The musical 1776 received much publicity in 1972 due to the fact that it was the first independent production of former studio mogul Jack Warner.
Adapted from the hit 1969 Broadway musical by Peter Stone and Sherman Edwards, 1776 stars William Daniels, Ken Howard, and Howard Da Silva, who recreate their Broadway roles.
Set during the first Continental Congress, when the Declaration of Independence was drafted by founding fathers John Adams (Daniels) and Benjamin Franklin (Da Silva), the tale tries to make dry history more accessible by humanizing these iconic figures.
The strategy calls for contemporizing them — particularly the character of Ben Franklin.
Blythe Danner’s character of Martha Jefferson was expanded for the film version in order to allow for an outdoor production number.
After 1776, Jack Warner made only one more film, the 1972 grunge Western “Dirty Little Billy,” which again showed that he was out of touch with the zeitgeist.
The picture was originally rated G with its theatrical running time of 141 minutes. It was later expanded to 166 minutes, causing the MPAA to rerate it into PG (for language) in 1992.
MPAA: G.
Running time: 141 Minutes.
Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Classics
Directed by Peter H. Hunt
Written by Peter Stone
DVD: July 2, 2002
Oscar Nominations: 1
Cinematography: Harry Stradling, Jr.
Oscar Context:
The winner was Geoffrey Unsworth who won for lensing another Broadway musical to the big screen, Cabaret.