original release:
CAST: Ginger Prince (Ginger), Forrest Taylor (Uncle Mark), Millard Coody (Himself/Jesus), Ferris Taylor (Uncle Jonathan), Maude Eburne (Henrietta), Gwynne Shipman (Jane), Darlene Bridges (Herself/Virgin Mary), Willa Pearl Curtis (Willa Pearl), Raymond Largay (Dr. Martin), A.S. Fischer (Himself/Simon), Hazel Lee Becker (Herself/Mary Magdalene), Lee 'Lasses' White
PLOT OUTLINE:
Lawton, Oklahoma's annual Passion Play turned into film by exploitation distributor Babbs and shot in "Natural Color."
SYNOPSIS:
Members of Reverend Wallock's congregation of Lawton, Oklahoma, reenact the life and death of Jesus Christ, up to and including his supernatural ressurection on Easter Sunday.
GUEST REVIEW:
by "anonymous"
I saw THE PRINCE OF PEACE at a drive-in when I was a small girl. It had a very profound effect on me. It made Jesus Christ seem so real and alive. How do I put it into words? The realism touched my heart and soul, and made me think more of Jesus as a human, not just a deity, that he really cared for us. I think the fact that I have never forgotten the movie in 40 years speaks for itself. Also, I think Ginger Prince did a fantastic job by reaching other children, such as myself.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE has remained with me my entire life.
INDUSTRY REVIEW:
(from Variety, April 6, 1949)
"The annual 'Prince of Peace' Easter Pageant at Lawton, Okla. has been put on film by Hallmark Productions for theatre distribution. It would have been a finer picture had not producers seen fit to drag in a crass, commercial showcasing of a precocious moppet, apparantly in an attempt to strike a broader popular market. Film serves as an introduction for Ginger Prince, six-year-old and around her precociousness has been fashioned a banal yarn, full of hokum and schmaltz, that permits the youngster to display her ability to read lines, act cute and sing. Her debut would have been more effective if she had not been called upon to carry the entire story load in this fictional framework. The expected results from the hokum are achieved by William Beaudine's direction."
KGORDONMURRAY.COM REVIEW (07-04-04):
Thanks to the tireless efforts of producer Lewis T. Philips, who has painstakingly restored this "lost" film from elements collected over a period of forty years (!), we can finally enjoy this most sought-after religious feature on home video, and soon, on DVD.
We should preface our review with the following caveat: the edit which Philips has released is the original THE PRINCE OF PEACE, running at 72 minutes, and does NOT contain the additional footage which distributor Kroger Babb shot in Hollywood with Ginger Prince and Forrest Taylor.
While we would certainly like to see this additional wraparound story, directed by B-movie perennial William Beaudine and added by Babb to pad the film's length and warrant a re-release title of THE LAWTON STORY, surely the "heart" of the film is Reverend Wallock's glorious "Wichita Mountain Easter Pageant", reverently captured by B-movie veteran Harold Daniels in glorious "Cinecolor". (In fact, POP may be Daniels' filmic masterpiece.) And that is the story which Philips offers here, aided with stunning digital color and resolution enhancement, as if we were watching the 1948 World Premiere.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE starts off like any number of industrial or educational (instructional?) films of the era, with silent, home-movie footage of downtown Lawton, Oklahoma narrated to tell us all about the special charms of this special town on this most special of days: the faithful from everywhere are congregating in Lawton, to see Reverend Wallock's annual Passion Play: the life and death of Jesus Christ!
There's even a strained effort at (staged) comic relief, as four teens in a battered jalopy stall out on Main Street, and an angry cop has to help push the junk heap off the road, to let the stream of incoming tourists continue unabated.
The main players are introduced by name, and shown to be good, upstanding members of their community. There's something endearing, even political, about local entrepreneurs and small-town heroes being called upon to play historic religious figures; it makes both of their screen incarnations seem somehow mythic, even iconographic, and certainly suggest that contemporary small-town America could be seen as metaphoric for any historical religious setting, as the timeless forces of faith and persecution play out amongst those living there.
As we witness the faithful masses descending upon Lil ole Lawton like a swarm of locusts, one is struck by the mass appeal of the spectacle; with 10,000 participants coming from all over, and camping on an open field, this annual Passion Play is definitely a Christian precursor to the ubiquitous 1960's phenomena, the outdoor rock concert. Think "Jesus at Woodstock!"
We then segway into a pastoral hillside, bursting with greenery and enthusiastic patrons. As the Passion Play proper starts, we realize we are about to witness something rare in cinema: a theatrical performance enacted out of doors, on largely natural settings, featuring non-professional actors in period costume.
Sort of a low-rent "Shakespeare in the Park", a local cabaret theatrical done on Memorial Field, U.S.A., POP is a most remarkable and unusual film in that regard to begin with. The actors wear brightly colored uniforms, further enhanced by the effervescent Cinecolor of the period (and likely augmented by video color correction), as this heartfelt play literally bursts onto the screen.
Now, we all know the plot of the Passion Play. But, as a wise man once declared about any good film, "It's all in the script". And with a director such as Harold Daniels, this means everything. For producer-director Daniels directs with an eye for dramatic authenticity to the story, which is his artistic legacy. In other classics such as POOR WHITE TRASH and DATE WITH DEATH, Daniels directs the most farfetched or outrageous screenplay completely deadpan, thus with more plausibility than nearly any other B-Movie director of the period. Daniels is able to create a familiar, completely identifiable universe even with the most fantastic plot twists or lurid dialogue, and POP is no exception. POP, like other Daniels classics, thus becomes ultra-real, like a cinematic capturing of an authentic Greek drama; gripping and larger-than-life, yet never tongue-in-cheek or surreal. Although THE PRINCE OF PEACE is at times threadbare, and usually highly theatrical, Daniels films with full eye on cinema aesthetic, again one of Daniel's strengths with unusual material.
As we progress, we admit that the stiff reading of classic biblical passages by non-professionals with strong Midwestern accents does have some camp value, certainly, but the intended theological impact is not lost, even so.
A close-up of the baby Jesus looks like any postwar American baby, which is perhaps the point, as this film represents Americana, as well as postwar Christianity, at its most reverent. The long-awaited, and somehow shocking close-up, comes across as almost anti-climatic, perhaps even sacrilegious, as the mug looks like he could be anybody's kid, the offspring of "Mr. & Mrs. Joe Bagadonuts".
This close-up segways into the only time warp in the film, where "Jesus grew to manhood", and we now see the adult JC walking through some attractive natural landscapes including a dry riverbed and rolling hills. Outstanding is Millard Coody as Jesus Christ. He certainly was inspired by the role; some might even say obsessed.
Admittedly, certain set pieces suffer more than others from the avowedly amateur theatrics, yet that is part of the singular charm of this most rare and precious chronicle of theological devotion. For instance, a scene with the thieves and the Samaritan suffers from some truly over-the-top histrionics; the raising of Lazarus contains a surreal filmic touch, as Lazarus emerges from tomb as a gauze-wrapped mummy worthy of a Bowery-Boys horror-comedy; Jesus gives sight to a woefully underacting Artemius, in a scene which borders on the comical. Judas' hanging scene is also hastily drawn, but not unmoving.
Yet, just when we are about to label the film low-brow, we are witness to a breathtaking, marvelous scene, such as that at the 40-minute mark, wherein "the multitudes" parade through the gates of the city, in an impressive, long take with literally hundreds of cast members, an uplifting scene worthy of any medium-budget Hollywood epic. THE PRINCE OF PEACE is full of such surprises, and refuses thus to be categorized.
Another of our favorite "Wow!" scenes is the claustrophobic (one might say microcosmic?) Last Supper, a low-budget moment of brilliance, filmed in a literal style, yet conveying the mythic nature of this most important historical moment with great energy.
Every single shot of this film takes place outdoors, and Daniels uses the green, green fields, lush woods and glorious foliage to good advantage. The use of natural settings is often stunning; a scene in which Jesus walks through virtually glowing fields of cherry blossoms literally made us gasp.
The hand-made architecture, including realistic stone temples and facades, is also visually fetching. Even cooler, someone constructed an incredible, intricate scale model of the entire city of Jerusalem. This is a magnificent work of miniatures craftsmanship, and one wonders what ever became of this amazing work of art. The optical effects are few, and primitive, such as trick lenses, gauzy filters and matte paintings, but effective all.
Some footage appears to be slowed down from full speed, giving these scenes an ethereal, supernatural quality. It also appears that much of the dialogue was overdubbed, as witness the strong winds which occurred during much of the filming.
Cast members wear extraordinary multi-colored gowns, so they are easily identifiable. The effect, in a crowd scene, is one of gay carnival, a veritable kaleidoscope of color. (Judas, of course, is dressed in deep purple.) Less effective are some of the very fake beards and goofy (though probably accurate) wigs worn primarily by the village men and the priests.
A point worth noting occurs when Jesus carries his cross to Calvary, followed by a crowd both friend and foe. In a truly Brechtian touch, J's "walking" cross looks completely unreal and propish, perhaps round aluminum tubes welded together, or possibly even cardboard carpet rolls, painted black. The effect is both cartoonish and symbolic, and is the only jarring note to the visuals in the whole film.
We are thus disarmed when, on the hill, we witness a fairly realistic crucifixion scene, replete with three suffering martyrs. Here, our martyrs hang on large wooden crosses, which are clearly crafted from old telephone poles, replete with spike holes! This scene is disturbing and ultra-real, especially in contrast to the previous, slightly parodic scene. And Coody-as-Jesus, seems realistically emaciated (scrawny?) which adds to the palpable essence of suffering in the moment.
A hasty resurrection scene with Mary Magdalene is stunningly brief and uplifting, and ends the film on the moral high note we would expect.
THE PRINCE OF PEACE is an incredible and precious historical document of considerable aesthetic and religious significance, and we are indebted to Lewis T. Philips for restoring this lost treasure to the world. As Jean Luc-Godard would say, "It's a keeper".
COMMENTS:
* The story behind THE LAWTON STORY is as bizarre and incredible as the film itself must be. The Reverend A. Mark Wallock arrived in tiny Lawton, Oklahoma in 1925, and soon developed a loyal following amongst the devout citizenry. Legend has it that the very next year, Wallock mounted a special Easter Sunrise Service, in which the story of Christ was enacted by some of his local parishioners. The little service was a success, and was repeated every year thereafter, to a growing number of the devoted, who came from many miles around to see the famous "Lawton Service". By the early 1930's, it was becoming evident that the popular Easter Service was outgrowing the little hillside stage it had occupied for years, so with a WPA grant obtained from the US Government, Wallock and friends constructed a full-scale replica of the "Holy City", Jerusalem, on one of the sloping hills of the Wichita Mountains. Using local labor and "native rock", churches, houses, courts and tombs were constructed to be as authentic as possible to the original "Holy City". The city was finished, and dedicated in 1935. In 1936, NBC started broadcasting the yearly pageant over its radio networks. By 1948, Wallock's cast reached an amazing 3,000 (!), and he changed the service's title to "The Prince of Peace". It was decided, for the first time, to let interested Hollywood parties film the proceedings, to be released as a feature film. The interested party turned out to be veteran exploitation producer Kroger Babb. Babb and crew filmed the Easter, 1948 service, then returned to Hollywood with some of the cast to film interior scenes. Wallock, who had become increasingly ill due to long hours and a chronic heart illness, finally accepted hospitalization only after hearing word that the color film of his beloved service had come back from the lab with the following note: "EXCELLENT: MOST BEAUTIFUL COLOR FILM EVER DEVELOPED HERE". Final location shooting was completed in early December, 1948, and it was only after Kroger Babb wired that the film was finished did Wallock, his grand mission captured for posterity, finally let himself leave this earthly plane.
* THE LAWTON STORY had its world premiere on Friday, April 1st, 1949, in Lawton, Oklahoma. President and Mrs. Harry Truman were invited (but presumably did not attend). Admission ranged from $5 to $1000!
* According to the souvenir program given to theatre patrons, this film had production costs of $2,600,000! A total of 63,455 feet of "costly Cinecolor film" was edited down to 10,600 feet (approximately 100 minutes). Interiors were shot at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, CA. Shooting took 8 months! The cast and crew were shuttled between California and Oklahoma "entirely by modern-day Airliners"!
* This movie is a veritable Who's Who of B-film icons: producer Kroger Babb is (in)famous for many exploitation film classics, including MOM & DAD, THE DEVIL'S WEED, etc. To many, he is the "godfather" of exploi-film. Directors William Beaudine and Harold Daniels both have impressive resumes of cult film marvels, Beaudine with over 200 legendary budget gems such as BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA and dozens of Bowery Boys movies, Daniels with enigmatic B-film landmarks such as A DATE WITH DEATH, PORT SINISTER, POOR WHITE TRASH and HOUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH. In short, this is a crew to die for, and the film simply has to be extraordinary. One can only hope (pray?) that it turns up one day...
* According to film historian Charles Kilgore, Murray's inaugural filmic effort was a late-50's release of THE LAWTON STORY, under its 1951 re-release title, THE PRINCE OF PEACE. An auspicious beginning, no doubt. Murray licensed the aging prints from pal and mentor Babb, also a former carnival owner, who undoubtadly gave K.G. some tips as well on how to market such a commodity for maximum profit, tips which stood Murray in good stead for years to come.
* For an excellent and highly entertaining write-up on THE PRINCE OF PEACE, see "Forbidden Fruit: The Golden Age of the Exploitation Film", by Felicia Feaster & Bret Wood, 1999, Midnight Marquee Press.
* A recent poster we acquired for THE PRINCE OF PEACE has a National Screen Service number #59-352, suggesting that Murray's re-release of Kroger Babb's cash cow came later than we think, and was not Murray's first release. Stay tuned!
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I Remember the Prince of Peace!!!Charley Crabtree wrote us recently to inform us that he was one of the kids in THE LAWTON STORY scenes from THE PRINCE OF PEACE! His memories of this historic filming follows:
When I was a boy of 8, in Lawton, Ok, I was diagnosed with Perthes disease. My parents had to take me to Oklahoma City for surgery. Shortly after we got back to Lawton, America, my great aunt took us out to the Wichita Mountains where they were filming crowd scenes and various other scenes for "The Lawton Story." Now this was big in Oklahoma.
Ginger Prince, who was a couple of years my junior, was the star of the film. She could sing and dance and act -- I was in love!!! We watched her sing and act on a makeshift stage, and then we proceeded to the audience hill. I was hobbling around on my crutches (still in my plaster-of-paris body cast). It wasn't long before someone sighted this "urchin" and decided I should be seated right behind Ginger Prince. Any discomfort I felt from the cast was gone! I have no idea how long they filmed. It was a cold day; and a couple of times, I had to stand as best I could to get a handkerchief out of my pocket and wipe my nose.
When it was finished, I only saw the film twice, but there I was, as big as life. I remember the night they had the premiere. It was broadcast live on KSWO radio. I was staying over at my cousins' house listening to the radio. My great aunt and uncle were able to afford the tickets to the premiere. I believe cost them $500 (in 1949 dollars). It was quite an experience.
Darlene Bridges, who played the Virgin Mary, was one of my friend's mother. My friend is now a dentist in Lawton. He is probably retired now. Millard Coody, who played the part of Jesus, worked at one of the local banks. My connection with Mr. Coody is that shortly after WWII, my parents bought a 1936 Pontiac. Not too long after that, they sold it to Millard Coody!!
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The Miracle of the Prince of Peace!!!
I do not know if you believe in miracles, but I believe August 4th 2003, I lived one. You may call it a miracle, a dream or perhaps just a hearts desire, but part of my life came full circle.
When I was a little girl, a very special movie came to the small town I lived in. That movie was a special presentation of 'The Prince of Peace.'
As a child, I went to church every service that I could get there. I loved church and cried if I had to miss. I heard the story of Jesus over and over again, His birth, His miracles, His death burial and resurrection. I learned of His grace and marvelous love for not only me, but also all mankind. He was so real in my heart but there was nothing tangible that I could see or touch.
When I saw the 'Prince of Peace,' the Jesus that I had heard about suddenly became real to me. I could put a face on the wonderful Jesus that I had read and studied about and had come to love.
Although it was just a film made by man, to this little girl that had come to love Jesus so much already, He became so real to me not only in my heart, but I could finally physically identify with all I had been taught He had done for me.
This movie left and everlasting impression on my young life, one that never faded but grew only stronger with each passing year.
Since that time, there have been many films have been made about the life of our Savior, since then each one more spectacular and dynamic than the other has. The technology and production has so improved until it seemed that there was nothing impossible to accomplish.
I have seen most of those films about the life of Jesus, but none
had the impact on my life as the 'Prince of Peace.' The desire to see this movie once more never left me.
A few years ago, I began the search to find this movie on video but to no avail.
I knew nothing about 'The Lawton Story,' or 'The Holy City' of Lawton, Oklahoma. I did not remember about the annual Easter Pageant; I only had the memory of ‘The Prince of Peace.'
In late 2002 after a long frustrating search, I began to collect small bits of information. In early 2003, it finally came together for me.
I learned that the movie I had seen was part of the original film called 'The Lawton Story.' Named 'The Lawton Story.' because of the Easter Pageant that was held in Lawton, Oklahoma each year where they actually filmed the live pageant 'THE PRINCE OF PEACE.’ At last, my puzzle was complete.
I began making plans to visit Lawton, Oklahoma to see 'The Holy City.'
August 4th 2003, that dream came true! When I visited the gift shop, filled with great emotion, there on the shelf was the video that I had searched for so long 'THE PRINCE OF PEACE!' I walked the grounds of 'The Holy City' nestled on the side of the Wichita Mountains, and being so blessed by the inspiring music, which plays continuously. The music comes from the beautiful old chapel that displays the characteristics of those days when Jesus walked the hills of Judea. What a setting to visit that Holy Place where the life of Jesus becomes a live every year at Easter.
I toured That City and with each step felt the presence of my Lord and Savior. Words cannot begin to express what I felt as I climbed the hill of Calvary and knelt at the foot of the cross. Once again, I had an experience that will never leave me.
My search for the movie and the placed where it all began ended that day. However, my devotion and memories did not end there. I will do all I can to see that this wonderful story of 'The Holy City' and the 'The Prince of Peace' is told. Miracle, dream, or heart's desire, no matter what one may call it; it came true for that little girl who truly came to know the real 'PRINCE OF PEACE'!
- The Reverend Helen Brinson
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Mary tried to comfort and help her Son on the road to Calvary.
Jesus is mocked and spit upon by the Roman soldiers.
