Looking Back: Religious Films

From April 1944

Religious Films

Those who are interested in the use of films for Church purposes have been disappointed at the little progress that has been made. This has been inevitable since production of new films has been brought almost to a standstill by the needs of the war, and projectors are practically unobtainable. Yet some progress is being made. In England one or two films have been produced and preparations are in hand for a wide expansion immediately after the war. Elsewhere there has been considerable advance.

In Australia the Church is devoting a sum of £50,000 to this purpose, and the Churches in America have far-reaching plans. It has been interesting to learn that it is not only the Churches but the commercial film producers that are showing an interest in the screening of religious subjects. It is announced that every major studio in Hollywood has on its schedule for 1944 at least one film of a religious character. Many of these will be from various religious novels which have had wide popularity, such as ‘The Robe’, by L C Douglas, ‘The Song of Bernadette,’ by F Werfel, and ‘The Keys of the Kingdom,’ by AJ Cronin. One should be glad to see anything like a sincere representation of religion in the Picture House; yet somehow it takes one aback to learn that the production of one of these films is budgeted at £2,000,000. Interest in religion is one thing; it may be quite another thing to find that ‘there is money in it.’

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