Live Action Musical Movie Hall of Fame

FYI

9. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
8. The Young Girls of Rochefort
7. Mary Poppins
6. Meet Me in St Louis
5. West Side Story
4. The Pajama Game
3. Swing Time
2. 1776
1. Godspell

For @gbgoodies - the complete review


1776

I have seen this film countless times in my lifetime. So much so that I could recite the dialogue along with the actors. I love this movie and I wanted to make sure it had the opportunity to be “shown off” in one of these Hall of Fames.


I always say that there are 3 types of musicals. 1 – A movie musical (one made specifically for film). 2 – A stage musical. 3 – A movie adaptation of a stage musical. 1776 is #3, for those of you who aren’t aware of the fact. I think because I have seen this movie so many times, I tend to take it for granted, in a way. But whenever I watch a film for a HoF, I pay as much attention to it as I possibly can (at least I try to). So I was really paying attention to this movie. And because I did so, some of my thoughts/feelings about it changed. I came to the conclusion about something. Then about a month after I re-watched it, I re-watched it again. It happened to be on TV and I ended up watching it a second time. All it did was confirm for me the newfound thoughts/feelings that I had for it. I, therefore, have come up with the following conclusion:
It is now not only my all-time favorite musical adaptation, but it is also my all around favorite musical captured on film.

Why did this happen? I don’t really have any idea except for the fact that, perhaps, because I was making sure to watch every bit of it I came to appreciate it even more than I did before.


There are so many reasons for me to love this musical. The acting, the music, the dialogue, the characters, the costumes and, its primary source, the history.


Considering the fact that I am quite interested in the history surrounding the American Revolution, and the fact that I am in love with musicals, this really is kind of the best of both worlds for me. The way that the two are blended together is simply brilliant. And when you consider that a good amount of the dialogue, and lyrics to some of the songs, are based on actual writings and letters from the Congress it is just plain genius to me. It is incredibly clever.


The dialogue is on an intellectual level, which, to be honest, isn’t something you commonly find in a musical. I think because the dialogue is so strong, that is what makes this a film that even non-musical film watchers appreciate and like about the movie. There are so many witty and intelligent lines in it that I would love to be able to quote them all to you. But that would force me to quote practically the entire script. I will, instead, quote my favorite moment (which I said before when gbgoodies quoted it, too ):
(When John Adams finds out that Thomas Jefferson has yet to begin writing the Declaration of Independence)
John Adams: Do you mean to say that it is not yet finished?
Thomas Jefferson: No, sir. I mean to say that it's not yet begun.
John Adams: Good God! A whole week! The entire earth was created in a week!
Thomas Jefferson: Someday, you must tell me how you did it.
John Adams: Disgusting.



I very rarely find that I like every song in a musical. 1776 happens to be one of those rare cases, and because of that, I would like to say, and quote, what I like about each one. As I have said before, I am going to take FULL advantage of my opportunity to ramble on about this musical.
***Sit Down, John
It’s ninety degrees
Have mercy, John, please
It’s hot as hell
In Philadel-
phia!
~~~
John, you’re a bore
We’ve heard this before
Now for God’s sake, John
Sit down!
My single favorite opening to a musical – ever. Always has been. Besides the fact that I love the back-and-forth among the men regarding whether or not the overabundance of flies should prevent them from opening a window in the oppressive heat, I love the sound of them all singing at once in exasperation for John Adams to just sit down and shut up.

***Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve
A second flood, a simple famine
Plagues of locusts everywhere,
Or a cataclysmic earthquake
I’d accept with some despair
But, no, you sent us congress
Good God, Sir, was that fair?
Of course, this is one of the 3 times in which Abigail Adams appears, but I will say something in a bit about that. Anyway, if any of you are even remotely curious to see the cut-out second verse to this song, click here, and skip to 1:30.

***The Lees of Old Virginia
And may my horses turn to glue
If I can’t deliver unto you
A resolution on Independency
~~~
You see it's here-a-Lee, there-a-Lee
And everywhere-a-Lee-a-Lee
Social-Lee, political-Lee, financial-Lee, natural-Lee
Internal-Lee, external-Lee, fraternal-Lee, eternal-Lee
From the very first notes of the song I am done for. Nobody can even talk to me when this song is playing. It is quite possibly my favorite song in the show. It is such an upbeat and fun song. I can’t do anything else but love it. This is a perfect example of why I love musicals so much. It is because musicals are the only place where I get songs like this one.

***But, Mr. Adams (The song featuring The Committee of Five )
Mr. Adams, but, Mr. Adams
I cannot write with any style or proper etiquette
I don’t know a participle from a predicate
I am just a simple cobbler from Connecticut
~~~
Mr. Jefferson, dear, Mr. Jefferson
I’m only forty-one, I still have my virility
And I can romp through Cupid’s Grove with great agility
But life is more than sexual combustibility
The rhymes is this song are great. I don’t know how Sherman Edwards ever came up with this stuff. There is a letter that John Adams wrote telling how it was Jefferson that was chosen to write the declaration. One particular phrase is used to describe Jefferson and it is in this quote: “Writings of his were handed about, remarkable for the peculiar felicity of expression.” That made me smile because that phrase was used in the film, and it just sounded so pretty. Who knew Adams really said it about Jefferson? But what I liked best in Adams’ letter were these comments that occurred between himself and Jefferson: “The subcommittee met. Jefferson proposed to me to make the draft. I said, “I will not.” “You should do it.” “Oh! No.” “Why will you not? You ought to do it.” “I will not.” “Why?” “Reasons enough.” “What can be your reasons?” “Reason first, you are a Virginian, and a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Reason second, I am obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular. You are very much otherwise. Reason third, you can write ten times better than I can.” “Well,” said Jefferson, “if you are decided, I will do as well as I can.” “Very well. When you have drawn it up, we will have a meeting.”” This interaction between the two of them almost makes me feel like they burst into song during it. Especially because Adams mentions Jefferson being “ten times” the better writer, and Adams also points out that he is “obnoxious, suspected and unpopular” (a.k.a. obnoxious and disliked ).

***Yours, Yours, Yours
You want to know what I really love about this one? The fact that it is so blatantly sexual without coming across crass in any sort of way. It is one of the loveliest songs written for a musical, and if you know anything about John and Abigail Adams, you know how much they really loved one another, and that is what makes this song so good. The interaction between John and Abigail is such a fantastic thing. Whenever John seeks guidance, or reassurance, he pictures his wife there with him. Of course she really isn’t there, but she is a part of his imagination. And it is with these scenes that we get to see inside John Adams’ mind, and it helps us to understand his character better. I think it was a brilliant way to do it.

***He Plays the Violin
When Heaven calls to me
Sing me no sad elegy
Oh, to belt that part out! My absolute favorite song to sing. It is a waltz. I love waltzes. And it is a good break in the story. Plus, it allows us to know a little bit more about the man who is writing the Declaration. Nice touch to the musical. And, just because I want to do this, if you want to hear the most perfect version, you should hear Betty Buckley’s on the original cast album. And the violin solo is breathtaking. So, so wonderful. By the way, I would kill to have the dress that Blythe Danner wears in the film.

***Cool, Cool Considerate Men
We have land, cash in hand
Self-command, future planned
Fortune thrives, society survives
In neatly ordered lives
With well-endowered wives
The song that Richard Nixon had cut out of the film. Not only do I love a waltz, but I love a good minuet, too.

***Momma, Look Sharp
Them soldiers, they fired
Oh, Ma, did we run
But then we turned ‘round
And the battle begun
Quite simply one of the most haunting songs to ever come out of a musical. It has such a good melody with such a serious theme. And I can’t deny the fact that I love a good anti-war song. This is my favorite out of all that have ever been written because this tells a story. Consider the fact that 1776 was on Broadway at the same time as Hair, and also while Vietnam was happening. While Hair made it obvious how they felt about war, 1776 did it in a much more subtle way, which was an interesting way to do it.

***The Egg
And just as Tom here has written
Though the shell may belong to Great Britain,
The eagle inside
Belongs to us
Not to bring anything down, but there was a committee (what else!) to come up with a national seal. And that committee was composed of Jefferson, Franklin and Adams. But their ideas were nothing like what the song suggests. If you want to know what happened, you can read here. But you still get a bit of Franklin’s opinion of the turkey in this.

***Molasses to Rum
Molasses to rum to slaves
‘Tisn’t morals, ‘tis money that saves
Clearly the musical’s strongest song, and the most controversial – if there is even another one that would cause any sort of controversy. And John Cullum’s performance is mind-blowing. His voice is so incredible. It is so effortless. The man deserves more credit for his vocal abilities than he is given. He gives this song such life, and, in its way, such realism to the story that he is telling. Quite honestly, despite its topic, I think it is a magnificent song. Very powerful.

***Is Anybody There?
My brother used to yell “Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?” like William Daniels in this movie. What an oddball he was – I wish he was still like that! What is the inspiration to this song? A letter to Abigail: “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.—I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Of course, he got the date wrong, but that was because of the debates that delayed it, as portrayed in the film.


Now, that I have covered the songs, I just want to say a bit more and I will be done. I promise.


There are 3 movies where I consider the acting to be flawless by every actor in the film. Two of them are Glory and Maurice. The third of those films is 1776. In fact, during my second viewing, I even changed my opinion about the Scottish accent being overdone. When I really paid attention to what the actor was doing, he only exaggerated it when he wanted to throw his weight around and try to overpower someone. Otherwise, he just spoke.


What is unique about this film is that every actor you see in it was in the Broadway production at the time that it was decided to turn it into a movie. So, in a way, you are kind of getting to see a Broadway performance. I do thoroughly enjoy every actor in the film, but my absolute favorite is William Daniels. He owns the role. He originated the role on stage, where he must’ve commanded the stage as I feel he commands the movie screen with his performance in the film. His performance is my favorite in any musical (with Robert Preston in The Music Man as second).


As I said before, non-musical movie fans enjoy this movie, too. I really do believe it is because the film – minus the music – is so strong. How many of you guys realized that there were 30 minutes of this musical with absolutely NO music in it? It happens between “The Lees of Old Virginia” and “But, Mr. Adams”. William Daniels hosted a night on TCM the second time I watched 1776. He said something along the lines that he was worried about this being a musical because maybe it wouldn’t work (which is funny because he was in the show night after night) because the film itself was just so very good. But as good as the movie is, I love the music that is added to it. Like I said before, it makes them more real when they suddenly burst into song. And it certainly makes it a lot more fun.





Since you guys have seen the movie, you might want to watch this clip:
It is from the TV show St. Elsewhere, which starred William Daniels. If you know the film well enough, or even paid enough attention to the film when watching it now, you may catch the 1776 references. I get a kick out of it.


I have to quickly admit that I think Ken Howard is so adorable in this movie as Thomas Jefferson. I just had to say it.


And just so you all know this, when I do eventually make it to Philadelphia (it has been my goal for years – and yes, I do plan on going for the Fourth of July), I will stand outside of Independence Hall and belt out “Philadelphia!” like John Adams did. I’m not lying. I am going to do it!


And I will end this with a few more quotes that I love:
Saltpeter!
Sweet Jesus!
Good God!
The whoring and the drinking.
New York abstains. Courteously.
Your obedient, (drumroll) G. Washington

A couple points of trivia: the only person who ever officially stated that John Adams was obnoxious and unpopular was Adams himself. Although, we might surmise from his arguments in Congress, his on-again-off-again friendship and rivalry with Jefferson and the way he got on with Franklin in France, some people may indeed have felt that Adams was at times... difficult. He was very self-aware and always intent on identifying his faults and improving upon them.