Independence (1976)

This short was made during the US Bicentennial celebration to give a background on the development, writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the men who were involved in it.

Director:

John Huston

Writers:

Tom McGrath, Joyce Ritter,

Stars:

William Atherton, John Favorite, Pat Hingle

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Atherton	...	Benjamin Rush
John Favorite	...	John Lansing Jr.
Pat Hingle	...	John Adams
Ken Howard	...	Thomas Jefferson
Anne Jackson	...	Abigail Adams
E.G. Marshall	...	Narrator (voice)
Donald Moore	...	Benjamin Harrison (as Donald C. Moore)
Scott Mulhern	...	Alexander Hamilton
Patrick O'Neal	...	George Washington
John Randolph	...	Samuel Adams
Paul Sparer	...	John Hancock
Tom Spratley	...	George Mason
Donald Symington	...	Richard Henry Lee
James Tolkan	...	Tom Paine
Eli Wallach	...	Benjamin Franklin

Storyline

This short was made during the US Bicentennial celebration to give a background on the development, writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the men who were involved in it.

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Plot Keywords:

thomas jefferson | george washington | benjamin harrison | john adams | independent film

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Genres:

Drama | Short

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 1976 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Park Service, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Howard who plays Thomas Jefferson previously played the author of the Declaration of Independence in the original cast of the Broadway musical "1776" and then reprised the role in the movie version.

User Reviews

Still a good short documentary

I just saw this film yesterday (May 31, 2010) at the Independence Hall visitors center in Philadelphia. It's still a good short documentary, especially with the part at the end on the transfer of the Presidency from George Washington to John Adams. We take that for granted today. But back then, most successions were a result of heredity following the passing of a monarch, or by a not-so-peaceful coup.

However, it might be worthwhile to remake the film. Several viewers recognized the fact that the director (John Huston) and the narrator (E.G. Marshall) passed away many years ago. Even thought the script itself it still great, viewers might consider the film to be rather dated. In the least, the film needs be restored. It was fuzzy most of the way through.