s="h3color tiny">This review is from: 1776 [VHS] (VHS Tape)

   In April of 1991, Joseph Caporiccio approached his bosses at Pioneer with the idea of letterboxing this lost classic and giving it a true stereo soundtrack for the first time ever. Only mono tracks believed to exist but approval was soon given based on the continued popularity of the previous laser disc release. Director Peter H. Hunt confirmed that the music was recorded in stereo, but its location was anybody's guess. He also informed Mr. Caporiccio of an entire musical number cut after only two preview screenings in New York and Phoenix."Cool Cool Considerate Men" was as powerful and entertaining as any song in the film, a personal favorite of the director. But after a negative reaction from the White House regarding the scene's anti-conservative tone, studio executives agreed to remove eight solid minutes. So great was the pressure that the original negative and all known parts of the scene were destroyed. A search began for any version of the missing...Read more

       Every 4th of July I watch "1776," the musical that has our Founding Fathers singing and dancing their way to Independency, and every time John and Abagail Adams sing goodbye to each other ("Till Then" and "Yours, Yours, Yours"), I get choked up. William Daniels has his role of a lifetime as John Adams, the obnoxious and disliked Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress who is the most fervent advocate of independence ("Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve"). Virginia Vestoff plays his wife Abigail, and their exchanges are based on the "Dearest Friend" correspondences they wrote to each other during the crucial summer of 1776. However, the most unforgettable performance in "1776" comes from Howard Da Silva as Dr. Benjamin Franklin. The actor, who played movie villains for years, manages to convey not only Franklin's wit but also his firm belief in the new race of "Americans." Ken Howard plays Thomas Jefferson and joins with Adams and Franklin in the show's two cutest numbers,...Read more