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1776A dandy musical saluteBy WALT TROTT Entertainment editorALL HAIL Jack Warner for having the good sense to bring the award-winning Broadway musical “1776”. to the screenintact with its original stage production and cast.There’s been very little tampering with Peter Stone’s book and Sherman Edwards’ music. In fact, Warner has engaged Stone to write the screenplay of the 1968 play which won both a Tony award and the New York Drama Critics Circle citation as best musical.Veteran showman Warner alsoproduced the film classics “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot,” presently raking in lots of coin in Stateside reissues.His “1776” is an unabashed, patriotic bit of Americana which zeroes in on the trials and tribulations surrounding the birth of a nation 197 years ago.Despite a patriotic theme, the film never becomes mawkish or sentimental, and is presented in a rousing, realistic arid moving manner. Director Peter Hunt, who also directed the stage show, treats his bigger-than-lifecQlqnial characters as real mencapable of courage, as well as compromise and human weaknesses.Hunt, Stone and Edwards deserve praise for attempting to prepare a stage and screen musical based on this historical subject, where everyone knows the outcome. And to their credit, “1776” manages to create suspense and sustain interest throughout.Although Edwards’ music isn’t of the leaving-the-theater-hum-ming variety, it’s still a very strong score. Standouts are the young military courier’s (Stephen Nathan) lament- “Mama, Mama” about the tragedy of war; and the Southern congressman’s (John Cullum) musical put-down of the Northern merchants who prospered from “Molasses, Rum and Slaves.”Without exception, the cast is very good. There are superb performances by the show’s trio of stars, William Daniels, Howard Da Silva and Ken Howard, as yankee doodle dandies who, despite some setbacks, engineered the Declaration of Independence.• «Da Silva is a convincing look* a-like for the witt urbane Bea♦ » ••T** ♦ • « ** ♦ * « ♦ i » ■ • |^Columbia pictureHoward Da Silva recr-eres his original stagerole as Ben Franklin in the .film, “1776.”Franklin, while Daniels brings just the right touch of warmth to the irascible, but dutiful John Adams. Younger actor Ken Howard renders a forceful and effective reading as the quiet, aristocratic Tom Jefferson.“In sriYaller roles, William Duell is humorous as the cantankerous custodian and Ralston Hall is amusing as a Congressional secretary who comes to regard General Washington’s dismal dispatches to Congress as his personal mail.All in all* Warner’s musical firecracker,; handsomely showcased, is sprightly, entertaining family film fare.
Newspaper Details
European Stars and Stripes
Darmstadt, Hesse, DE
Tue, Jul 03, 1973
Page 23
Full Page
Clipped by
Cheryl R.
TX, USA 10 Jan 2020
Other Publications Near Darmstadt, Hesse
Allgemeine Kirchen Zeitung
European Stars and Stripes
