Sunrise at Campobello

Writer, director, and producer Dore Schary was a long-time admirer of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and wrote Sunrise at Campobello after receiving the rights to his life story in 1957. The biographical play dramatizes Roosevelt’s life between 1921 and 1924, from when he first took ill at his family vacation home in Campobello, New Brunswick, Canada to his speech at the Democratic National Convention. The play offers an intimate portrait of Roosevelt and his family as he mounted a political comeback that would ultimately catapult him into the Presidency. Featuring dramatized versions of real historical figures and rooted in fact, it makes a valuable supplement to history lessons in the classroom. In 1960, the play was adapted into a well-received film starring Ralph Bellamy, who had previously won the Best Actor Tony Award for his role in the play.