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The Things You Learn About Yourself
I love the movie musical 1776. Among other things, Mom, my sister REL, and I pretend we are reincarnations of those versions of John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson respectively, because we are extremely nerdy in ways that have not been part of the "geek chic" re-evaluation of cool.
However, Ciro pointed out like a month ago that whatever my feelings about actual John Adams (supportive saber rattling) and actual Thomas Jefferson (scornful derision), movie Thomas Jefferson is a pretty dead-on potrayal of me, and of how other people feel about me, except he is much taller and I play piano instead of violin. And I probably ought to be much taller and play the violin.
Oh this has flown a black flag over my entire life.
(Meanwhile in actual history and actual historical figures land, the founding father who I have been identifying with lately is John Dickinson. Who among other things was always very careful to write "person" instead of "man." I see you, John Dickinson.)
However, Ciro pointed out like a month ago that whatever my feelings about actual John Adams (supportive saber rattling) and actual Thomas Jefferson (scornful derision), movie Thomas Jefferson is a pretty dead-on potrayal of me, and of how other people feel about me, except he is much taller and I play piano instead of violin. And I probably ought to be much taller and play the violin.
Oh this has flown a black flag over my entire life.
(Meanwhile in actual history and actual historical figures land, the founding father who I have been identifying with lately is John Dickinson. Who among other things was always very careful to write "person" instead of "man." I see you, John Dickinson.)
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I imprinted on 1776 in eighth grade; it's never gone away. It is frequently quoted, watched every July if I can remember, and I will fight anyone who attempts to persuade me that the historical John Adams did not really sound like William Daniels, my cranky patron saint.
Oh this has flown a black flag over my entire life.
I hear you. Not being able to teach myself the harp put a serious dent in my self-image for years.
(Meanwhile in actual history and actual historical figures land, the founding father who I have been identifying with lately is John Dickinson. Who among other things was always very careful to write "person" instead of "man." I see you, John Dickinson.)
(Historical John Dickinson is awesome. I am also curiously fond of fictional John Dickinson, but I think that has a lot to do with Donald Madden.)
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Yeah, I love pretty much everybody in that film. I appreciate how they keep the showiness of their Broadway performances while also making them small enough for closeup. Not easy. Wish I'd had a chance to see Madden on stage some, which mainly would have required being born earlier. Much affection also for Ralston Hill's Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson. All the dispatches from [drumroll] G. Washington.
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It's my gold standard for stage-to-movie musicals. Just keeping so much of the Broadway cast—even different Broadway casts—puts it ahead of movies cast mostly with ringers. I've heard some of the revival casts and I still have a hard time imagining anyone else in those roles.
Wish I'd had a chance to see Madden on stage some, which mainly would have required being born earlier.
There is an entire class of actors I file mentally under "time machine." As in, for their sake alone I really want one.
Much affection also for Ralston Hill's Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson. All the dispatches from [drumroll] G. Washington.
His only film! I'm so glad of it.