1776 is a musical celebration of the founding of the United States of America based on the award-winning Broadway production! The story centers around the tough and unyielding John Adams (William Daniels), the charming and pragmatic Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva), the brilliant young Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), and the rest of the Continental Congress. All events lead up to that most significant historical date: July 4, 1776.
For thoughts on 1776, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
1776 has been given a 2160p 4K UHD upgrade with Dolby Vision that serves as a significant step up from the included Blu-Ray that was first released a few years back. The previous release was very striking on Blu-Ray, but Sony completely obliterates any previous release with this new 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. This disc offers the perfect amount of natural film grain which is not overly thick but definitely not absent as you see it is very tight and finely resolved. This allows the movies to shine and gives an abundance of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. The image presents a miraculous amount of depth that makes these distinct environments feel more three dimensional than ever.
The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you look at the exteriors of the town buildings or textures on costumes. The UHD disc contains very vibrant, deep colors throughout with the lavish sets truly dazzling thanks to the cinematography. White levels are brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including some of the sweat from the palpable summer heat in the meeting hall. There is absolutely no sign of any print damage or other such blemishes that would ruin the look of this title. This transfer is a treat for fans of this classic title. Sony has delivered one of their best releases of the year with this set.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc utilizes a new Dolby Atmos track in addition to the original DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track for the purists. The amount of audio and subtitle options Sony provides on this disc is unlikely to displease anyone. The Atmos track is not radically different in execution from the 5.1 presentation, but it does give the overall soundscape extra vitality and a more deeply immersive quality. There is an emphasis on the front channels for a good portion of the dialogue, but activity extends to the surrounds, rears and overhead speakers when it comes to the music and certain environmental sounds to make these worlds feel more robust and all-encompassing. The sounds up above are not constant, but they are present enough to keep the listening experience quite engaging. These channels really come in handy during scenes of raucous debate.
The film obviously satisfies when it comes to the music, as the memorable songs wash over you in a really satisfying, enveloping way. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects. The low end effects from the subwoofer are mostly engaged to provide some extra texture to the musical moments. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. While this film may not benefit from an Atmos track in the same way as modern blockbusters, the expanded audio track allows it to feel more powerful and precise than ever. Sony continues its streak of stellar work.
Special Features
4K UHD Blu-Ray (Disc One)
- Director’s Cut (2:45:11) and Extended Cut (2:47:52)
Blu-Ray (Disc Two)
- Director’s Cut (2:45:11) and Extended Cut (2:47:55)
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Peter H. Hunt and Actors William Daniels and Ken Howard deliver a thoroughly informative and entertaining commentary track in which they go in depth on the history of the source material, tidbits about the sketch used in the opening credits, details on how they achieved things on a technical level, background on the characters and songs in the film, additions to the film that differed from the stage play and the real-life history, the sets and shooting locations and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Director Peter H. Hunt and Screenwriter Peter Stone deliver a likewise engrossing commentary track which covers some of the same material but goes deeper into the historical anecdotes they included in the script, the film’s assembly, and more. If you are going to only listen to one commentary track, the first one seems a bit more well-rounded.
- Deleted and Alternate Scenes: Three scenes are presented here. “Piddle, Twiddle & Resolve” (3:20) and “Reprise Of Lees Of Old Virginia” (1:12) are the scenes reinstated in the Extended Cut, and they are included here separately with an optional Director’s Commentary. “Privy” (0:54) is a quick alternate line reading that sanitizes the creator’s intent.
- Screen Tests
- William Daniels as John Adams (1:13)
- William Daniels and Howard Da Silva as John Adams and Benjamin Franklin (3:13)
- William Hansen as Caeser Rodney (1:40)
- Patrick Hines as Samuel Chase (1:06)
- Daniel Keyes as Josiah Bartlett (1:07)
- Leo Leyden as George Read (0:36)
- Ray Middleton as Colonel Thomas McKean (1:55)
- James Noble as Rev. John Witherspoon (1:26)
- Rex Robbins as Roger Sherman (1:14)
- Trailers: Included here is a Theatrical Trailer (3:13) and a Teaser Trailer (1:02).
Blu-Ray (Disc Three)
- 1972 Theatrical Version (2:21:38): Presented in beautiful HD with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track. This version has been heavily creatively compromised, but it has been out of circulation for a long time and is at least worthy of being included for posterity.
- 1992 LaserDisc Version (2:57:38): Presented in window boxed standard definition and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio. This has obviously been unavailable since the days of LaserDisc, so it is really cool to finally have yet another cut included in this definitive release of the film.
- Audio Commentary (LaserDisc Version): Director Peter H. Hunt sits down with Joe C. from Pioneer Special Editions to delve deep into this film which once again finds the creative telling many of the same stories, but includes some new and alternate observations, especially during the material exclusive to the LaserDisc version of the film.
Final Thoughts
1776 was honestly not on our radar prior to this new release, but it has quickly become a new favorite now that we have seen it. The fact that this film keeps you completely transfixed for so long within its limited scope is something of a marvel. This might be due in large part to the fact that this production brought nearly every stage performer over for the screen adaptation, allowing each of these characters to feel completely lived-in and authentic. There is not a weak link among the performances, and the musical numbers are incredibly catchy while capturing the importance of this momentous turning point in history. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a flawless A/V presentation and invaluable special features such as long-lost alternative cuts of the film. If you are a fan of musicals, this release may be the highlight of your year. Highly Recommended
1776 is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.