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 final scene shows the members of Congress being called individually to come forward in order to sign the Declaration of Independence while the camera trucks back, or zooms out. The characters' final positions are an approximation of John Trumbull's famous painting, The Declaration of Independence. The actual painting shows the congressional chamber from the front behind Hancock's desk while the scene in the movie is from the rear of the chamber, and therefore the characters appear reversed with the five members of Congress who were assigned to the committee to write the Declaration on the right of the desk as opposed to the left. Far fewer of the actual number of delegates, who were in Congress, are represented in the movie, but the resemblance to the painting is unmistakable including the delegate sitting with one leg crossed over another.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Caesar Rodney is depicted as a short man, but he was famously tall and thin.

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:

Finale

INTELLIGENT,WITTY AND TUNEFUL.

This movie scarcely saw the light of day in Britain and has not been seen on T.V. there for 20 years and this is their loss as this intelligent,witty and tuneful musical is up there with the best of its genre. Okay,so no-one goes round whistling these tunes like they do for the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Lerner and Loewe but the music and lyrics provided for "1776" work like a dream and all are zestfully performed.As for the cast,you imagine that if you were to travel back in time these 200 years and more and asked the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin to sing to you,this is what they would have sounded like and these are the words they would have sung.William Daniels,short in stature but long in charisma was perfect here as John Adams.A shame that the big screen did not make greater subsequent use of this gifted performer.Full marks to all of those involved.