Peter and Paul (1981)

Peter the Fisherman (Robert Foxworth) and Paul of Tarsus (Sir Anthony Hopkins) assume leadership of the Church as they struggle against violent opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ and their own personal conflicts.

Director:

Robert Day

Writers:

Christopher Knopf (teleplay), Christopher Knopf (story)

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Robert Foxworth, Eddie Albert

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anthony Hopkins	...	Paul of Tarsus
Robert Foxworth	...	Peter the Fisherman
Eddie Albert	...	Festus
Raymond Burr	...	Herod Agrippa I
José Ferrer	...	Gamaliel (as Jose Ferrer)
Jon Finch	...	Luke
David Gwillim	...	Mark
Herbert Lom	...	Barnabas
Jean Peters	...	Priscilla
John Rhys-Davies	...	Silas
Julian Fellowes	...	Nero
Shanit Keter	...	Daphne
Denis Lill	...	James
Gareth Thomas	...	Julius
Giannis Voglis	...	John (as Yannis Voglis)

Storyline

Peter the Fisherman (Robert Foxworth) and Paul of Tarsus (Sir Anthony Hopkins) assume leadership of the Church as they struggle against violent opposition to the teachings of Jesus Christ and their own personal conflicts.

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Plot Keywords:

crucified upside down | christian persecution | new testament | acts of the apostles | three word title | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

I skyggen av korset

Filming Locations:

Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

198 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to page 202 of the book "The Bible On Film" (Scarecrow, 1981, written by R. Campbell and M. Pitts) this originally aired in two parts: part one on April 12, 1981, and part two on April 14, 1981.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Paul of Tarsus: [shouting at Simon Peter] You're like a straw, blown in the wind!

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Suzanne Pleshette/Dick Cavett (1981)

User Reviews

Riveting Performance by Anthony Hopkins

I first saw this on TV and was overwhelmed. It's a decent account of the story of Paul's journeys as he spread the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ from his conversion on the "road to Damascus" to his final imprisonment in Rome. If you've read the Acts of the Apostles, or the epistles of Paul, you won't be surprised except by the continuity of this well-written script. You may also learn how Paul's background as both a Jew and a citizen of Rome facilitated his founding of many churches.

Anthony Hopkins was overwhelming as the Apostle "Paul". There were minor distractions, most notably Eddie Albert of "Green Acres" and Raymond Burr of "Perry Mason" hired (no doubt) for there (TV) "star power". Robert Foxworth is primarily known as a TV-star who has a long career in "made for TV movies" and guest and starring roles in many popular dramatic series.

Afterwards, as I read the writings of Paul in the New Testament, I can still hear Hopkins' voice in my head ... his articulation, phrasing, pauses,and conviction resulting in highly effectual communication. Yes, he was and is that good, even to today's role as the Norse God, Odin. His masterful style remains strong.

I bought this on VHS and loved it. Years later, I bought it on DVD. It remains unavailable online. Why? I don't know. Sir Anthony Hopkins is a major movie star. This protégé of Lawrence Olivier went on to star in many major movie productions such as "The Elephant Man", "A Bridge Too Far", and "Magic". Previous to 1981, he had done many fine and honored "made for TV movies", such as "The Bunker" (Adolph Hitler) and "The Lindberg Kidnapping" (Bruno Hauptmann).

You can still buy this on DVD from Amazon. Unfortunately, that remains our only source for viewing this breathtaking Christian drama. Someday, I hope to see it available on VUDU, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu or some other streaming outlet. Until then, I'm content to have a copy of the DVD.