1776 (1972) (Definitive Director's Cut) - June 2, 2015

[kidglov3s]

"In addition to the Director’s Cut, the Blu-ray also presents an Extended Cut of the film via seamless branching, along with a newly restored and remixed 5.1 soundtrack."

.....

Well then.....

If that 5.1 is lossy so help me!

Originally Posted by Musicguy

The original Broadway show didn't have an intermission when it opened

Too bad neither of stars who played John Adams or Ben Franklin are featured on the cover art

All the video releases used an awesome image of Franklin/Lee/Adams from Lees as the key art, until the 2002 DVD was like "Hey let's sell the movie as a boring romantic epic about Jefferson and Martha".

[Professor Echo]

Originally Posted by kidglov3s

The only cut ever screened theatrically (prior to the 2002 Director's Cut) was the 142 minute Jack Warner cut that did not have an intermission. The overture/intermission were a whole-cloth invention for the LD release.

There are things from the LD cut that I'd argue are illegitimate flourishes, not authentic to the intention of the film (overture, intermission, staircase, different use of close-ups), but the complete Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve and Lees of Old Virginia are absolute essentials.

Again I cannot believe, as this sinks in, that they're not being restored with this long awaited Blu-ray release.

There was once quite a heated discussion about it over on another site where they can never seem to get enough discussions over musicals. I recall some people were quite adamant that they would never buy any edition that didn't include the intermission. I didn't get that argument at all.

[cavesailor]

Originally Posted by Musicguy

The original Broadway show didn't have an intermission when it opened

I saw the stage show when it was on tour in Chicago. I cannot remember if there was an intermission. I have a soundtrack LP of the stage presentation. I enjoyed the stage presentation a little over the movie because imo the movie made Lee out to be a total buffoon.

This will still be a day 1 buy for me though.

[in2video2]

1776 has been on my wishlist for years! Glad to add it to my collection and a Day One purchase is planned!

[broadwaybobl]

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article...ut-62-20150326

According to the above article, 1776 a newly restored Director's Cut (even more restored than the DVD version) will street June 2nd!

I am flipping out over this!!!

[Musicguy]

glad to hear the cuts will appear as extras (unlike the DVD)

[Jobla]

Around 1969 or so, I saw the touring production of 1776, and I think there was an intermission (either right before or right after "Momma, Look Sharp").

I also saw the film version first-run, and I don't recall an intermission in that screening.

[Maggot]

I understand the Broadway musical this film was based off of was a hit, but I tried watching segments on You Tube and this movie is just horrible for me. And, personally..........I love musicals. Hell, I love that "guilty pleasure" stinker of a musical Xanadu, but I just cringed trying to watch pieces of 1776. Maybe it played better on the stage......

[Akijama]

Amazon pre-order

1776 Blu-ray

[harpolini]

Originally Posted by Maggot

I understand the Broadway musical this film was based off of was a hit, but I tried watching segments on You Tube and this movie is just horrible for me. And, personally..........I love musicals. Hell, I love that "guilty pleasure" stinker of a musical Xanadu, but I just cringed trying to watch pieces of 1776. Maybe it played better on the stage......

I understand where your coming from. I watched this is high school and thought it was pretty bad. Then again, it was fullscreen on a 32" CRT from 20 feet away!

It's my grandfather's favorite musical and come on, its John Cullum! Time for a revist.

[New Yorker]

• “There were a few lines that Jack Warner wanted changed… but the changes weren’t funny,” Hunt said. “The original lines from Broadway were funny, and now, for the first time, they are in the movie.”
Wow.

• State-of-the-art 4K digital technology made it possible to address problems and restore color fidelity to a level not possible at the time of the earlier restoration, which was done through photochemical processes. Variations in color, due to different levels of degradation in negative elements, have been eliminated as much as possible, resulting in a seamless look.
Wow again.

• Colorworks Colorist Sheri Eisenberg said that much time was spent studying existing film prints and other reference material in order to ensure the restoration accurately represented the movie in its original form. “We did a lot of eyeballing,” Eisenberg said. “We kept asking ourselves, ‘Does it feel right?’ ‘What can we do to make it better?’ We wanted to keep the theatrical feeling of the original.”
More wow.

Hunt said that, in some ways, the results go beyond the original. “I’m ecstatic,” he said. “1776 is back to where it should be. The work done by Grover and his team is miraculous. It looks better than when it premiered. It’s gorgeous!”
Sold!

I saw the original Broadway production in 1969 and it was wonderful; the end gave everyone in the theater goosebumps. Warmly received by NY critics, it won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

I then saw the film in its original release and loved that, too - very true to the stage production, compared to most film versions of Broadway musicals. (To those who didn't care for the film, I urge you to watch it to the end; the opening 20 minutes after the first number are dense with dialog with no musical break. Stick with it and you shall be amply rewarded. I promise.)

Needless to say, I can hardly wait for June 2!

For those interested, here's a clip from the '69 Tony Awards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtbKXCaQx4

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by New Yorker

• “There were a few lines that Jack Warner wanted changed… but the changes weren’t funny,” Hunt said. “The original lines from Broadway were funny, and now, for the first time, they are in the movie.”
Wow.

• State-of-the-art 4K digital technology made it possible to address problems and restore color fidelity to a level not possible at the time of the earlier restoration, which was done through photochemical processes. Variations in color, due to different levels of degradation in negative elements, have been eliminated as much as possible, resulting in a seamless look.
Wow again.

• Colorworks Colorist Sheri Eisenberg said that much time was spent studying existing film prints and other reference material in order to ensure the restoration accurately represented the movie in its original form. “We did a lot of eyeballing,” Eisenberg said. “We kept asking ourselves, ‘Does it feel right?’ ‘What can we do to make it better?’ We wanted to keep the theatrical feeling of the original.”
More wow.

Hunt said that, in some ways, the results go beyond the original. “I’m ecstatic,” he said. “1776 is back to where it should be. The work done by Grover and his team is miraculous. It looks better than when it premiered. It’s gorgeous!”
Sold!

I saw the original Broadway production in 1969 and it was wonderful; the end gave everyone in the theater goosebumps. Warmly received by NY critics, it won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Few today realize that the piece was conceived at the height of the Vietnam War and played, on a second level, as kind of an anti-war piece; with all the anti-war protesting going on, the play reminded folks that sometimes it makes sense for a country to take a stand against its leaders (King George in 1776 and Nixon in 1969). Needless to say, the Vietnam element is not at all necessary to appreciate the film; the story of how disparate colonies came to unite and declare independence from England doesn't need a lot of help!

I then saw the film in its original release and loved that, too - very true to the stage production, compared to most film versions of Broadway musicals. (To those who didn't care for the film, I urge you to watch it to the end; the opening 20 minutes after the first number is dense with dialog with no musical break. Stick with it and you shall be amply rewarded. I promise.)

Needless to say, I can hardly wait for June 2!

For those interested, here's a clip from the '69 Tony Awards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtbKXCaQx4

A friend of mine works with Peter Hunt and was present at the recording session for the commentary with Ken Howard, Hunt and William Daniels. Should be a great release.

[Jobla]

I played the laserdisc version for my ex-girlfriend back when it was first released. She didn't like the first half at all, but ended up loving the second half.

I guess Jack L. Warner had some dialog changed because he was afraid of offending someone.

Too bad none of the underlings said, "For God's sake, Jack, sit down!!!"

[tkusterb]

I saw the film upon release in 1972 (142 minute version) and loved it. Then I saw the LD release (180 minutes) and loved how they tried their hardest to put everything back in (including b/w and very rough workprint elements). Then I was IN a production (as Rev. Witherspoon) and my love affair with the show continued.

This is very good news indeed. I can hardly wait to see how they have improved the video and how the extended cut elements will fit in.

[lukejosephchung]

Just placed my pre-order for this...this, along with Warner Archive's blu-ray of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" should make a great July 4th double-feature this summer!!!

[jaredofmo]

Preordered as soon as I saw. This has just been a really good day.

[bondfooll]

Originally Posted by New Yorker

(To those who didn't care for the film, I urge you to watch it to the end; the opening 20 minutes after the first number are dense with dialog with no musical break. Stick with it and you shall be amply rewarded. I promise.

By my count, it's actually 38 minutes between "The Lees of Old Virginia" and "But, Mr. Adams." It's a really strange choice for a musical, and it's actually kind of shocking when they start singing again; you forget it was a musical to start with. I think those 38 minutes are absorbing and well-acted, but for skeptics, I understand it's a big ask.

[jaredofmo]

I got addicted to this movie by listening to my dad's old LP soundtrack over and over. My mom hated it. I grew up watching it on VHS and later bought dad the DVD. Kinda wish the cut that was on the VHS was available today, though. Something seemed off about the long shots of John Adams running downstairs without the title appearing over it.

Ah well, it seems this is a movie that needs multiple cuts available or else no one's happy about it.

[Musicguy]

Originally Posted by bondfooll

By my count, it's actually 38 minutes between "The Lees of Old Virginia" and "But, Mr. Adams." It's a really strange choice for a musical, and it's actually kind of shocking when they start singing again; you forget it was a musical to start with. I think those 38 minutes are absorbing and well-acted, but for skeptics, I understand it's a big ask.

there were many songs cut before the show opened on Broadway which may explain the lack of sing at that point in the show

[cavesailor]

[QUOTE=New Yorker;10603130]• Few today realize that the piece was conceived at the height of the Vietnam War and played, on a second level, as kind of an anti-war piece; with all the anti-war protesting going on, the play reminded folks that sometimes it makes sense for a country to take a stand against its leaders (King George in 1776 and Nixon in 1969). Needless to say, the Vietnam element is not at all necessary to appreciate the film; the story of how disparate colonies came to unite and declare independence from England doesn't need a lot of help!/QUOTE]

I do agree with your last sentence and I do not want to start a political argument here, but I must respectfully disagree that the play had anything to do with the anti-war movement. I was in college at Indiana University (67-71) when I first heard about the stage musical, and yes the anti-war protests were taking place and Kent State happened around this time.

I really did not know much about the musical until I saw the stage production. I will admit that, hearing the opening number, (Sit Down John), I thought that this was going to be a put-down of the founding of the United States. It seemed so silly. As the play progressed, however, I became a real fan. Yes the play dealt with some real life issues, but in an even handed sort of way. It showed how, although deeply divided by their own interests, these founders were able to forge a new country (The Egg).

For example, the wealthy stood not only to lose their wealth, but even their lives for being traitors (“to the right always to the right, never to the left.”)

The northern colonies wanted to abolish slavery, but the southern colonies were not willing to give it up, pointing out that the New England colonies benefitted financially from the slave trade also. (Molasses To Rum)

War was a deadly serious affair, (Mamma Look Sharp), but that congressional delay in declaring independence was causing more deaths.

In short it showed that compromise can be a solution even if no one gets everything they want.
My favorite line from the play, “Thank God you have John Adams to abuse, for no sane man would tolerate it.”