
I have had the pleasure of seeing the play that the movie is based on twice on Broadway - both times with Brent Spiner of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame in the role of the feisty John Adams. In the movie the role is played by William Daniels and he does a marvelous job as does the rest of the cast. If you want to learn more about how our Declaration of Independence came about but want to be entertained while doing it then I highly recommend this movie. Even if you can't for the life of you imagine such a serious topic being done in a Broadway musical style you really ought to give it a go. It's entertaining, it's educational, and it's got catchy tunes like this one sung by Ron Holgate as one of the delegates from Virginia - Richard Henry Lee ...
Unfortunately, the only version of the movie I have is on a VHS tape (I really need to get it on DVD) and when I popped it into the VCR in my room not only did the tape not work but it got stuck! Oh dear ... what to do now? I was really in the mood for a Fourth of July musical!

The funny thing about stumbling across this movie (which was being shown uncut and without commercial interruption - yay!) was that while reading a Fourth of July post by Empress Bee of the High Sea earlier in the evening it had got me to thinking about old-fashioned Fourth of July celebrations and how no one seems to have them anymore. To me, this movie is the epitome of old-fashioned celebrations and it always reminds me of the Fourth of July. Besides, Robert Preston is absolutely marvelous in it!
Whatever you did to celebrate the Fourth of July, I hope that you had a good time doing it and if your celebrations take you into today enjoy and be safe. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rain clears up for the fireworks display in Norwich tonight!
Do we all have to sing '76 Trombones'?
ReplyDeletewell i have a dvd player and can't make THAT work either so i recently had to watch a movie on doris!!! if there are lots of buttons i will push the wrong ones and make stuff stop and jam up and then i get frustrated and give up...
ReplyDeletesmiles, bee
xoxoxoxxxoxoxoox
I've never seen 1776 (I guess I need to go out and buy the DVD) but "The Music Man" is one of my favorites and I can watch it over and over. Maybe it has to do with the fact that Shirley Jones' character is "Marian the Librarian."
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've never seen '1776' - neither the play nor the movie!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to admit that "Music Man" is my least favorite musical of all time... well, that and "Man Of LaMancha"...
Have a great weekend!
mo
I've never seen it either.
ReplyDeleteIt was soggy here yesterday as well. But, we did get to enjoy fireworks last night, with wet feet. :(
It's beginning to rain again today. :(
I love "Music Man," but have never seen "1776." I must put it on my list of things to see (eventually)
ReplyDeleteHope you had a nice holiday!
1776 .. we love America! ..
ReplyDeletenot only have I seen these two...I own both of them...and can probably recite and sing them from start to finish....
ReplyDelete