Comments on: A Clip From “1776″

By: Kate Setzer Kamphausen

Kate Setzer Kamphausen — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:39:18 +0000

Hee. PB, I love this movie. It may be the first musical I ever saw as a wee little child, and we had the soundtrack on vinyl (along with South Pacific and The Sound of Music). This remains my favorite musical ever AND …

…I can sing all the songs by heart to this day!!!!!

By: Patrick D.

Patrick D. — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:44:02 +0000

PB,

Thanks for the link to the Ed Sullivan clip! I had never see that before - and now have it bookmarked. This is my favorite musical ever (Next to Music Man NCHS ‘82 - of course).

Patrick D.

By: Kate

Kate — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:29:11 +0000

I just added this to my Netflix Q and remembered with fondness when you had us watch it back at Hill. Can’t wait to see it again!

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:19:50 +0000

I love this movie so much - my sister and I got the sheet music so she could play some of the songs on the piano. When I heard there was a director’s cut of the movie that included an additional song (one that was in the Broadway show, I gather, but was cut from the movie for length - think it’s Cool Considerate Men), I couldn’t wait to get it. Now I have it and have been saving it for this weekend.

Favorite song: he plays the violin
Favorite motif: the closings of letters between John and Abigail -till then, I am, as I ever was, and ever shall be, yours.

Wonderful!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:39:12 +0000

Oh goodness. I love 1776. Funny fact - did you know that Brent Spiner (Star Trek TNG’s Data) played John Adams in the Broadway Revival?

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:16:25 +0000

My first introduction to 1776 was when I played Martha Jefferson in the show in high school. My primary memory from that experience consists of having to engage in passionate, onstage kissing for 2 pages of dialogue with the boy playing Thomas Jefferson, who incicidentally became my boyfriend directly after that. . . Interestingly, though, I found the whole history aspect of the show terribly boring at the time (I have no excuse for this other than the fact that I was typical high school girl). Fortunately, I have a renewed interest in the events of 1776, as I coincidentally began watching HBO’s “John Adams” and reading Forrest Church’s “So Help Me God” (which explores the faiths of the founders) nearly simultaneously, and now this. Thanks for reminding me of another great depiction (if occasionally inaccurate) of our nation’s history!

By: Peg Schuler-Armstrong

Peg Schuler-Armstrong — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:13:04 +0000

I too fell in love with this show as a kid (courtesy of my dad). Did you know that the wonderful Howard Da Silva was blacklisted in Hollywood courtesy of HUAC, during the Red Scare? He was a principled man who spoke up for what he believed in — scary things like civil rights, you know — and Robert Taylor was a “friendly witness” to HUAC and gave him up. That just about ruined his career; certainly derailed it for along time. It’s all the more ironic that the role of beloved American statesman Ben Franklin, in 1776, was one of his first major comeback roles in that aftermath — first on Broadway, then in the movie. I just love him.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:19:27 +0000

In fact, William Daniels is best known to *me* for his portrayal of Mr. Feeny on _Boy Meets World_. What a distinctive voice!

I will definitely check this movie out, although I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle it. John Adams breaking into song? No problem. George Feeny? Much harder to swallow.

By: StarWoman

StarWoman — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:12:35 +0000

Oh, I love this movie!! I too saw it for the first time in 1976, although I was a few years older than you were. It inspired me so much that the next year, in 1977, I did an independent study history project on the Federalist papers.

I had only very fond memories of it for decades, when last year it finally occurred to me, “You know, I could /rent/ that….”

So I did, and watched it with great enjoyment — and realized, to my surprise and amusement, that I also had developed quite a crush on John Adams back when I first saw the movie, but without really being conscious of it at the time. It was funny to realize, all these years later!

I quite agree that the triangle trade song is very, very powerful: I’d forgotten all about it, and was glad to be re-introduced to it.

Anyway, I :heart: this movie to pieces. I took it out of the library again today & am looking forward to watching it this weekend.

By: Jim B.

Jim B. — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:41:48 +0000

Follow up on Stan Freberg:

My favorite cartoon of all-time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTSOjbp0Hs0

Freberg does the narration, with jazz trumpeter Shorty Rogers playing the wolf’s trumpet.

Sorry to go off the topic. Just wanted to share some cartoon greatness…