This historical featurette focuses on Caesar Rodney of Delaware who in the summer of 1776 cast the deciding vote, at the meeting of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, so that the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
The Declaration of Independence (1938) is a history and drama film directed by Crane Wilbur, released on November 26, 1938 with a runtime of 17m. It stars John Litel, Ted Osborne, Rosella Towne and Richard Bond. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10 across 11 ratings.
John Litel
as Thomas Jefferson
Ted Osborne
as Caesar Rodney
Rosella Towne
as Betsy Kramer
Richard Bond
as Thomas Lynch Jr.
Owen King
as Edward Rutledge
Lionel Belmore
as The Innkeeper (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
as Congress Clerk (uncredited)
Tom Chatterton
as Richard Henry Lee (uncredited)
Hal Craig
as Man Shooting at Rodney (uncredited)
Henry Hall
as John Hancock (uncredited)
John Harron
as Rodney's Messenger (uncredited)
Boyd Irwin
as Thomas McKean (uncredited)
Directed by Crane Wilbur, written by Charles L. Tedford.
Average viewer score of 6.7/10 from 11 ratings.
With the slightly incongruous strains of “God Save The King” accompanying this short feature, it offers us a zealous and simplistic, “Janet and John” guide to those brave men who decided to separate from the mother country and set out on their road to freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It’s the sort of film you might show to young children to excite their interest in history, or dressing up, or both -…
Reviewed on July 10, 2025
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The main cast of The Declaration of Independence (1938) includes John Litel, Ted Osborne, Rosella Towne, Richard Bond and Owen King. The film was directed by Crane Wilbur. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Declaration of Independence was released on November 26, 1938 and runs for 17m.
The Declaration of Independence (1938) holds an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 11 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy history and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.