Welcome to the first of the movie and TV show review and commentaries. In honor of Independence Day, I have selected 1776.
1776 is based on the Broadway musical that was made in the late Sixties, with the bi-centennial anniversary of the Birth of the United States speedily approaching. It was conceived by Sherman Edwards and presented as a musical melodrama set against the backdrop of the creation and signing of the Declaration of Independence. It premiered in 1969 which was quite a year to premiere any musical on the topic. In that year, the US was still in Vietnam and the war was appearing to not be going so well; the public was questioning the moral support of the war especially after it was revealed that a group of America soldiers were involved in the My Lai Massacre; at the same time, bombings were done in Laos and Cambodia. Nearer home was less tranquil. This was the year of Woodstock and Altamont Free Concerts, both of which were attended by Hippies and radicals. One concert celebrated peace and love but the other resulted in chaos and murder. Politicians lost favor or saw their names blackened by actions, such as Senator Ted Kennedy fleeing the scene of a fatal accident. The only good thing to happen in 1969 was that a man walked on the moon.
The rights to the musical, which did modestly and won the Tony Award for best musical, were eventually sold to Columbia Pictures. Jack Warner, formerly of the Warner Brothers Studios, became producer of the film adaptation that came out in 1972, another year filled with history making events, some of which involved questioning all things American. In 1972, Richard Nixon reelected by a landslide and his involvement in Watergate would be revealed later; diplomacy was opened with China while the Vietnam War continued on; during the latter, a Vietnam vet hijacked an airplane to extoll $500,000 while Jane Fonda was seen entertaining enemy soldiers; Alabama governor George C. Wallace survived an assassination attempt while running for presidency; Supreme Court declares capital punishment unconstitutional; and Apollo 17 landed on the Moon, becoming the last landing of a manned spaceship there.
Given the way the events were happening when each premiered it's no wonder that one might call it the patriotic medicine that was sorely needed. The irony of such a statement is the fact that 1776 is not about patriotic flag waving or the red,white, and blue. It's actually about sedition and insurrection of a group of men from an empire. From this insurrection comes forth the American nation. So, in a time when people sought to remove the US Government from power was going rampant and everyone saw himself as a modern day patriot, this movie that features protagonists who plan, plot, and conspire to dissolve their association with a corrupt government stroke a cord with the audience. It does seem that since this time period, the Framers have become either a bunch of racist, rich, white men who refused to pay their share of taxes and rebelled against a King only to keep women and African Americans enslaved, deny votes to poor men, and steal land from Native Americans; or role models used in a fantasy of being in insurrection against the surrogate Great Britain and the British King. I, myself, plea guilty to always imagining myself in this role each time I see something that appears to threaten my rights to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." But what these men actually went through is not a fantasy but a reality. They knew that it won't end with the end of the fantasy but with lives changed, if they come out alive, or end with them answering for it. To quote John Dickinson in the movie: "Between the fish and souffle, you'll find yourself hanging from an English rope."
Both the musical and the movie boil it down to John Adams, played by William Daniels, is frustrated at Congress not granting a proposal on Independence and that he is disliked in Congress, and thus employs the help of a few fellow congressmen to make it reality. Richard Lee, played by Ronald Holgate, proposes it but the opposition, led by Dickinson, go to great lengths to downgrade, disregard, and down vote the resolution. So, to aid the stalled vote, Adams decides that a declaration is needed and a committee is formed where Thomas Jefferson, played by Ken Howard, is commissioned to draft. Unfortunately, Jefferson would rather make love to his wife than write the paper which frustrates Adams even more. Meanwhile, depressing news from the front, told through an off-screen George Washington, read by Secretary Charles Thomson, played by Ralston Hill, appear to convince the Congress that independency is a far off dream. When the declaration is brought forth, the Congress goes through to tear it apart to the consternation of Adams and Jefferson, with the greatest blow coming from the South over slavery. Yet with encouragement from Adams' wife, and from Benjamin Franklin, played by Howard Da Silva, Adams pulls through and makes moves to get Congress to vote. The Congress adopts the resolution and signs the declaration, and the rest is history.
The music in 1776 has some of the flavor of patriotism, also like that of The Music Man. The opening introduction has notes that resemble "Yankee Doodle", yet it's actually the song "Lee's of Old Virginia," later sung by Lee. In the theatrical cut, and the video cassette tape of the film, this was only played at the end, but it was restored in the DVD to its location, along with the opening montage which is charcoal sketch of a group of men and women. The faces belong to various members of the crew and some of the cast, according to the commentary. This location puts the credits in the opening, where the other version had it happen as Adams walked down the stairs.
One commendable thing Jack Warner and director Peter H. Hunt did was to not recast the film the way most occasions happen but instead use the original cast of the musical in the movie. The reason to do so is that these actors are already familiar with their roles and thus there is no need to have to get them to learn the role out. If you look at the cast list of the musical and find the cast list of the movie on IMBd, you can see that about half of the cast is in both locations.
William Daniels plays John Adams, as mentioned in the summary. You may recognize the name if you are a fan of Boy Meets World where he plays George Feeny. He was also in The Graduate where played Benjamin's father. He plays a frustrated and foul mouthed John Adams, though the real deal is supposedly milder. Apart from these, Daniels is the quintessential John Adams. Howard Da Silva plays Benjamin Franklin. Da Silva had also brought a Broadway character to life before. In 1943, he was in the premiere of Oklahoma! where he was the villainous Jud Fry. Da Silva's Franklin is a contrast to his Jud Fry. Jud Fry is menacing, bullying, and can ruin everything he touches; Franklin is loveable, humorous, gentle, and wise. This sort of thing proves the dynamics between the two. Daniels is fussy and insulting while Da Silva is patient and wise cracking. The only time that Franklin actually gets angry at Adams is when the latter questions his stance on slavery, and it's the only time Franklin does not utter blasphemy or profanity. He says it best on the matter of dealing with his colleagues: "These men...are not clerks to be ordered around; they are the cream of their colonies...rather you like or not, they are a part of this nation...either you learn how to live with them or pack up and go home!"
Ken Howard plays Thomas Jefferson and he creates a quiet, reserved, yet determined Jefferson. He is shown brooding also, almost like that of a teenager. He has to be forced into doing the declaration when no one else can and he doesn't work on the declaration for most of the time. A fan of Boy Meets World could look at the scene when Adams checks up on Jefferson and think "Mr. Feeny's gonna give him an F." Then, when he does speak, it's enough to cause silence.
Another musical alumni include David Ford as President Hancock, Roy Poole as Stephen Hopkins, William Duell as Andrew McNair, Ralston Hill as Charles Thomson, Ronald Holgate as Richard Lee, and Virginia Vestoff as Abigail Adams.These people are placed as secondary characters, practically stock characters, who show little to no character growth, in opposition to the main three. Lee is shown as someone who is hopped on his last name that he adds it to almost every word. He even gets a song for his family. This boisterous version of Lee doesn't match up with history but it does provide a lot of gags, including his last line: "Therefore, I must decline, respectful-lee." Similarly, Stephen Hopkins is shown as a hard drinking, foul-mouthed man who claimed to be the oldest man in Congress, until reminded by McNair. This is opposite Thomson who resembles an 18th Century school master. Next to him, President Hancock comes out as a stressed out president who complains about the heat and the noise. At least he is the referee in the debates. Then there's McNair who serves the Congress in making the room better for Congressmen and running their arrands. He is shown with an apprenticed youth who has no name but is called A Leather Apron in the cast list. Both are basically stock characters to represent the working class groups.
The musical and the movie is largely dominated by men, since women were not elected in Congress at the time. As a result, there are only two female characters in the story, Abigail Adams and Martha Jefferson. Of the two, Abigail is the only one who can be considered a female protagonist though she has only three scenes. Abigail can also be considered the strong female character, even if she does not have a scene in Congress. She is strong because she runs the farm with her husband gone and she is the only character who can subdue Adams, as evidenced in "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve". She is also listed as a romantic heroine for the same reason and both have their love song, "Yours, Yours, Yours."
While the alumni of the musical was casted, newer faces were introduced for the movie. Donald Madden was cast as John Dickinson of Pennsylvania, next to musical alumnus Emory Bass as James Wilson. Madden brings in a dominating Dickinson, opposite Bass' meek Wilson. The two carry on as the villain and minion archetype, where Wilson hangs in Dickinson's shadow. Wilson is portrayed as reserved like Jefferson, yet wants to be taken seriously, even seconding Pennsylvania's motions. Dickinson, however is more of a leader, even being the leading man during the "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" number. Recast for another antagonist is with Edward Rutledge, now played by John Cullum. Cullum's Rutledge is sneaky and doesn't seem to do much except when slavery comes in. In a scene that was cut but restored to DVD there is a moment where he reveals that he does favor independence but not the way the others do. Interesting how he is not the main antagonist as he becomes the man who nearly derails the debate.
The Delaware delegation is portrayed as a squabbling trio. We find patriot Col. McKean played by Ray Middleton, who speaks with an over the top Scottish accent. Next to him is loyalist George Read played by Leo Leyden, who portrays Read as effeminate compared to the militarist McKean. The two make up the right and left sides of the political spectrum with patriot Caesar Rodney, played by William Hensen, in the center. Rodney is portrayed as sickly, even though the actual Rodney was robust. Another newcomer is Blythe Danner as Martha Jefferson. Danner, in real life, is the mother of Gwyneth Paltrow. In the movie, she portrays Martha as being all aglow from her love making with Jefferson and sings gaily of his violin skills. Knowing Danner's brother also plays the violin makes the song seem squirmish. In actual history, Martha Jefferson never visited Philadelphia, as she was recovering from a miscarriage. They also weren't newlywed as the story implies. They were married for a few years and already had two children. Martha also died prior to her husband's presidency, which makes the line "When Heaven calls to me / sing me no sad eulogy / say I died loving bride / loving wife / loving life" very moving.
As mentioned, the character growth happens with the main three but it can spread out to the others also. John Adams starts out as an old fuss pot and complains to all. When he is talking with Franklin, he treats him not as the sage we know and love but as an underling. Basically, Adams is the leading man in this show, and the star, and thus is shown given the treatment of a star where he starts out acting like center of attention. Benjamin Franklin has to show him that he is but a small part of the larger story and get others to help. First to come in is Richard Henry Lee. Adams doesn't like losing the spot light, hence his sarcastic line "incredible, we're free and he [Lee] hasn't even left yet." In a scene cut from the film, and not restored, Adams expresses doubts to Franklin on the man and practically calls Franklin an idiot, evidenced in this scene cut from the film but not restored on DVD: Lee's of Old Virginia. Then, when Congress assembles, he vows that he is going to take over if Lee does not come. Evidently, he is yet to learn to trust others. One believes that this is why he is "obnoxious and disliked."
Adams continues this during the debates, raising his voice in emphasizing his points while Dickinson tries to keep calm and then proceeds to start a fight at being called "lawyer." He even tries to rush the newcomer Reverend John Witherspoon on his stance. However, when he comes to propose on postponing the vote, he has troubles formulating the words right. This action is enough to make one want to feel for him. He then goes into another disapproved mode by guilting the reluctant Jefferson into writing the declaration. When Jefferson expresses that he is still writing, Adams practically kicks him in the gut by calling him "Virginia's most famous lover." He has set up an unrealistic expectation of Jefferson by demanding he could do what only God could do, create something grand in a week. "The entire earth was created in a week." His obnoxiousness goes high when he finds Franklin napping and rudely wakes him up. He later disregards morning greetings the next day, sits outside Jefferson's apartment (an action that would warrant a restraining order today) when the latter is at work, and he pushes Chase, who he rudely interrupted his meal earlier, with his cane out the door when he goes up to New Brunswick.
By the time he comes back, one would wish Adams would just "sit down." He insists that the bird be the eagle, and gets his way, and then he becomes Jefferson's self appointed mouth piece during the editing of the declaration. When the South brings up slavery, Adams attempts to attack the Southern preference to the economy, which leads to Rutledge call the North out on hypocrisy of slavery and walks out, a sort of foreshadow of the South leaving the Union in the Civil War. Finally, he gets a brow beating from Franklin who reminds him of what he had been trying to get him to learn from the start that his colleagues are a part of what he is making and he has to learn to be along side them. He then talks with Abigail who encourages him to continue his work. By the end of the story, Adams is more subdued and more willing to work with others.
If Adams' character growth offers anything it is one of the many themes of 1776, being there is strength in unity. Another theme is shown through the character growth of Jefferson and Wilson. In both, we see two men who stand in other people's shadows: Wilson stands in Dickinson's while Jefferson has Lee. In the only time we see Lee in Congress, apart from "Sit Down, John", Lee does all the speaking for Virginia while Jefferson only speaks once. In fact, both Jefferson and Wilson have the speaking issue. Jefferson doesn't like to speak ("I had hoped the work would speak for itself.") and is quite satisfied at letting others speak up. This is opposite of Wilson who longs to speak up but is intimidated too easily. Thus, both men are shown as being manipulated by their respected peers.
Jefferson does develop a backbone in the story. First it comes from trying to back out of the writing of the Declaration, first case of which has him silenced and the second has him forced into writing. He then goes in and writes, though needing more pushing from Adams and loving from his wife. He appears to not do anything after it is written and allows a revision to be applied, but he finally stands up to someone when Dickinson brings on the issue of King George being called a tyrant. By saying he does not consent, he is showing that he intends to not sit down and let people speak for him anymore. He also stands up to Rutledge during the slavery issue, though when the latter reminds him that he is a slave owner, Jefferson almost appears to back down. In a shaky voice he says, "I have already resolved to release my slaves." (In history, Jefferson didn't free them). His final standing comes when Adams brings up the issue of the right word in the second paragraph. For the first time, he not only stands up to Adams but he refuses to yield and Adams withdraws it, though he "will speak with the printer on this." Contrast this to a scene that wasn't restored where Jefferson daydreams during Adams' speech, We will more than compensate with spirit! At the start, Jefferson would rather be with his books and his wife but in the end he is the patriot we know him as.
Wilson's standing up is not as developed. He attempts at standing at first but does it wrong. When asked to take a chance, he sits down. Basically, Wilson was letting people control him during the drama. This even proves the useful tool that Adams and Franklin use to sway the Pennsylvania Delegation. Wilson, not wanting to be remembered for anything, stands up to Dickinson and makes his vote known. Thus, both Wilson and Jefferson have the theme of being willing to stand for one's principals, otherwise be controlled, being demonstrated.
Even the film's antagonists, Dickinson and Rutledge, go through some trial. Dickinson operates as the main adversary to independence, which is ironic as he was also among the signers of the Constitution. Rutledge is a secondary, yet enough to make Franklin say "look out" when he speaks. Because he calls out the Northern hypocrisy on slavery he almost derails the independence debate. Interestingly, Rutledge is given a bone by having the offending paragraph removed. Afterwards, Rutledge votes yay, as does Joseph Hughs, delegate of North Carolina. Rutledge also signs the Declaration, which makes one wish to view him as a hypocrite (ironic as he attacked others as such). Dickinson, however, refuses to sign but he redeems himself by saying he was going to join the army and fight for freedom. This justifies the applause he gets as he leaves.
Other characters exhibit growth. Most known is Dr. Lymen Hall, new Delegate of Georgia, who doesn't say where he stands on the question of independence. When called to vote, he only swings in favor of the nay-sayers (including his fellow Southerners) because he doesn't know if representing the people means relying on his judgement or theirs. He is even present during "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" and walks out with the South. However, he returns, after remembering a quote from Edmund Burke, and votes yay. Hall's developing is that he goes from following the crowd to thinking for himself.
Jefferson does develop a backbone in the story. First it comes from trying to back out of the writing of the Declaration, first case of which has him silenced and the second has him forced into writing. He then goes in and writes, though needing more pushing from Adams and loving from his wife. He appears to not do anything after it is written and allows a revision to be applied, but he finally stands up to someone when Dickinson brings on the issue of King George being called a tyrant. By saying he does not consent, he is showing that he intends to not sit down and let people speak for him anymore. He also stands up to Rutledge during the slavery issue, though when the latter reminds him that he is a slave owner, Jefferson almost appears to back down. In a shaky voice he says, "I have already resolved to release my slaves." (In history, Jefferson didn't free them). His final standing comes when Adams brings up the issue of the right word in the second paragraph. For the first time, he not only stands up to Adams but he refuses to yield and Adams withdraws it, though he "will speak with the printer on this." Contrast this to a scene that wasn't restored where Jefferson daydreams during Adams' speech, We will more than compensate with spirit! At the start, Jefferson would rather be with his books and his wife but in the end he is the patriot we know him as.
Wilson's standing up is not as developed. He attempts at standing at first but does it wrong. When asked to take a chance, he sits down. Basically, Wilson was letting people control him during the drama. This even proves the useful tool that Adams and Franklin use to sway the Pennsylvania Delegation. Wilson, not wanting to be remembered for anything, stands up to Dickinson and makes his vote known. Thus, both Wilson and Jefferson have the theme of being willing to stand for one's principals, otherwise be controlled, being demonstrated.
Even the film's antagonists, Dickinson and Rutledge, go through some trial. Dickinson operates as the main adversary to independence, which is ironic as he was also among the signers of the Constitution. Rutledge is a secondary, yet enough to make Franklin say "look out" when he speaks. Because he calls out the Northern hypocrisy on slavery he almost derails the independence debate. Interestingly, Rutledge is given a bone by having the offending paragraph removed. Afterwards, Rutledge votes yay, as does Joseph Hughs, delegate of North Carolina. Rutledge also signs the Declaration, which makes one wish to view him as a hypocrite (ironic as he attacked others as such). Dickinson, however, refuses to sign but he redeems himself by saying he was going to join the army and fight for freedom. This justifies the applause he gets as he leaves.
Other characters exhibit growth. Most known is Dr. Lymen Hall, new Delegate of Georgia, who doesn't say where he stands on the question of independence. When called to vote, he only swings in favor of the nay-sayers (including his fellow Southerners) because he doesn't know if representing the people means relying on his judgement or theirs. He is even present during "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" and walks out with the South. However, he returns, after remembering a quote from Edmund Burke, and votes yay. Hall's developing is that he goes from following the crowd to thinking for himself.
For a few years, I have watched this movie on VHS, but I did get it on DVD, eventually, which included parts that I had not seen on video. While the DVD restores a few scenes, some parts are still out. For example, this is the whole number "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve." Piddle Twiddle and Resolve (extended)The extended number features an example of what the Congress would rather focus on and it features an anachronism, as dollars weren't the currency at the time. In actual time period, the charge would be slightly more than twenty pounds.
The DVD does restore other things. It includes Rutledge's questioning of the fate of the states, Franklin proposing a joke to compensate the lack of manpower ("increase and multiply"), Martha talking to Adams and Franklin through the window, which seems an echo of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, Col. McKean bringing up the issue of the Scots being mentioned and arguing with Read on the words "in many cases", and a few others. The movie was rated G when it premiered but some of the added material made it raised to PG, which included the moment in a heated argument, Hancock cries out "Christ, it's hot!" But no other restoration deserves attention more than the deleted number, "Cool, Cool Considerate Men", which will be taken on in the music review.
Humor and wit walk hand and hand in 1776. Many of the silly gags are provided by Benjamin Franklin. For example, when Dickinson asks if there was a problem with being an Englishman, Franklin says that being called so without the rights as an Englishman is as insulting as "calling an ox a bull. He's thankful the honor but he would like restore what's rightfully his." "When did you first notice they were missing, sir?" counters Dickinson. The joke is that an ox is a castrated bull employed for draft. The things that are rightfully the bull's are his testicles, of course, thus the reason why Dickinson's remark is just as funny. He infers that Franklin has no balls, if you will, and that Franklin has been ignorant of the fact. Later, when informed that his son is arrested, Franklin asks "why did they arrest the little bastard?" Bastard is a word thrown around by men to refer to men they have fallen out of favor with, just as women use bitch to each other. A bastard child is a child born out of wedlock. So, this phrase has both meanings, as Franklin acknowledges that his son was born out of wedlock and that they had fallen out of favor with each other. At the prospect of hanging, Franklin makes his famous quip: "if we do not hang together we shall assuredly hang separately." Franklin remarks on not knowing Plato had been to Philadelphia is also funny as there was a Greek city called Philadelphia, currently by another name in Turkey. Franklin's suggestion of compensating America's manpower is a joke because it implies the manpower will be equal if we have more babies. Of course, in order to have more babies, one has to have plenty of people willing to make them, and that is not always one hundred percent of the population.
Another bit of humor is not provided by Franklin but by the officers of Congress. Thomson calls for Hopkins only to find him missing. McNair then tells him that Hopkins has gone to the outhouse (this was before indoor plumbing was installed) so Thomson says "Rhode Island passes." Right there, you got yourself a fart joke, and the only one I laugh to. In "Cool, Cool Considerate Men", Hancock asks rhetorically, "traitors to whom, Mr. Dickinson? To the British Crown or the British Half-crown?" Prior to this number, the Congressmen laugh at Witherspoon for having an aunt in New Brunswick and Dickinson implies her to be a prostitute by saying "tell her to keep up the good work." McKean is willing to use a gun to "break the tie." Then there's him comparing him and Read when it comes to hanging, noting the latter "will be dancing a jig long after I am gone." Even Adams and Jefferson use double entendre on two occasions. First Jefferson says "but I burn, Mr. A." and Adams replies "so do I, Mr. J." causing everyone in the room to be shocked. Later, when he calls Jefferson "Virginia's most famous lover", Jefferson replies with "Virginia abstains." This last is done all the time by Lewis Morris, which angers President Hancock to no end. "Why must New York constantly abstain?" he asks once. Of course, this ventures into jokes that center around sex. Later, he writes a note to Adams saying "I am taking my wife back to bed, kindly go away, your obedient T. Jefferson." Franklin provides one by saying "At my age, there's little doubt the pen is mightier than the sword." (just put the words pen and is together and guess what you get).
One funny incident is not in the original Broadway show: the Fire Wagon scene. This was intended to be the entrance of Lee returning and it also gives the audience something to cheer at. It is funny to see the Congressmen run after the wagon as if they were children and watch it go off while debating on what was burning.
Finally, we come to the music. 1776 is a musical film and thus there is songs and dancing involved. The first number is "Sit Down, John" with the Congress telling Adams to shut up and sit down. A debate comes in the song on opening up a window, with one end saying there's too many flies but the other says "it's hot as hell in Philadelphia." But when Adams butts in, they all unite and say "For God's sake's, John, sit down!" "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve" looks like an appeal to God combined with Adams' ranting. The first lines appear so as Adams is looking up to Heaven while singing. Afterwards, he is not. "The Lee's of Old Virginia" is a good number to march to. One funny moment is that when Lee sings "May my horses turn to glue", the horse brushes his nose on Lee's coat. Who knows what the horse was thinking. For some strange reason, Adams is shown removing his coat and performing the rest of the number without it. The ride off was obviously done with a stunt double and the way the actor held that last note was done in pre-production recording. That's the thing with musicals, they are almost never done with actors singing in the camera but lip-synching to recordings done prior to filming. This becomes the last number until "But, Mr. Adams" which is a period of about forty minutes.
Adams and his wife have a single love song that is broken in pieces. The first is called "Yours, Yours, Yours" which is done in style to "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve" and then in tune to "Till Then." The latter is the second part which reviews the longing between the two. The pastoral of them walking down the farm, by a horse, then a lake, really makes it a perfect love scene. The Jeffersons don't get a love song but Martha sings "He Plays the Violin" which includes a moment when they dance a waltz, something not done in 1776. All of these are gentle harmonies in a show filled with either rousing or depressing tunes. "He Plays the Violin" is chalk full of sexual humor: "I'm always undone","My strings are unstrung", "I hold Tom and his fiddle", etc
The number cut from the film was called "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" which is something to wonder on how it got cut. President Richard Nixon was supposedly offended at the lines: "Let us dance together to the same minuet / To the right, ever to the right / Never to the left; forever to the right." Personally, I like the tune, even wanting it to be the anthem of the Knights of Columbus. Speaking of anthems, the song opens and closes with the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner", and includes the notes in the chorus. This song is followed by "Mama, Look Sharp" which starts out as being narrated by a dying soldier and then the soldier's mother. The song is foreboding with its theme of death lingering. "The Egg" is next, when Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson, sing of America being born. The song, believe it or not, was among the last songs written by Edwards in the Broadway production, inspired by the image of an eaglet breaking out of an egg with the Union Jack, while flying the Betty Ross flag in its beak. Symbolism is done in the last number "Is Anybody There?" where Adams likens his march to that of the Crossing of the Rubicon. Images of fireworks and pomp are given in the lyrics. This stands contrast to horror brought on by "Molasses to Rum." Rutledge gives us a tour de force into the Atlantic Slave Trade, called Triangle Trade due to it going at three points. The song does not include a stop in Europe where the material is sent to make goods, some of which is sent to Africa. However, imagery that the words give are enough to one wish it were not so. The camera is then pulling back from Rutledge at the end of the song as though the hopes of Independence was sailing away, as the producers commented. The movie does not include a finale to send people on their way. Instead we get the bells ringing and seeing the men sign the Declaration.
There were more than a hundred men in Congress at the time but the musical had to cut it down to size to fit the stage. The movie adds a few men but they are just background characters. Reverend Witherspoon enters with two additional men, for example, but neither speak or sing in the movie. When the signing does happen, they only call up one man from each colony.
1776 is truly a three dimensional film. Peter H. Hunt had the camera film the actors, in a few scenes, at every angle in one shot, practically going around them or following them as they walk around the room. Normally, movies are filmed with the actors in front of the camera which had a legion of crewmen behind. If the camera turned a certain way, those crew might get filmed. In 1776, the camera will turn 180 degrees and we don't see the boom guy, the script caller, the light operators, the best boy, the coffee girls, or the director. Not only that, it's filmed on a track, which is kept hidden from the audience. This means the camera can go onto the stage and film at every angle and not film the crew by accident. They don't do this trick anymore, sadly.
That's 1776, the musical film based on the play of the same name. It may not be historically accurate and it runs on cliches, it does provide plenty of humor, plenty of entertainment, plenty of suspense, and plenty of tension.Thus, 1776, for all its historical inaccuracies, will still be a good classic.
The DVD does restore other things. It includes Rutledge's questioning of the fate of the states, Franklin proposing a joke to compensate the lack of manpower ("increase and multiply"), Martha talking to Adams and Franklin through the window, which seems an echo of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, Col. McKean bringing up the issue of the Scots being mentioned and arguing with Read on the words "in many cases", and a few others. The movie was rated G when it premiered but some of the added material made it raised to PG, which included the moment in a heated argument, Hancock cries out "Christ, it's hot!" But no other restoration deserves attention more than the deleted number, "Cool, Cool Considerate Men", which will be taken on in the music review.
Humor and wit walk hand and hand in 1776. Many of the silly gags are provided by Benjamin Franklin. For example, when Dickinson asks if there was a problem with being an Englishman, Franklin says that being called so without the rights as an Englishman is as insulting as "calling an ox a bull. He's thankful the honor but he would like restore what's rightfully his." "When did you first notice they were missing, sir?" counters Dickinson. The joke is that an ox is a castrated bull employed for draft. The things that are rightfully the bull's are his testicles, of course, thus the reason why Dickinson's remark is just as funny. He infers that Franklin has no balls, if you will, and that Franklin has been ignorant of the fact. Later, when informed that his son is arrested, Franklin asks "why did they arrest the little bastard?" Bastard is a word thrown around by men to refer to men they have fallen out of favor with, just as women use bitch to each other. A bastard child is a child born out of wedlock. So, this phrase has both meanings, as Franklin acknowledges that his son was born out of wedlock and that they had fallen out of favor with each other. At the prospect of hanging, Franklin makes his famous quip: "if we do not hang together we shall assuredly hang separately." Franklin remarks on not knowing Plato had been to Philadelphia is also funny as there was a Greek city called Philadelphia, currently by another name in Turkey. Franklin's suggestion of compensating America's manpower is a joke because it implies the manpower will be equal if we have more babies. Of course, in order to have more babies, one has to have plenty of people willing to make them, and that is not always one hundred percent of the population.
Another bit of humor is not provided by Franklin but by the officers of Congress. Thomson calls for Hopkins only to find him missing. McNair then tells him that Hopkins has gone to the outhouse (this was before indoor plumbing was installed) so Thomson says "Rhode Island passes." Right there, you got yourself a fart joke, and the only one I laugh to. In "Cool, Cool Considerate Men", Hancock asks rhetorically, "traitors to whom, Mr. Dickinson? To the British Crown or the British Half-crown?" Prior to this number, the Congressmen laugh at Witherspoon for having an aunt in New Brunswick and Dickinson implies her to be a prostitute by saying "tell her to keep up the good work." McKean is willing to use a gun to "break the tie." Then there's him comparing him and Read when it comes to hanging, noting the latter "will be dancing a jig long after I am gone." Even Adams and Jefferson use double entendre on two occasions. First Jefferson says "but I burn, Mr. A." and Adams replies "so do I, Mr. J." causing everyone in the room to be shocked. Later, when he calls Jefferson "Virginia's most famous lover", Jefferson replies with "Virginia abstains." This last is done all the time by Lewis Morris, which angers President Hancock to no end. "Why must New York constantly abstain?" he asks once. Of course, this ventures into jokes that center around sex. Later, he writes a note to Adams saying "I am taking my wife back to bed, kindly go away, your obedient T. Jefferson." Franklin provides one by saying "At my age, there's little doubt the pen is mightier than the sword." (just put the words pen and is together and guess what you get).
One funny incident is not in the original Broadway show: the Fire Wagon scene. This was intended to be the entrance of Lee returning and it also gives the audience something to cheer at. It is funny to see the Congressmen run after the wagon as if they were children and watch it go off while debating on what was burning.
Finally, we come to the music. 1776 is a musical film and thus there is songs and dancing involved. The first number is "Sit Down, John" with the Congress telling Adams to shut up and sit down. A debate comes in the song on opening up a window, with one end saying there's too many flies but the other says "it's hot as hell in Philadelphia." But when Adams butts in, they all unite and say "For God's sake's, John, sit down!" "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve" looks like an appeal to God combined with Adams' ranting. The first lines appear so as Adams is looking up to Heaven while singing. Afterwards, he is not. "The Lee's of Old Virginia" is a good number to march to. One funny moment is that when Lee sings "May my horses turn to glue", the horse brushes his nose on Lee's coat. Who knows what the horse was thinking. For some strange reason, Adams is shown removing his coat and performing the rest of the number without it. The ride off was obviously done with a stunt double and the way the actor held that last note was done in pre-production recording. That's the thing with musicals, they are almost never done with actors singing in the camera but lip-synching to recordings done prior to filming. This becomes the last number until "But, Mr. Adams" which is a period of about forty minutes.
Adams and his wife have a single love song that is broken in pieces. The first is called "Yours, Yours, Yours" which is done in style to "Piddle Twiddle and Resolve" and then in tune to "Till Then." The latter is the second part which reviews the longing between the two. The pastoral of them walking down the farm, by a horse, then a lake, really makes it a perfect love scene. The Jeffersons don't get a love song but Martha sings "He Plays the Violin" which includes a moment when they dance a waltz, something not done in 1776. All of these are gentle harmonies in a show filled with either rousing or depressing tunes. "He Plays the Violin" is chalk full of sexual humor: "I'm always undone","My strings are unstrung", "I hold Tom and his fiddle", etc
The number cut from the film was called "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" which is something to wonder on how it got cut. President Richard Nixon was supposedly offended at the lines: "Let us dance together to the same minuet / To the right, ever to the right / Never to the left; forever to the right." Personally, I like the tune, even wanting it to be the anthem of the Knights of Columbus. Speaking of anthems, the song opens and closes with the opening notes of "The Star Spangled Banner", and includes the notes in the chorus. This song is followed by "Mama, Look Sharp" which starts out as being narrated by a dying soldier and then the soldier's mother. The song is foreboding with its theme of death lingering. "The Egg" is next, when Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson, sing of America being born. The song, believe it or not, was among the last songs written by Edwards in the Broadway production, inspired by the image of an eaglet breaking out of an egg with the Union Jack, while flying the Betty Ross flag in its beak. Symbolism is done in the last number "Is Anybody There?" where Adams likens his march to that of the Crossing of the Rubicon. Images of fireworks and pomp are given in the lyrics. This stands contrast to horror brought on by "Molasses to Rum." Rutledge gives us a tour de force into the Atlantic Slave Trade, called Triangle Trade due to it going at three points. The song does not include a stop in Europe where the material is sent to make goods, some of which is sent to Africa. However, imagery that the words give are enough to one wish it were not so. The camera is then pulling back from Rutledge at the end of the song as though the hopes of Independence was sailing away, as the producers commented. The movie does not include a finale to send people on their way. Instead we get the bells ringing and seeing the men sign the Declaration.
There were more than a hundred men in Congress at the time but the musical had to cut it down to size to fit the stage. The movie adds a few men but they are just background characters. Reverend Witherspoon enters with two additional men, for example, but neither speak or sing in the movie. When the signing does happen, they only call up one man from each colony.
1776 is truly a three dimensional film. Peter H. Hunt had the camera film the actors, in a few scenes, at every angle in one shot, practically going around them or following them as they walk around the room. Normally, movies are filmed with the actors in front of the camera which had a legion of crewmen behind. If the camera turned a certain way, those crew might get filmed. In 1776, the camera will turn 180 degrees and we don't see the boom guy, the script caller, the light operators, the best boy, the coffee girls, or the director. Not only that, it's filmed on a track, which is kept hidden from the audience. This means the camera can go onto the stage and film at every angle and not film the crew by accident. They don't do this trick anymore, sadly.
That's 1776, the musical film based on the play of the same name. It may not be historically accurate and it runs on cliches, it does provide plenty of humor, plenty of entertainment, plenty of suspense, and plenty of tension.Thus, 1776, for all its historical inaccuracies, will still be a good classic.
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