The original Broadway production of "The Fifth of July" by Lanford Wilson opened at the New Apollo Theater on November 5, 1980, ran for 511 performances and was nominated for the 1981 Tony Award for the Best Play. Swoosie Kurtz (winner of the 1981 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play), Jeff Daniels, Jonathan Hogan, Danton Stone and Joyce Reehling reprise their roles in the filmed production.
Recorded twice: once for Showtime in its uncensored form (130 min.) which has never been on home video, and again for PBS in a self-censored version (116 min.) which was released to home video on VHS and DVD.