GAMES OF THE XXI OLYMPIAD, THE {1976 MONTREAL OLYMPICS} {1976/07/17}, PART 2: OPENING CEREMONY (TV)
Summary
This program presents a portion of coverage of the 1976 Summer Games of the XXI Olympiad from Montreal. Highlights of this portion include coverage of the Opening Ceremony, taking place on July 17th.
Anchor sports commentator Jim McKay presides throughout this portion and reports from the Olympic Stadium.
As the Parade of Nations continues, McKay introduces sports commentator Howard Cosell, who comments briefly about the United States boxing team.
Further countries represented in the parade include India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Libya, Luxembourg, and Malaysia.
McKay introduces sports commentator Chris Schenkel, who talks with athletes and fellow commentators Cathy Rigby Mason and Gordon Maddux about the upcoming Games.
The parade continues with the teams from Mongolia, Monaco, New Zealand, Panama, Lebanon, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, East Germany, North Korea, Romania, Sweden, Swaziland, Czechoslovakia, Thailand, Turkey, USSR, Venezuela, and Canada.
McKay notes that twenty-six countries are missing, having possibly withdrawn from the Games entirely, leaving ninety-four teams on the field. Lord Killanin, president of the International Olympic Committee, mounts the rostrum with Roger Rousseau, premier of the Province of Quebec and chief of the Montreal Olympic Organizing Committee (COJO). Rousseau and Killanen both give speeches, presented in both French and English, and Queen Elizabeth II opens the ceremony with brief comments.
The Olympic Flag is brought into the stadium, carried by several Canadian athletes, and is raised on the pole as a men's choir sings an a cappella version of the Olympic Hymn, composed by Spyridon Samaras and featuring lyrics by Greek poet Kostis Palamas. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: July 17, 1976 3:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:55:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:01288
- GENRE: Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: U.S. Olympic Archive, presented by Gordon Crawford, The; Olympic Games, 1976, Summer, Montreal; Olympics; Sports; Opening Ceremony
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1976
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jim McKay … Anchor Sports Commentator
- Howard Cosell … Sports Commentator
- Chris Schenkel … Sports Commentator
- Cathy Rigby Mason … Sports Commentator
- Gordon Maddux … Sports Commentator
- Michael Morris (See also: Lord Killanin) … Guest
- Roger Rousseau … Guest
- Queen Elizabeth II … Guest
- Kostis Palamas
- Spyridon Samaras