Celluloid Sermons: The Emergence of the Christian Film Industry, 1930-1986

Appendix: Chronology of Christian Film History

| 219 Appendix Chronology of Christian Film History 1927 The Harmon Foundation founded 1927 The King of Kings released, directed by Cecil B. DeMille 1929 Aimee Semple McPherson of Foursquare Angelus Temple forms her own film company, Angelus Productions 1931 The Spirit of Christ at Work in India and The Moslem World produced by the Harmon Foundation 1932 John Wesley Picture Foundation established 1933 Better Films Council sponsored by the Federal Council of Churches 1934 The Roman Catholic cardinal of Philadelphia orders his diocesan flock to stay away from all movies 1936 The Religious Motion Picture Foundation produces film catalog 1938 The Power of God, made to promote personal evangelism, sponsored by the evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri 1939 The Great Commandment feature film released, produced by James Friedrich and directed Irving Pichel for Cathedral Films 1939 If a Boy Needs a Friend, produced by Yale Divinity School, promotes tolerance 1940 Cathedral Films releases A Certain Nobleman, The Child of Bethlehem , The Prodigal Son, and No Greater Power 1942 Baptista’s Scriptures Visualized Institute (SVI) releases The Story of a Fountain Pen 1942 Variety announces, “Wave of Religious Movies Is Due.” 1943 American Bible Society announces plans to put the Bible on 16mm film 1944 SVI manufactures the 16mm “Miracle” projector, which weighs only twenty-five pounds 1945 Episcopal Radio-TV Foundation established as an independent, nonprofit organization 220 | Chronology of Christian Film History 1945 Protestant Film Commission formed, coordinating the efforts of nineteen religious denominations 1945 The Romance of a Century produced by Baptist Sunday School Board to celebrate one hundred years of the Southern Baptist Convention 1946 Family Films founded by Sam Hersh with release of The Life and Songs of Stephen Foster series 1946 Methodist Publishing House establishes eight film libraries 1946 Moody Institute of Science releases The God of Creation 1946 Variety notes that five thousand churches equipped for 16mm film screenings, and another seventy-five thousand had 16mm projectors on order 1947 Beyond Our Own released, the first of seven films made by the Protestant Film Commission 1948 The Christian Advocate, the official paper of the Methodist Church, begins publishing short film reviews on a regular basis 1948 Religious Film Association formed as a distribution organization for Protestant films 1948 Southern Baptist Convention establishes Broadman Films 1949 Answer for Anne produced by National Lutheran Council 1949 China Challenge made by Bob Pierce, who later founded World Vision 1949 Kenji Comes Home nominated for Best Documentary Feature at Academy Awards 1949 The Prince of Peace released, one of eleven films directed by William Beaudine for the Protestant Films Commission 1949 Using Visual Aids in a Church booklet published by Earl Waldrup for the Southern Baptist Convention 1949–52 Cathedral Films releases the Life of St. Paul series 1950 Coronet Films created by the Methodist Publishing House for younger audiences 1950 SVI releases The Pilgrim’s Progress, the first one-hour, color, animated religious film 1951 The Guest produced by Twentieth Century-Fox 1951 Mr. Texas released, the initial offering from Billy Graham’s evangelistic film ministry, World Wide Pictures 1952 The General Conference of the Methodist Church creates its Television , Radio, and Film Commission 1952 Gospel Films founded in Muskegon, Michigan, by Ken Anderson Chronology of Christian Film History | 221 1953 Martin Luther directed by Irving Pichel, financed by Lutheran Church Productions and Louis de Rochement Associates 1951–57 Living Christ twelve-part series produced by Cathedral Films 1956 TRAFCO (Television, Radio, and Film Commission of the Methodist Church) takes over the Methodist Radio and Film Commission 1957 Light of the Sun made by Tom Hotchkiss of Films Afield 1959 Premier of JOT, a thirty-episode series of animated films sponsored by TRAFCO 1960 Ken Anderson leaves Gospel Films to start Ken Anderson Films 1961–71 Davey and Goliath, a Claymation television series confronting social problems, produced by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod 1962 Sermons from Science pavilion at the Seattle World’s Fair showcases Moody Institute of Science movies 1963 The Tony Fontane Story released, a Hollywood-made Christian message film produced by Billy Zeoli 1964 The controversial Parable released, directed by Rolf Forsberg for the Communication Commission of the National Council of Churches 1964–65 Sermons from Science pavilion at the New York World’s Fair reaches an estimated audience of 1.5 million 1965 The Accused released, the first of some twenty films made outside the United States for foreign audiences by...