1776 [DVD] [1972]

Patriotism and musical exuberance collide in Hollywood's retelling of American history with a newly restored director's cut of the musical 1776. Columbia's work on this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is very nice. Sporting a solid array of colors and well-saturated black levels, this image appears to be very evenly produced save for a few instances of edge enhancement in a few key scenes. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and should please those with home theater systems. With many instances of directional effects and a crystal clear soundtrack, this disc's audio presentation should make fans sit up and sing. Also included on the disc are English and French subtitles. The extra features on 1776 are small but substantial. Included on this disc is: a very enjoyable commentary track by director Peter H. Hunt and screenwriter Peter Stone, as they discuss the restoration process of the film and how it was brought to the silver screen; a few screen tests of some of the actors in the film; and theatrical trailers for the film and other Columbia musical movies.