This was broadcast on PBS when I was 12 and I was so deeply struck by it -- the oddness of the empty stage and pantomimed props, the mysterious heartache of Emily when she's falling in love with George and, of course, the devastating scene when she tries to go back and can't. Watching it now, at age 57, I feel like I am a ghost of the future watching that scene with my 12 year old self. I find this play as bleak as Beckett and profound as the Gospel. We won't live forever, but it might.
For me, Hal Holbrooke is the quintessential narrator for Our Town. Emily is perfect, too. The entire cast and everyone involved created a masterpiece in this production of Thornton Wilder's brilliant play. Thank you for this magical experience. Emily's closing speech helped me earn my last year of college tuition. This was a gift to me in many ways.
Damn. "Our Town" has choked me up every time I've read or watched it. Watched the original movie version with my grandfather when he was the age I am now. Time keeps moving along.
I was 10 years old in 77 when this aired on PBS that year. Even though I was just a kid, I loved it. Sada Thompson and Barbara Belle Geddes were two of my favorite tv ‘’mom like’’ actresses back then. Along with Hal Holbrook, John Houseman, Ned Beatty and Robby Benson - you can’t go wrong! I’m 54 now and watching it again.
This production was incredible, and now as I recall, faithful to Wilder's stage directions that there be a minimum of props so that the actors had to pantomime their actions. Some might fight this sparseness distracting, but I felt it further encouraged the imagination; our town could be your town, and therefore every town anywhere, just as the experiences of the residents in "Our Town" reflected the human experience universally. A brilliant play, celebrating the magic in the most ordinary existence, reminding us all to cherish each and every moment.
@ewd76 It's a conflict for me. I love the Copeland score and the movie in general, but a production like this is really what the play was supposed to be and love it as well (having done it in high school (doesn't everyone?) doesn't hurt).
This production does have its charms, but was obviously a television production of the play. Check out the 1988 Lincoln Center Theatre version (also on TH-cam) that was staged more simply with fewer furniture props and settings and won the TONY Award for Best Revival of a Play, as well as other theatrical awards. The Thornton Wilder Society endorsed it as the best filmed version based on the playwright's original conception.
Played George my senior year of HS. I think that's a perfect time to watch this show, the message has always stuck with me. We all have to realize just how lucky we are to live and love while we still can.
Just watched it again after not having seen it in years.... So beautiful!! The cast is so good. Hal Holbrook is warm & comforting & wise as the narrator. And Robbie Benson & Glynis O'Connor shine as George & Emily. Their scenes are touching & believable, probably because the couple was dating when this was made.. I really love the scene when George & Emily discover that they love each other. Their voices crack with emotion, makes me want to cry every time. And of course Emily's scenes at the cementary, reliving the one day from her life..
Watching again with my granddaughter in 2021, relevant when I watched it in 77 and relevant today,my granddaughter has an essay assignment, I understand why her teacher assigned it, my granddaughter was shocked that I knew it,😃 it is a beautiful and touching play, a classic and one of the best.Virtual homework is very different from being at school, sad that the young people are having to go through so many changes, but this is an awesome assignment .
It is an immortal work of art, a chef d'oeuvre, to me . I uploaded it when I was studying English Literature at university and I had to write a 5 page essay on it. I have been reading everyone's comments on it since then. Thank you ,Sharon, for sharing this beautiful comment, and be blessed with your granddaughter.
This, imo, is the quintessential version of OUR TOWN. I read that Thornton Wilder gave his mark of approval for this adaption of his play... A very moving production, & an excellent cast.
I remember watching this play just a few days before graduating from High School in 1978. I was still in the throes of final exams and needed a break from Physics and the incomprehensible principles governing fluid dynamics (Archmedes’ principle being one of them) when I turned on the TV late on a Saturday night (while all my other classmates were out celebrating) to find this play being televised. I was immediately drawn in…there was something about the plot that seemed so peculiarly relevant and applicable to the moment in which I was living. The fleeting passing of time….opportunities squandered and lost forever due to inertia or laziness or just not recognizing what those opportunities represented. I felt like the play was written FOR ME. I sat there in rapt attention, watching the play and stealing glances at the antique pocket watch my parents had given me that very afternoon (it was a family heirloom, engraved with the date, June 9, 1978 and “Love, Mom & Dad”). That watch and that play…I was convinced there was a message about time somewhere between the two of them. But was it a message to revel in it's seeming abundance or to take haste at its fleeting, temporal nature? I still have the watch, btw, although I lost Mom and Dad quite some time ago.
You and I graduated from high school in the same year, and I, like you, sat and watched this production with rapt attention. Thanks so much for posting your memory of this wonderful production of my favorite play.
CaesarInVa thank you for your heartfelt comments. I guess the play conveys how unhappy people are every day due to wasting time, and not giving and receiving real intimacy and connection with people.
Just last year I was in the ensemble for our production of Our Town, and honestly, it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done! Even with few enough lines I could count them on my fingers, it changed me forever. My baseball player outfit felt like a flimsy piece of cardstock, and I had to bring in my own suit to play the dead person- I had to change costumes in 6 minutes to make my cue 😂. Now, I’m in a named role for another production of a different show! I still can’t stop thinking about this, though.
I saw this when it first appeared live on t.v. IT reminds me so much of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania where I lived and went to school in the 1960's . It was such a beautiful town, so much like the one in this play. I dont think it is very nice any more.
This play, by its evocation of a finite, definite place and time manages to evoke the feeling of infinity more adroitly than you thought possible in the theatre.. This is the definitive performance from Benson, Thompson, Beatty et al. A breathless masterpiece.
We did it in high school almost almost 50 years ago and at the end of the the play, our band director, who was in the audience, a great guy but not one who necessarily expressed his emotions openly, had tears in his eyes. We did a great job - so I wish you well as you do this great play.
@@robertaa7143 it went great i had trouble remembering the ending parts for emily so i literally listened to the video everyday and while I was going to sleep in order to memorize but unfortunately one our shows got cut due to the violent spread of covid once it hit the U.S. we performed for two days in a row and it was great 🥰🥰🥰
I'm sitting here in tears, and I'm nowhere near the end. The scene where Dr. Gibbs takes George to task for his treatment of his mother sneaked up on me. The understated dignity of Ned Beatty, and the way Robby Benson seems ashamed, and guilty to the point of tears is just beautiful. And Dr. Gibbs raises his allowance to let him know that it's ok, that George is ok, because Gibbs knew his son would take it hard. A brilliant scene, very movingly played.
If you can find it, please also post the production of "The Skin of Our Teeth" that was also broadcast on PBS's "American Playhouse"' in the early 1980's and starred Sada Thompson as Mrs. Antrobus.
Viewing this on television decades ago helped me fall in love with theatre and experience - what I only learned many years later what is called - catharsis.
This is the best production of "Our Town" I've ever seen...Captures both the joy and darkness of Wilder's view of life...It is not a sentimental play and its realistic view of the human condition stays with you. Thanks for posting this!!
This really is the best version. I thought Hal Holbrook, Sada Thompson, Ned Beatty, Charlotte Rae, Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor were all absolutely perfect in their roles.
We read this in school out loud. I played Emily and the boy I loved played George. I was dating someone else then. But my first love will always hold a place in my heart. Randy herald. 1986.
All of your comments are true. This is the definitive version of the play. The 1940 film is wonderful as well but this version is so profound, it should almost be required to see! It had such a profound effect on me that I recommended we do this for our Fall production in high school. The director agreed. I played Professor Willard!
I watched this as a kid on PBS, and it really affected me. Particularly the cemetary scene. I'm so pleased to be able to see it once more. Oh how the world has changed, and not necessarily for the better. I love anything with John Houseman. Remember The Paperchase?
Leigh Burton I remember as well watching this as a kid. I am 51 now so I was basically 9 years old watching this with my family and I think it aired on a Sunday night. I remember distinctly being creeped out a bit but affected by the cemetery scene with the dead people sitting on chairs. I guess it scared or creeped me a bit at that age. I thought as a kid they were speaking from heaven. I couldn’t understand the play at that age but I distinctly remember the dead in the cemetery scene. It’s enlightening as a middle age adult now how much significance this play has to say on Spirituality, the Afterlife. And embracing each day on earth with gratitude
I remember when this aired on PBS in late spring of 1978. I was 17 and about to graduate from high school in a few days time. My parents had given me a pocket watch, which was a family heirloom, as my graduation present. It was inscribed "Love, Mom & Dad, June 9, 1978". I still have that pocket watch. It is one of my dearest possessions. A day or two after they gave me the watch, I was laying in front of the TV admiring it when this production came on. I was riveted. To this day, that pocket watch and Hal Holbrook and this production are inextricably linked in my mind. I'm 59 now. What I wouldn't give to go back to that night, laying in front of the TV, watching this production, Mom & Dad fast asleep, the dogs laying beside me, one on either side, and my pocket watch on my stomach, the whole on my life stretching out before me like a highway leading into the distance. There was something about this production, I can't explain it, that seemed to whisper in my ear: revel in thine youth.
I am so pleased to find this! I’ve often had students perform Emily’s final speech. And nothing beats being able to see (rather than just read) the play! Thank you so much 😊
Thank you so much for posting this. I so much wanted to share it with my granddaughters, but the $60 price of dvd on Amazon (the only other place that I could find it) was prohibitive.
I remember reading this play in one of my classes in high school; it had a very profound impact on me to say the least. Especially at 1:52:21 and the stage manager's response.
It is sure to be one of the best performances of our towns. Perhaps the emotional performance of Emily and George will be difficult to see in the future. And it is the best place to see the life in the early 1900s.
thanks for uploading! was just cast as emily in my college's production and have been looking for a performance to watch to get the feel of the character. what a great actress!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting this!! IF you can find a DVD copy, it's over $100. By generously posting this to TH-cam, you've made this wonderful production available TO THE WORLD or until somebody yanks it. Just yesterday, I emailed Glynnis O'Connor just to tell her how much in love with her I used to be and to thank her for being who she is and sharing herself with us. I hope she gets it. Now, I can show this to my 16-year-old daughter, who dreams of being a film director. She can come to love this production too, because of your consideration. Again, Thank You!
Justin Aames she apparently didn’t do much prominent roles in movies. I just knew her from the Family TV series though her Wikipedia entry shows a vast array of work. Not every actress or actor is a superstar. A lot of tv performers are not taken seriously or as credible as film performers. I think Ms. Thompson did an excellent performance in this role. She has a commanding distinguished stage presence and acted the role with the perfect emotion. It was good to see her and Charlotte Rae who was Mrs. Garrett in Facts of Life in other roles showing their versatility from what their familiar TV roles are. I’m sure they both relished in the opportunity to act in roles other than their weekly TV series.
@@analogkid4957 ...True, in fact the best actors and actresses are typically not superstars. Thompson and Bel Geddes were known more for their stage roles...in particular Thompson who received the Tony Award- before being lured to television. Both women were Emmy Award winners, and had distinguished and respectable careers which outshone many a household name.
They are both beneficial. As you read, you could picture the characters and have your own made up play in your head. I personally think, this will make you creative and will sharpen your mind. However, it is more fun watching the play.
Wow what an impressive production, really touching. I completely understand why Wilder wanted the scenery to be minimal, it's like radio in a way, theater of the mind. I feel so privileged to have these special experiences just a click away.
Ross, how is this play regarded in New Zealand? Is it seen as a play specifically about life in America? Or, is it seen as a play about life in general?
For a while now I’ve been searching for this exact production because I watch this exact production of this play in school, and now I find it? Tell me what the heck!
L'UDP (l'Union Dramatique de Bruxelles) joue actuellement cette pièce (en français) à Bruxelles. Elle a été jouée en anglais (Our town), également à Bruxelles, en novembre 2017, au BEAT.
In fact, it was originally developed and written in part in France and Europe by Thornton Wilder while he was visiting time with Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas for an extended period of time.
Wow I Just Watched this,Such a sad Story in a Way,Great Performances by the entire Cast.I’m an admirer of Glynnis O,Conner ,She’s Such a Cutie with her Former Boyfriend Robby Benson.I heard her say in interviews it was like real life and acting at the same time
bad bad memories i did this play with my drama group, it was quite fun. but this was the first play i had ever done and i was the stage manager._. i messed the very first line! THE FIRST LINE OF THE ENTIRE PLAY
When Dr. Gibbs suggests George chop wood for his hard-working mother he ( the Dr.) knows all he has to do is toy around with George's emotions. I guess when Mrs. GIbbs complains of George not helping her Dr. thinks "I can see it's time for another tearjerking lecture."
The only thing I can think of to say is my grandfather used to love the game Aggravation and my whole family would join in to play it with him. Not cause of the game, not cause of him, but just cause it was a shared time together and fun. And I think this play says enjoy the life you have cause it will be taken from you sooner than you think.
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I saw this when I was 19, Im 61 now, its still touching
Same here, with two years less either way :-)
same with me. i have never forgotten it.
Me Too, my favorite play
This was broadcast on PBS when I was 12 and I was so deeply struck by it -- the oddness of the empty stage and pantomimed props, the mysterious heartache of Emily when she's falling in love with George and, of course, the devastating scene when she tries to go back and can't. Watching it now, at age 57, I feel like I am a ghost of the future watching that scene with my 12 year old self. I find this play as bleak as Beckett and profound as the Gospel. We won't live forever, but it might.
For me, Hal Holbrooke is the quintessential narrator for Our Town. Emily is perfect, too. The entire cast and everyone involved created a masterpiece in this production of Thornton Wilder's brilliant play. Thank you for this magical experience. Emily's closing speech helped me earn my last year of college tuition.
This was a gift to me in many ways.
Damn. "Our Town" has choked me up every time I've read or watched it. Watched the original movie version with my grandfather when he was the age I am now. Time keeps moving along.
I was 10 years old in 77 when this aired on PBS that year. Even though I was just a kid, I loved it. Sada Thompson and Barbara Belle Geddes were two of my favorite tv ‘’mom like’’ actresses back then. Along with Hal Holbrook, John Houseman, Ned Beatty and Robby Benson - you can’t go wrong! I’m 54 now and watching it again.
100 percent agree
What an amazing cast. How lucky we were to have Barbara Belle Geddes & Sada Thompson bring they’re amazing talents to television.
Whoever was doing the sound work with this production did an excellent job, every touch of a imaginary glass sounds like they are using real props
I agree; the sound was spot-on.
Cynthia Lyman is there a name for a theater technique where imaginary props are used?
Steven Koren pantomime.
Like how did they do it. Since this has been uploaded in 2016 it must have been added or maybe it was added in the actual play. Who knows? God Knows.
I love the pantomime in this play. I'm learning about pantomime in Drama class and it's really fun!
This production was incredible, and now as I recall, faithful to Wilder's stage directions that there be a minimum of props so that the actors had to pantomime their actions. Some might fight this sparseness distracting, but I felt it further encouraged the imagination; our town could be your town, and therefore every town anywhere, just as the experiences of the residents in "Our Town" reflected the human experience universally. A brilliant play, celebrating the magic in the most ordinary existence, reminding us all to cherish each and every moment.
@ewd76 It's a conflict for me. I love the Copeland score and the movie in general, but a production like this is really what the play was supposed to be and love it as well (having done it in high school (doesn't everyone?) doesn't hurt).
This production does have its charms, but was obviously a television production of the play. Check out the 1988 Lincoln Center Theatre version (also on TH-cam) that was staged more simply with fewer furniture props and settings and won the TONY Award for Best Revival of a Play, as well as other theatrical awards. The Thornton Wilder Society endorsed it as the best filmed version based on the playwright's original conception.
reh052052, thank you for that recommendation. I will definitely check it out.
45 years have passed. And there is still meaning to this play.
Played George my senior year of HS. I think that's a perfect time to watch this show, the message has always stuck with me. We all have to realize just how lucky we are to live and love while we still can.
jessthemess ! I’m glad you enjoyed that. I love this show and the message to death
did you do Thornton justice??
re: your earlier comment haha
Wonder Motion Pictures I think so. We all made a great commitment to telling that story well!
This is the best production of "Our Town". What a great cast!
Just watched it again after not having seen it in years.... So beautiful!! The cast is so good. Hal Holbrook is warm & comforting & wise as the narrator. And Robbie Benson & Glynis O'Connor shine as George & Emily. Their scenes are touching & believable, probably because the couple was dating when this was made.. I really love the scene when George & Emily discover that they love each other. Their voices crack with emotion, makes me want to cry every time. And of course Emily's scenes at the cementary, reliving the one day from her life..
We live in it.I love every single moment of it.
This is the all around best version of "Our Town" that I've ever seen. Hal Holbrook is absolutely perfect as the Stage Manager.
We watched this play when I was in high school. My Mom cried when she saw it.
I had forgotten how wonderful this production was. Hal Holbrook, Ned Beatty, and the luminous Sada Thompson lead the totally stellar cast.
Watching again with my granddaughter in 2021, relevant when I watched it in 77 and relevant today,my granddaughter has an essay assignment, I understand why her teacher assigned it, my granddaughter was shocked that I knew it,😃 it is a beautiful and touching play, a classic and one of the best.Virtual homework is very different from being at school, sad that the young people are having to go through so many changes, but this is an awesome assignment .
It is an immortal work of art, a chef d'oeuvre, to me . I uploaded it when I was studying English Literature at university and I had to write a 5 page essay on it. I have been reading everyone's comments on it since then. Thank you ,Sharon, for sharing this beautiful comment, and be blessed with your granddaughter.
I saw this when I was 11. I loved it. It reminded me of hearing my grandma and her neighbor talking about "the good ole days."
I've watched this three times What an amazing reminder to appreciate the every day.
Absolutely - that’s what I LOVE about this play 🥰
I love it whenever Hal Holbrook narrates; he's got such a warm, familiar delivery.
One of my favorite plays. Happy I got to see a performance with my father.
Brilliant production, outstanding performances... wept... Totally deserving of the Pulitzer. And a lesson in how to honour the moments. And memories.
This, imo, is the quintessential version of OUR TOWN. I read that Thornton Wilder gave his mark of approval for this adaption of his play... A very moving production, & an excellent cast.
What a beautiful immersive production. Just a classic American play.
I was 21 when this came out. Haven't seen since then. Tremendous!! Goose bumps. Just an ordinary day in Grovers Corner......
I remember watching this play just a few days before graduating from High School in 1978. I was still in the throes of final exams and needed a break from Physics and the incomprehensible principles governing fluid dynamics (Archmedes’ principle being one of them) when I turned on the TV late on a Saturday night (while all my other classmates were out celebrating) to find this play being televised. I was immediately drawn in…there was something about the plot that seemed so peculiarly relevant and applicable to the moment in which I was living. The fleeting passing of time….opportunities squandered and lost forever due to inertia or laziness or just not recognizing what those opportunities represented. I felt like the play was written FOR ME. I sat there in rapt attention, watching the play and stealing glances at the antique pocket watch my parents had given me that very afternoon (it was a family heirloom, engraved with the date, June 9, 1978 and “Love, Mom & Dad”). That watch and that play…I was convinced there was a message about time somewhere between the two of them. But was it a message to revel in it's seeming abundance or to take haste at its fleeting, temporal nature? I still have the watch, btw, although I lost Mom and Dad quite some time ago.
CaesarInVa I'm sorry your parents are no longer with us.
You are one of thrones who gets it!
Thank you for taking the time to post one of the most thoughtful comments I've read in a long time.
You and I graduated from high school in the same year, and I, like you, sat and watched this production with rapt attention. Thanks so much for posting your memory of this wonderful production of my favorite play.
CaesarInVa thank you for your heartfelt comments. I guess the play conveys how unhappy people are every day due to wasting time, and not giving and receiving real intimacy and connection with people.
Just last year I was in the ensemble for our production of Our Town, and honestly, it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done! Even with few enough lines I could count them on my fingers, it changed me forever. My baseball player outfit felt like a flimsy piece of cardstock, and I had to bring in my own suit to play the dead person- I had to change costumes in 6 minutes to make my cue 😂. Now, I’m in a named role for another production of a different show! I still can’t stop thinking about this, though.
I saw this when it first appeared live on t.v. IT reminds me so much of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania where I lived and went to school in the 1960's . It was such a beautiful town, so much like the one in this play. I dont think it is very nice any more.
I'm watching this for school any one from Miss Allens class HIIIIIIII, this is as good as the story I love it
.
You are doing a great job. You will realize one day that this is, indeed, your own story.
This play, by its evocation of a finite, definite place and time manages to evoke the feeling of infinity more adroitly than you thought possible in the theatre.. This is the definitive performance from Benson, Thompson, Beatty et al. A breathless masterpiece.
Playing George in our High School production! Doing some research before we start rehearsals. I hope we do Thornton Wilder justice!
We did it in high school almost almost 50 years ago and at the end of the the play, our band director, who was in the audience, a great guy but not one who necessarily expressed his emotions openly, had tears in his eyes. We did a great job - so I wish you well as you do this great play.
I'm playing Emily
@@meyannaal-amin7138 how did it go for you?
@@robertaa7143 it went great i had trouble remembering the ending parts for emily so i literally listened to the video everyday and while I was going to sleep in order to memorize but unfortunately one our shows got cut due to the violent spread of covid once it hit the U.S. we performed for two days in a row and it was great 🥰🥰🥰
@@meyannaal-amin7138 It’s so great that you had that experience even though it was cut short.
I'm sitting here in tears, and I'm nowhere near the end. The scene where Dr. Gibbs takes George to task for his treatment of his mother sneaked up on me. The understated dignity of Ned Beatty, and the way Robby Benson seems ashamed, and guilty to the point of tears is just beautiful. And Dr. Gibbs raises his allowance to let him know that it's ok, that George is ok, because Gibbs knew his son would take it hard. A brilliant scene, very movingly played.
I've been searching for this very production for YEARS. Thanks very much for the upload.
You are welcome very much ..
Me too! I love this version. I saw it many years ago on t.v. and it just stayed with me. Glad I get to watch it again.
If you can find it, please also post the production of "The Skin of Our Teeth" that was also broadcast on PBS's "American Playhouse"' in the early 1980's and starred Sada Thompson as Mrs. Antrobus.
Viewing this on television decades ago helped me fall in love with theatre and experience - what I only learned many years later what is called - catharsis.
@@inkyguy I loved that one too !!!
I'm playing the narrator in our school play! I am excited to start learning and acting out this incredible play.
This is the best production of "Our Town" I've ever seen...Captures both the joy and darkness of Wilder's view of life...It is not a sentimental play and its realistic view of the human condition stays with you. Thanks for posting this!!
My husband Charles Cyphers is in this too, he played Emily's cousin who came in for the funeral
This really is the best version. I thought Hal Holbrook, Sada Thompson, Ned Beatty, Charlotte Rae, Robby Benson and Glynnis O'Connor were all absolutely perfect in their roles.
We read this in school out loud. I played Emily and the boy I loved played George. I was dating someone else then. But my first love will always hold a place in my heart. Randy herald. 1986.
I worked back stage on the production of Our Town that we did in high school. Always enjoyed it. RIP to Hal Holbrook....a wonderful actor.
All of your comments are true. This is the definitive version of the play. The 1940 film is wonderful as well but this version is so profound, it should almost be required to see! It had such a profound effect on me that I recommended we do this for our Fall production in high school. The director agreed. I played Professor Willard!
I watched this as a kid on PBS, and it really affected me. Particularly the cemetary scene. I'm so pleased to be able to see it once more. Oh how the world has changed, and not necessarily for the better.
I love anything with John Houseman. Remember The Paperchase?
Leigh Burton I remember as well watching this as a kid. I am 51 now so I was basically 9 years old watching this with my family and I think it aired on a Sunday night. I remember distinctly being creeped out a bit but affected by the cemetery scene with the dead people sitting on chairs. I guess it scared or creeped me a bit at that age. I thought as a kid they were speaking from heaven. I couldn’t understand the play at that age but I distinctly remember the dead in the cemetery scene. It’s enlightening as a middle age adult now how much significance this play has to say on Spirituality, the Afterlife. And embracing each day on earth with gratitude
I remember when this aired on PBS in late spring of 1978. I was 17 and about to graduate from high school in a few days time. My parents had given me a pocket watch, which was a family heirloom, as my graduation present. It was inscribed "Love, Mom & Dad, June 9, 1978". I still have that pocket watch. It is one of my dearest possessions. A day or two after they gave me the watch, I was laying in front of the TV admiring it when this production came on. I was riveted. To this day, that pocket watch and Hal Holbrook and this production are inextricably linked in my mind. I'm 59 now. What I wouldn't give to go back to that night, laying in front of the TV, watching this production, Mom & Dad fast asleep, the dogs laying beside me, one on either side, and my pocket watch on my stomach, the whole on my life stretching out before me like a highway leading into the distance. There was something about this production, I can't explain it, that seemed to whisper in my ear: revel in thine youth.
This was a retro play when new. It was interwar nostalgia for pre ww1. .but there is a.lot that shows how the good.old days weren't that good.
This is the best production of this story.
In less than a week I'll be starting this play. I'm quite nervous, as this is the first production I'll be doing in this company.
Jori how did it go?
It always makes my Mother cry.
@Jori O’Grady - how did it go?
This is absolutely the best version of this play, the cast is perfect. I am so happy to find it here, Thank you for posting this.
RIP Hal Holbrook. You were a wonderful actor!
I am so pleased to find this! I’ve often had students perform Emily’s final speech. And nothing beats being able to see (rather than just read) the play! Thank you so much 😊
Today is the first rehearsal of my high school’s production of Our Town! I’m playing Bill Warren ( he was the Constable ) I am so excited!
historic play, marvelous cast, turns the clock back, but still appropriate today
Act 1, 0:20-45:20
Act 2, 45:20-1:27:26
Act 3, 1:27:26-1:57:54
thx this is going to help everyone hope you don't go stir crazy
@@cyrusager3450 I have no clue what that means but yw
wonderful
thank you
I love this production and I am doing this very show at school I am Mrs. Webb
I'm Louella, and opening night is Thursday 😃
It was my first play and I was Wally
I’m Mrs. Webb too!
Rest In Peace Mr. Hal Holbrook. 2/17/25-1/23/21
Thank you so much for posting this. I so much wanted to share it with my granddaughters, but the $60 price of dvd on Amazon (the only other place that I could find it) was prohibitive.
I remember reading this play in one of my classes in high school; it had a very profound impact on me to say the least. Especially at 1:52:21 and the stage manager's response.
It is sure to be one of the best performances of our towns. Perhaps the emotional performance of Emily and George will be difficult to see in the future. And it is the best place to see the life in the early 1900s.
Hehe
thanks for uploading! was just cast as emily in my college's production and have been looking for a performance to watch to get the feel of the character. what a great actress!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU for posting this!! IF you can find a DVD copy, it's over $100. By generously posting this to TH-cam, you've made this wonderful production available TO THE WORLD or until somebody yanks it. Just yesterday, I emailed Glynnis O'Connor just to tell her how much in love with her I used to be and to thank her for being who she is and sharing herself with us. I hope she gets it. Now, I can show this to my 16-year-old daughter, who dreams of being a film director. She can come to love this production too, because of your consideration. Again, Thank You!
Thank you so much. The memories....
Massive applause for Sada Thompson who I only knew as Kate in ABC'S drama Family in the 70s. What a marvelous actress.
She is indeed one of the greatest actresses of all time.
Justin Aames she apparently didn’t do much prominent roles in movies. I just knew her from the Family TV series though her Wikipedia entry shows a vast array of work. Not every actress or actor is a superstar. A lot of tv performers are not taken seriously or as credible as film performers. I think Ms. Thompson did an excellent performance in this role. She has a commanding distinguished stage presence and acted the role with the perfect emotion. It was good to see her and Charlotte Rae who was Mrs. Garrett in Facts of Life in other roles showing their versatility from what their familiar TV roles are. I’m sure they both relished in the opportunity to act in roles other than their weekly TV series.
@@analogkid4957 ...True, in fact the best actors and actresses are typically not superstars. Thompson and Bel Geddes were known more for their stage roles...in particular Thompson who received the Tony Award- before being lured to television. Both women were Emmy Award winners, and had distinguished and respectable careers which outshone many a household name.
the acting was so good in this production. I was in tears at the end. never knew this play was so beautiful. thank you for the great upload.
It's So Awesome 👍❤
the best rendition of the best play
In my class we are reading the play as a class and my teacher assigned to me and my class to watch this video so I guess this is pretty pog.
I love this play
Better than reading the play. Thanks
true!
Plays weren't made to be read, they are meant to be performed and watched.
They are both beneficial. As you read, you could picture the characters and have your own made up play in your head. I personally think, this will make you creative and will sharpen your mind. However, it is more fun watching the play.
As a small child Our Town mesmerized me.
I was Stage Manager in my highschool production. Such a great play.
Thank you for posting this have not seen this since it aired on TV perfect
"Take me back to my grave." Heartbreaking.......
Yes, hi, I didn't ask for this existentialism toDAY-
Lady Dallas (barbara bel geddis) is absolutely outstanding in this!💙
Veramente bella, brava, fatta con amore. Mi piace tanto, la cercavo da tanto tempo, finalmente l'ho trovata.
I was in this play in HS. I was Simon Stimson.
I love how faithful the ending was to the book.
Wow what an impressive production, really touching. I completely understand why Wilder wanted the scenery to be minimal, it's like radio in a way, theater of the mind. I feel so privileged to have these special experiences just a click away.
Thanks so much for uploading this. What an incredible cast.
Wonderful, thanks for posting.
Rest In Peace, Hal Holbrook. Best stage manager of all time.
Thanks so much for posting. been looking for this for ages. !
you are most welcome.
I've never seen this version before. A nice treat for Sunday afternoon! Happy New Year!
R A Happy new year,buddy.
our town very good do not know if new Zealand ever screened this production or even heard of it. in 1977 i would have been 15
Ross, how is this play regarded in New Zealand? Is it seen as a play specifically about life in America? Or, is it seen as a play about life in general?
I have to read this play and this makes it so much easier
Beautiful play.
R.I.P. Ned Beatty 1937- 2021
For a while now I’ve been searching for this exact production because I watch this exact production of this play in school, and now I find it? Tell me what the heck!
Good lord this is phenomenal
Thanks for uploading. Happy memories of the GYPT (Gwent Young People's Theatre) production of 1980 something.
"Notre petite ville", un chef-d'oeuvre du théâtre américain!
C'est" Notre Ville" Mon Ami. Oui, C'est Incroyable.
L'UDP (l'Union Dramatique de Bruxelles) joue actuellement cette pièce (en français) à Bruxelles. Elle a été jouée en anglais (Our town), également à Bruxelles, en novembre 2017, au BEAT.
In fact, it was originally developed and written in part in France and Europe by Thornton Wilder while he was visiting time with Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas for an extended period of time.
Wow I Just Watched this,Such a sad Story in a Way,Great Performances by the entire Cast.I’m an admirer of Glynnis O,Conner ,She’s Such a Cutie with her Former Boyfriend Robby Benson.I heard her say in interviews it was like real life and acting at the same time
Glynnis O’Conner Beautiful Talented Wow!
RIP Hal Holbrook ❤️
BLESS YOU, for posting this. A DVD can't be found, for less than $50! Shame
bad bad memories
i did this play with my drama group, it was quite fun. but this was the first play i had ever done and i was the stage manager._.
i messed the very first line!
THE FIRST LINE
OF THE
ENTIRE
PLAY
Ow My Papercut Hurts you are your own worst critic.
bailey english you’re probably the only one who noticed. You’re your own worst critic.
Anyone else watching this for their summer work?
When Dr. Gibbs suggests George chop wood for his hard-working mother he ( the Dr.) knows all he has to do is toy around with George's emotions. I guess when Mrs. GIbbs complains of George not helping her Dr. thinks "I can see it's time for another tearjerking lecture."
i’m here after reading “wonder” by R.J. Palacio :(
I'm auditioning for this play in a week or two and going for emily... fingers crossed!
I hope u get the part!
The Seas Secrets how did the audition go?
@@robertaa7143 please tell!
Wonder Motion Pictures I wish the person would tell us.
@@robertaa7143 right! such a shame
Emily's birthday is February 11! That's my mom's birthday, and she was born the year this was made
This was amazing!
Yes, Indeed. I've watched it more than 30 times myself.
Ha! What a pleasant surprise when John Houseman showed up!
The only thing I can think of to say is my grandfather used to love the game Aggravation and my whole family would join in to play it with him. Not cause of the game, not cause of him, but just cause it was a shared time together and fun. And I think this play says enjoy the life you have cause it will be taken from you sooner than you think.
Who else has to do this for school 🥲