 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "The Living Christ Series" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| The Living Christ Series | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | John T. Coyle |
| Written by | Arthur T. Horman |
| Produced by | James K. Friedrich |
| Starring | Robert Wilson William "Bill" Henry Tyler McVey Lawrence Dobkin Robert Bice Michael Whalen Lowell Gilmore Eileen Rowe Art Gilmore |
| Cinematography | Frederick E. West |
| Music by | Irving Gertz |
Release date |
|
Running time | 344 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Living Christ Series is a 12-part drama television series about the life ofJesus Christ. It was released in 1951 and directed by John T. Coyle.
A television mini-series told the life of Christ in a version of the typical Hollywoodserial film. Each episode was thirty minutes long, bringing the total running time of the series to six hours. Filmed in color in 1951, it is notable for being one of the few American film series of that time in which Christ's face was actually shown. Since the early days of sound, American film producers had been afraid that some members of the audience would be alienated if an actor who did not fit the public's image of Christ was chosen to play the role, so virtually all had played it safe by showing Him only from the back or in long shot. Sometimes only Christ's hand would be seen. Foreign film makers, however, had no such doubts, and Christ was actually shown in such films as the FrenchGolgotha (1935), the MexicanEl Martir del Calvario (1952), and the 1953 British serialJesus of Nazareth.
However,The Living Christ Series was not meant to be shown in movie theatres, but more as an instructional, inspirational film in churches or on Sunday-morning television. Far from being a religious epic, the series was clearly shot mostly on soundstages and on a low budget, much like a typical television program of the era shot on film. Directed byJohn T. Coyle, the series featured mostly unknown actors or actors who appeared mostly inB-films. A notable exception wasLowell Gilmore, who played Pontius Pilate, and whose most famous previous role was asBasil Hallward in MGM's classic 1945 filmThe Picture of Dorian Gray. Character actorLawrence Dobkin also appeared in the series, andWill Wright, perhaps most famous for appearing as Ben Weaver on several episodes ofThe Andy Griffith Show, was cast as Herod.Martin Balsam also plays a small role. Screen unknownRobert Wilson, who would go on to practically make a career out of playing the role, portrayed Christ. Noted movie trailer announcerArt Gilmore served as narrator.
The Living Christ Series, like other similar religiously themed films, was released byCathedral Films. It has been released on VHS and DVD, both in separate volumes and in a boxed set.[1]
 | This article about aChristianity-related film is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |
 | This 1950s drama film-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byadding missing information. |