Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (1973)

Director:

David Greene

Writers:

David Greene (screenplay) and
John-Michael Tebelak (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 August 1973 (Denmark)

Genre:

Musical

Tagline:

Godspell comes to the screen !

Plot:

An adaption of the musical, in a modern-day song-and-dance recreation of the Gospel of St. Matthew.

Plot Keywords:

Reference To Mae West | Brooklyn Bridge | Hippie | Shofar | World Trade Center New York City

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Victor Garber	...	Jesus
Katie Hanley	...	Katie
David Haskell	...	John / Judas
Merrell Jackson	...	Merrell
Joanne Jonas	...	Joanne
Robin Lamont	...	Robin
Gilmer McCormick	...	Gilmer
Jeffrey Mylett	...	Jeffrey
Jerry Sroka	...	Jerry
Lynne Thigpen	...	Lynne

Also Known As:

Godspell (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | Spanish

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:Btl | USA:G

Filming Locations:

Andrew Carnegie Mansion - 2 East 91st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Two major songs were removed that were from the original stage musical; "We Beseech Thee" and "Learn Your Lessons Well". Both, however, have instrumental "cameos". "We Beseech Thee" appears in the Cherry Lane Theatre scene, while the "car calliope" scene does "Learn Your Lessons Well". In addition, a new song was made specifically for the movie, "Beautiful City", which has become a part of subsequent stage versions.

Goofs:

Continuity: The face paint that Jesus puts on all the characters in the junkyard changes in almost every scene after that. The position and even some shapes change.

Quotes:

John: I baptize you with water for repentance, but He that comes after me is mightier than I. I am not fit to take off His shoes. And He will baptize you all with the Holy Spirit and with fire!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in My Best Friend's Birthday (1987)

Soundtrack:

By My Side

Infectious, colorful, entertaining and emotional.

Many people have difficulty accepting a film that dates itself by the first glance, (The hair, clothes, music, etc...), but once you accept it's generation, sit back and ENJOY! GODSPELL is a musical that works on delivering a powerful message while at the same time being entertaining and enjoyable without being "PREACHY." This movie is simple enough to attract children and still hold it's adults in this classy Sunday School lesson. This was the first movie I saw on a personal tv I got for Christmas as a child, and it made such an impact. As a teenager, I had the honor of being in the high school addaption of GODSPELL, and now, as an adult, I can sit back and enjoy it all over again with my 3 year old daughter, who LOVES this movie. The music is infectious, the costumes are colorful, and the parables are entertaining and faith-building. It's a shame that GODSPELL fell in the shadow of that OTHER hippy Jesus movie (not worth mentioning). This one is a STAND-OUT film, worthy of it's viewing, over, and over , and over again.