For some incredible, God only knows, what reason this film has not been shown for years. I saw it in theaters as a kid and later a few more times on television in the Sixties and it disappeared after that. I think it would be worthwhile to get out on DVD and Blu-Ray if for no other reason than for American kids to know why so many public schools are named after this French guy.
Lafayette has become the symbol of Franco-American comity and as we know our relationship with France has not always been easy. In fact when the French recognized the American colonies as independent they sent any number of people here officially and unofficially as the American Revolution became a European War as well with world wide theaters.
What was different about the Marquis de Lafayette was that he was an idealist and really bought into all the ideas of our Revolution. Folks like General Rochambeau and Admiral DeGrasse were rather haughty in dealing with us colonials, Lafayette never so. In fact the way he adopted the childless George Washington as a father figure was one of the great stories coming out of the American Revolution.
Michel Royer was a spirited Lafayette, he was a name unknown to Americans, but had a substantial career in French cinema after this. You'll see a number of familiar names dotting the cast, but the two that stand out are Howard St. John as George Washington and Jack Hawkins as British General Charles Cornwallis. Each perfectly fit my conception of both men. And St. John's scenes with Royer are special.
Hopefully this will get out on DVD and soon.
