Marjoe (1972)

Part documentary, part expose, this film follows one-time child evangelist Marjoe Gortner on the "church tent" Revivalist circuit, commenting on the showmanship of Evangelism and "the ... See full summary »

Directors:

Sarah Kernochan, Howard Smith

Stars:

Marjoe Gortner, Sarah Kernochan

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Marjoe Gortner	...	Marjoe
Sarah Kernochan	...	Herself

Storyline

Part documentary, part expose, this film follows one-time child evangelist Marjoe Gortner on the "church tent" Revivalist circuit, commenting on the showmanship of Evangelism and "the religion business", prior to the start of "televangelism".

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Plot Keywords:

tent | expose | evangelist | business | evangelism | 

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Taglines:

You Keep the Faith...Marjoe Keeps the Money

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

July 1972 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinema X, Mauser Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marjoe's father, who appeared in one scene, was unaware of the true nature of the documentary.

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Quotes

Marjoe: Can God deliver a religion addict?

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Connections

Referenced in The Last Exorcism (2010)

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Soundtracks

"There's Victory In Jesus"
(Worship service congregation)

User Reviews

Would make a great double feature with RELIGULOUS.

This film actually won the Oscar for Best Documentary in 1972 and profiles former child evangelist Marjoe Gortner as he re-enters the seedy world of preaching across the US for money. Gortner is very open that he is doing it for quick cash and exposes the tricks of the trade. The filmmakers make sure to hammer this point home by juxtaposing shots of dudes counting stacks of money with sermons. I would have preferred more on Marjoe the man as they barely scratch the surface. For instance, he speaks briefly about the relationship with his father (also a preacher) but the filmmakers never dig deeper. The sermons/preachings highlighted are overly drawn out as well, running 20 minutes at a time which makes them tend to get repetitive. The end has Gortner contemplating a move into acting, something he was able to do for the better part of the 70s and 80s.