Reliving the American Revolution, USA250 Anniversary Program

"Coming to a theater near you!" This 2026 series has been built around Warner Bros. Studio's 1936 to 1940 patriotic film series "Old Glory"--which has recently been restored to its original, vibrant Technicolor--as a springboard for understanding the latest scholarly insights regarding the history of the American War of Independence. Each session includes four parts: a 20-minute screening of an American Revolution-related "short-reel film," a film historian's introduction, a contemporary historian's discussion, and a Q&A interaction between scholars and participants. The American War of Independence topics in this film and lecture series include the Declaration of Independence, the story of Patrick Henry, the story of the Sons of Liberty, the Bill of Rights, and Edward Everett Hale's 1863 short story "The Man Without a Country." Dr. James D'Arc, retired curator of the BYU Motion Picture Archive, and Brad Westwood, retired senior public historian for Utah, organized this series for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to expose participants to the most recent scholarship in the history of the American Revolution, presented by seven Utah university professors. The series will also seek understanding about how the US film industry interpreted this story during the Great Depression from 1929-1940, and show how accurately interpreting American Revolutionary history can help Utahns to be more informed and more engaged U.S. citizens today. This free series, co-sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Utah, is open to all ages. You do not need an Osher membership to participate, but we hope you will join us for Osher classes in the future, especially if you are already age fifty and better!