Today’s movie is a
historical drama with a scene that appens on December 16. Watch it tonight and
enjoy.
JOHNNY TREMAIN
In pre-Revolutionary War Boston, Johnny Tremain is the
apprentice to silversmith Mr. Lapham. The wealthy, pro-British Mr. Lyte brings
in a silver tea pitcher for a repair. Johnny tells Priscilla Lapham that his
mother told him he was related to Mr. Lyte and shows her his mother’s silver
christening cup with the Lyte crest as proof.
The Sons of Liberty are agitating against the import of tea by the East
India Company, on which a tax will have to be paid. After consulting with Paul
Revere, Johnny tries to repair the pitcher, but burns his hand and as a result
must give up his apprenticeship. He goes to see Lyte, who has him arrested,
claiming Johnny stole the christening cup. The Sons of Liberty rally to
Johnny’s defense and get Josiah Quincy to defend him. Johnny is acquitted after
Priscilla testifies that the day Johnny showed her the cup was before Lyte
reported the cup stolen. Johnny goes to work at the Boston Observer newspaper
and becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty. On December 16, 1773 [29:47 to
41:31] Johnny participates in the Boston tea party. This provokes the
Intolerable Acts where the port of Boston was closed. Lyte returns to England
and offers to take Johnny with him, now believing Johnny is a relative, but
Johnny refuses. When the British prepare to seize arms at Concord, Johnny
carries the message of “two” to the Old North Church and then rides to
Lexington. He is on the green when the ‘shot heard round the world’ is fired
and later fights at Concord and during the British retreat to Boston.
A decent Disney live-action film.
Has good, realistic characters and mainly sticks to the actual historical facts
about what happened. It seems somewhat dated now and Disney should probably
re-make this film to update it.
The Long Fuse: How England
Lost the American Colonies 1760-1785 by Don Cook
(The Atlantic Monthly Press, New
York, 1995) at page 177 gives the date
Producer - Walt Disney
Director - Robert Stevenson
Screenplay - Thomas W. Blackburn
Runtime – 1 hour 20 minutes
Released – June 19, 1957
Starring -
Hal Stalmaster as Johnny Tremain
Luana Patten as Priscilla Lapham
Jeff York as James Otis
Sebastian Cabot as Jonathan Lyte
Richard Beymer as Rab Silsbee
Walter Sande as Paul Revere
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.
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