Ronald Reagan as Republican Insurgent-1976.

Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford fought an epic battle for the 1976 Republican nomination for president.  It was the last time a national politic convention convened with the result still in play.  Reagan fell short, but he brought the convention to a memorable end when he accepted Ford’s invitation to join him on the platform after the winner’s acceptance speech.  Reagan knew how to steal a show.

Here’s a clip from the American Experience summarizing the run-up, the convention, and the aftermath.  It’s followed by a longer piece of NBC’s coverage of that Thursday night in August of the nation’s bicentennial.