Johnny Tremain (film)
Encyclopedia
Johnny Tremain is a 1957 film made by Walt Disney Productions, based on the 1944 Newbery Medal
-winning children's novel of the same name
by Esther Forbes
, retelling the story of the years in Boston, Massachusetts prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution
. The movie was directed by Robert Stevenson
. It was made for television, then ultimately released to theatres, and finally wound up on television a year after that, on the Walt Disney anthology television series. It was shown on television in two episodes rather than as a complete film on a single evening. The song "Liberty Tree", with music by George Bruns and Lyrics by Tom Blackburn, became familiar, when the song was placed on the Disney Record album entitled "Happy Birthday and Other Holiday songs".
to Mr. Lapham, who dreams of one day owning his own shop and becoming wealthy and respected. All of this is abruptly taken from him when his hand is damaged in a silver accident. He ends up joining the Sons of Liberty
in the movement for American independence. Along the way Johnny befriends several historical giants including Paul Revere
, Samuel Adams
, and Joseph Warren
. The story reaches its climax with the start of the American Revolutionary War
and the actions taken by so many notable figures of the time to lead a young America into her first battles.
Walt Disney's daughter Sharon Mae Disney also had a small uncredited role as Dorcas, a young friend of Johnny and Priscilla (who in the novel was one of Priscilla's sisters).
Furthermore, an elm tree found on the Disney property (originally 6 miles from where the Magic Kingdom is located) was moved & transplanted by Disney engineers and now serves as the square's Liberty Tree. Adorning the tree are 13 lanterns, representing the original 13 American colonies.
Louis Marx and Company
released an American War of Independence playset featuring character figures of the actors in the show as a film tie-in
.
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
-winning children's novel of the same name
Johnny Tremain
Johnny Tremain is a 1944 children's novel by Esther Forbes set in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution. The novel's themes include apprenticeship, courtship, sacrifice, human rights, and the growing tension between Whigs and Tories as conflict nears...
by Esther Forbes
Esther Forbes
Esther Louise Forbes was an American novelist, historian andchildren's writer who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal.-Life:...
, retelling the story of the years in Boston, Massachusetts prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The movie was directed by Robert Stevenson
Robert Stevenson (director)
Robert Stevenson was an English film writer and director. He was educated at Cambridge University where he became the president of both the Liberal Club and the Cambridge Union Society....
. It was made for television, then ultimately released to theatres, and finally wound up on television a year after that, on the Walt Disney anthology television series. It was shown on television in two episodes rather than as a complete film on a single evening. The song "Liberty Tree", with music by George Bruns and Lyrics by Tom Blackburn, became familiar, when the song was placed on the Disney Record album entitled "Happy Birthday and Other Holiday songs".
Plot
Johnny Tremain is an arrogant and exceptionally skilled apprentice silversmithSilversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
to Mr. Lapham, who dreams of one day owning his own shop and becoming wealthy and respected. All of this is abruptly taken from him when his hand is damaged in a silver accident. He ends up joining the Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
in the movement for American independence. Along the way Johnny befriends several historical giants including Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
, Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
, and Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...
. The story reaches its climax with the start of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and the actions taken by so many notable figures of the time to lead a young America into her first battles.
Cast
- Hal StalmasterHal StalmasterHarry Lapidus Stalmaster, known as Hal Stalmaster , is a former actor best known for his lead role in the 1957 Walt Disney film of the American Revolution, Johnny Tremain, based on the 1943 Esther Forbes novel of the same name.-Johnny Tremain:In the dramatization, Stalmaster is an apprentice...
as Johnny Tremain - Luana PattenLuana Patten-Career:Patten made her first film appearance in Joel Chandler Harris's Song of the South with Bobby Driscoll, and they both appeared in Song of the Souths sister film So Dear to My Heart. She appeared again with Bobby Driscoll in the Pecos Bill segment of Disney's Melody Time...
as Priscilla Lapham - Jeff YorkJeff YorkJeff York was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name Granville Owen Schofield...
as James OtisJames Otis, Jr.James Otis, Jr. was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts, a member of the Massachusetts provincial assembly, and an early advocate of the political views that led to the American Revolution. The phrase "Taxation without Representation is Tyranny" is usually attributed to him... - Sebastian CabotSebastian Cabot (actor)Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot was an English film and television actor, best remembered as the gentleman's gentleman, "Giles French," opposite Brian Keith's character, in the 1960s sitcom Family Affair. He was also known for playing Dr...
as Jonathan Lyte - Richard BeymerRichard BeymerGeorge Richard Beymer, Jr. is an American actor known for playing Tony in the 1961 film version of West Side Story and Ben Horne on the 1990 television series Twin Peaks.-Life and career:...
as Rab Silsbee - Walter SandeWalter SandeWalter Sande was an American actor, notable for film roles including Paul Revere in Walt Disney's Johnny Tremain....
as Paul ReverePaul ReverePaul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride... - Whit BissellWhit BissellWhitner Nutting Bissell , better known as Whit Bissell, was an American actor.-Early life:Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of prominent surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell. He trained with the Carolina Playmakers, a theatrical organization associated with the University of North Carolina at...
as Josiah QuincyJosiah QuincyJosiah Quincy is the name of:*Colonel Josiah Quincy I , Revolutionary War soldier, built Josiah Quincy House *Josiah Quincy II , attorney, "the Patriot", newspaper propagandist, son of Josiah Quincy I... - Rusty Lane as Samuel AdamsSamuel AdamsSamuel Adams was an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. As a politician in colonial Massachusetts, Adams was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, and was one of the architects of the principles of American...
- Walter CoyWalter CoyWalter Darwin Coy was an American stage, radio, film, and, principally, television actor, originally from Great Falls, Montana. He was best known for narrating the NBC western anthology series, Frontier, which aired early Sunday evenings in the 1955-1956 season.-Career:Coy performed on Broadway...
as Dr. Joseph Warren - Will WrightWill Wright (actor)William Henry "Will" Wright was an American character actor. He was frequently cast in curmudgeonly roles. He was sometimes credited as Will J. Wright....
as Mr. Lapham - Virginia ChristineVirginia ChristineVirginia Christine was an American film and television actress and voice artist. Christine had a long career as a character actress in film and television. She played "Mrs...
as Mrs. Lapham - Ralph ClantonRalph ClantonRalph Clanton was an American character actor. Although his name is not familiar to audiences, he did play a significant supporting role in a classic film which is revived regularly...
as General Gage - Geoffrey TooneGeoffrey TooneGeoffrey Toone was an Irish-born character actor.Most of Toone's film roles after the 1930s were in supporting parts, usually as authority figures, though he did play the lead character in the Hammer Films production The Terror of the Tongs in 1961Toone was born in Dublin, Ireland to English...
as Major Pitcairn
Walt Disney's daughter Sharon Mae Disney also had a small uncredited role as Dorcas, a young friend of Johnny and Priscilla (who in the novel was one of Priscilla's sisters).
Educational films
Portions of the film were used in 1968 for educational purposes. Two distant sequence of the films were issued under the titles of The Boston Tea Party and The Shot Heard ‘Round the World.Legacy
After the movie was released, Walt Disney intended to build Liberty Street in Disneyland as an annex to Main Street USA. However, the project was never realized. Years later after Walt's death, the concept was revived and turned into the much more expansive Liberty Square in Walt Disney World, which opened on October 1, 1971.Furthermore, an elm tree found on the Disney property (originally 6 miles from where the Magic Kingdom is located) was moved & transplanted by Disney engineers and now serves as the square's Liberty Tree. Adorning the tree are 13 lanterns, representing the original 13 American colonies.
Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1978. Its boxes were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?"-Logo and Offerings:...
released an American War of Independence playset featuring character figures of the actors in the show as a film tie-in
Tie-in
A tie-in is an authorized product based on a media property a company is releasing, such as a movie or video/DVD, computer game, video game, television program/television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property...
.
External links
- D23: The Official Disney Fan Club: A Revolutionary Story