Spirit of '76 - vaudeville film

Dramatic recreation of the painting "The spirit of '76" by Archibald M. Willard. Opens on a stage with a painted backdrop of a battlefield and stage props of dirt, stones, and a broken wagon wheel. From stage left marches a trio of Revolutionary soldiers in a fife and drum corps. As in the painting, the center drummer is a tall, older, white-haired man in a white shirt and dark vest. On his left, the other drummer is a young boy dressed in a uniform with a tricorner hat and boots to the knee. On the right marches a dark-haired fife player with a bandaged head, dressed in an unbuttoned uniform. When they reach center stage, the three march in place and play a tune as smoke from the battlefield drifts behind them. The soldiers then turn around, march towards the backdrop, and off stage right. A flash of smoke on stage simulates cannon fire, after which the drummers and fife player march back onstage, still playing. After they have performed briefly, a man in a uniform and tricorner hat enters behind them, waving a large American flag. The corps continues to march in place and play as the flag waves.
H61107 U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright: American Mutoscope & Biograph Co.; 19May1905; H61107.
Original main title lacking.
Camera, G.W. "Billy" Bitzer.
Duration: 0:57 at 16 fps.
According to the Biograph bulletins 1896-1908, this scene is based on Archibald Willard's painting, and was meant to illustrate the chorus of the song, "Bunker Hill", which likely refers to Albert Von Tilzer's popular 1904 march, with lyrics by Sam Ehrlich.
Biograph production no. 3010.
Paper print shelf number (LC 1872) was changed when the paper prints were re-housed.
Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
Filmed April 19,1905, in the Biograph New York City studio.
Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Niver, K. Early motion pictures, p. 308; AFI cat.: film beginnings, 1893-1910, 1995; Biograph bulletins 1896-1908, p. 219; Biograph production logs; World book encyclopedia, v. 16, c1981, p. 259.
Early motion pictures : the Paper Print Collection in the Library of Congress / by Kemp R. Niver. Library of Congress. 1985.
35 mm. viewing print renumbered: FEC 2231 to FYA 1005.