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

Director:

David Greene

Writers:

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

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:

Bible | Hippie | Christianity | Reference To Mae West | Shofar

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
Daniel Levans	...	Un-named ballet rehearsal dancer (uncredited)
Joe Madden	...	Homeless man (uncredited)
Burt Richards	...	Garment Salesman (uncredited)
John-Michael Tebelak	...	Pharisee Monster (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
David Greene

Writing credits
David Greene		(screenplay) and
John-Michael Tebelak		(screenplay)
John-Michael Tebelak		(book from the musical play "Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew")

Produced by
Edgar Lansbury	....	producer
Kenneth Utt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Stephen Schwartz

Cinematography by
Richard G. Heimann		(director of photography) (as Richard Heimann)

Film Editing by
Alan Heim

Production Design by
Brian Eatwell

Art Direction by
Ben Kasazkow		(as Ben Kazazkow)

Set Decoration by
John Godfrey

Costume Design by
Sherrie Sucher
Susan Tsu		(original designs)

Makeup Department
Philip Goldblat	....	makeup artist (as Phil Goldblatt)
Phyllis Sagnelli	....	hair stylist (as Phyliss Sagnelli)

Production Management
Paul Ganapoler	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ron Walsh	....	assistant director

Art Department
Richard Adee	....	property master
Stanley Cappiello	....	master scenic artist

Sound Department
Jack Fitzstephens	....	dubbing editor
Les Lazarowitz	....	sound
Emil Neroda	....	sound mixer
Elliot Scheiner	....	sound recording engineer
Dan Sable	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Howard Block	....	camera operator
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator (as Richard Mingalone)
Martin Nallan	....	key grip
Frank Schulz	....	chief electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joseph W. Dehn	....	wardrobe supervisor
Reet Pell	....	wardrobe coordinator

Editorial Department
Trudy Ship	....	assistant editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)
Irving Rathner	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Jesse Cutler	....	musician: guitar
Peggy Gordon	....	composer: song "By My Side"
Jay Hamburger	....	composer: song "By My Side"
Rich LaBonte	....	musician: bass (as Richard Labonte)
Steve Manes	....	musician: bass
Stephen Reinhardt	....	associate musical supervisor
Stephen Reinhardt	....	musician: keyboards
Stephen Schwartz	....	lyrical composer: songs
Stephen Schwartz	....	music composer: songs
Stephen Schwartz	....	musician: keyboards
Paul Shaffer	....	musician: keyboards
Ricky Shutter	....	musician: drums and percussion
Don Thomas	....	musician: guitar
Anahid Ajemian	....	musician: strings (uncredited)
Wayne Andre	....	musician: trombone (uncredited)
Norman Carr	....	musician: strings (uncredited)
Mickey Gravine	....	musician: trombone (uncredited)
Bira Haas	....	musician: strings (uncredited)
Michael Kamen	....	musician: synthesizer "Alas for You" (uncredited)
Allen Raph	....	musician: trombone (uncredited)
Elliot Rosoff	....	musician: strings (uncredited)
Irving Spice	....	musician: strings (uncredited)
Lou Stone	....	musician: strings (uncredited)

Other crew
Sammy Bayes	....	choreographer
Arthur Eckstein	....	title designer
Nina Faso	....	assistant to producer
Belle Halpern	....	script supervisor
Joanne Jonas	....	assistant choreographer
Peter Kean	....	assistant to producer
Adeline Leonard Seakwood	....	production office coordinator (as Adeline Leonard)
John-Michael Tebelak	....	creative consultant
George Devins	....	timpani (uncredited)
Corky Hale	....	harp: "Beautiful City" (uncredited)
Darrell Jonas	....	production office coordinator (uncredited)
Charles Macey	....	banjo: "All for the Best" (uncredited)
Hugh McCracken	....	lead guitar: "Prepare Ye" (uncredited)
Ralph S. Singleton	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Chayim Tamar	....	shofar: "Prepare Ye" (uncredited)

Thanks
Joseph Beruh	....	acknowledgment: produced on the stage by
Stuart Duncan	....	acknowledgment: produced on the stage by
Edgar Lansbury	....	acknowledgment: produced on the stage by

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (first TV airing)
• Columbia TriStar (2000) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Filmsounds  sound editing by
• Music Maximus  music coordination

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:

Composer Stephen Schwartz has a cameo in the prologue sequence: Katie serves him a cup of coffee as he is seated at the counter of the diner.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: At the end of the dance number "All For The Best", Joanne moves her arm the wrong way and quickly corrects herself.

Quotes:

Judas: Now what the Good Master is telling us all right now is that up in Heaven, there are about a hundred million little tiny angels about 'yea' by 'yea', and they all take shorthand. And every time you do something silly, they write it in a...
Jesus: No, no.
Judas: That's not what the Good Master is telling us?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Friends of Gilda (1993) (TV)

Soundtrack:

By My Side

World Trade Center

I still love this movie. More because of the music than the film itself. I think it's interesting to follow actors' careers over the years. Victor Garber (Jesus) has been a very prolific actor over the years. His most recent is that of Jack Bristow on TV's Alias.

One of the other actors is Lynne Thigpen who later went on to play the police captain on "Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego?" and most recently as Ellie Mae Farmer in "The District" before her untimely death. She had a beautiful singing voice.

In one of the scenes notice that they are dancing on top of the World Trade Center as it is still being built. There are several scenes when you can see it in the background about 3/4 finished.

This is an important film for its historical content. The Jesus Movement was big around 1973-74. At the time, many of the hippie set were trying to make Jesus out to be nothing more than a guru. This film was a solid attempt to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus while still portraying him as the Messiah rather than just a spiritual leader.