blythe Danner	...	Martha Jefferson
Virginia Vestoff	...	Abigail Adams
Emory Bass	...	Judge James Wilson (PA)
Ralston Hill	...	Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson
Howard Caine	...	Lewis Morris (NY)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language. (edited version)

Runtime:

142 min | 168 min (director's cut) | 180 min (Laserdisc version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:G | USA:PG (longer video version) | Singapore:PG

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of the musical "1776" opened at the 46th Street Theater on March 16, 1969 and ran for 1217 performances. William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard, Roy Poole, Virginia Vestoff, David Ford, Ron Holgate, William Duell, Ralston Hill, Jonathan Moore and Charles Rule all recreated their roles in the movie. The original Broadway production won the 1969 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Best Featured Actor in a Musial (Ron Holgate) and Best Direction and received nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Musical(Virginia Vestoff), and Best Scenic Design.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Stephen Hopkins' statement "The Colonies are rotting for want of independence," should actually be attributed to Rev. John Witherspoon.

Quotes:

John Adams: Franklin, where in God's name have you been?
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Right here, John, being preserved for posterity. Do you like it?
[John walks around to look at the painting]
John Adams: It stinks.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: As ever, the soul of tact.
John Adams: Well, the man's no Botticelli.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: And the subject's no Venus.
John Adams: Franklin, where were you when I needed you? You should have heard what I suffered in there.
Dr. Benjamin Franklin: Oh, I heard, all right. Along with the rest of Philadelphia. Lord, your voice is piercing, John.
John Adams: Well, I just wish to Heaven my arguments were.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Playing Columbine (2008)

Soundtrack:

Till Then

A Must See For Every American

Sherman Edwards was a modest teacher of history when he got the idea of creating a musical telling of the tale of the birth of the United States. As it turned out, even though the story of the Declaration of Independence was one most every American schoolchild knew, there was a lot more to it than the signing of a paper and the ringing of a bell.

The Broadway version of "1776" became a sensation with audiences and went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1969.

During this era of film-making, the musical was still considered to be a draw for audiences, so it was natural to take this show and bring it to the big screen. And best of all, John Warner brought the bulk of the cast from the show to the film. William Daniels IS John Adams to a lot of people, and his portrayal of the feisty proponent for independence is one of the great performances of any "real life" character. Daniels is equaled by his fellow Congressional cohorts, Ken Howard as the author of the document, Thomas Jefferson, and the amazing Howard Da Silva as the good doctor, Benjamin Franklin.

To me, the most remarkable element is the facts of the story are pretty much accurate, the timing of the events, measured with a wall calendar, keeps the tension going as we count down to that particular date... July 1st, 2nd, 3rd...

But it's more than just the story of the founding of the country, it's a love story, or really two, with the Jeffersons Martha, played by Blythe Danner and the Adams pair, with the incredible Virginia Vestoff as John's Abigail who interacts with her husband only in his mind.

For a musical, it is something of a "warts and all" examination of the process, as the south refuses to sign a declaration that freed their slaves, as Jefferson had intended in the original draft. John Cullum brilliantly voices this discussion as the genteel South Carolinian, Edward Rutledge, in the hypnotic and haunting "Molasses to Rum." In fact, every song in the score is well thought out, clever, truthful and very entertaining!

Maybe this isn't *exactly* how the USA began, but, at least once a year, let's say it is.