Brand new critically acclaimed movie, aimee semple mcpherson, on the life of the greatest woman of the twentieth century. The disappearance of aimee is a 1976 american madefortelevision biographical drama film directed by anthony harvey and starring faye dunaway as the evangelist aimee semple mcpherson, costarring bette davis, james sloyan and james woods. The film originally premiered as a presentation of hallmark hall of fame on nbc on november 17, 1976. Before jussie smollett was aimee semple mcpherson radio evangelist and celebrity aimee semple mcpherson, shown in 1926 at angelus temple in echo park. Her disappearance, reappearance and subsequent court inquiries regarding the allegation that the kidnapping story was a hoax. The mysterious disappearance of a celebrity preacher bbc. The anointing on aimee semple mcpherson, an old newspaper and a divine encounter. Mcpherson, aimee semple aimee semple mcpherson 18901944 this amazing lady was a gifted missionary and healing evangelist, editor, author and founder of the international church of the foursquare gospel that today has over 25,000 churches and over 3 million members. The movie aimee semple mcpherson is not the puff piece that one would expect. On may 18, 1926, christian evangelist aimee semple mcpherson disappeared from venice beach, california after going for a swim.
When he died two years later, she married young businessman harold mcpherson. This contrasted sharply with the fireandbrimstone style of sermon delivery popular with many of her peers. Fed up with her own success, she gets swept up in her lovers daydreams about mexico and finds herself on a wild road trip towards the border. She reappeared in mexico five weeks later, stating she had escaped from kidnappers holding her for ransom there. Mar 12, 2019 for a striving woman like semple mcpherson, recontextualizing her journey into seemingly contemporary terms isnt too big of a jump, and sister aimee pairs big ideas with quirky style. Aug 05, 2019 the pic written and directed by buck and schlingmann tells the mostly fictional story of the reallife early 20th century megastar evangelist sister aimee semple mcpherson played by anna.
The controversial pentecostal minister and leader of the international church of the foursquare gospel, was not only one of the first women licensed by the fcc for radio broadcasts, but was the first to do sermons over the airwaves. Nov 01, 2019 directed by samantha buck, marie schlingmann. The pic written and directed by buck and schlingmann tells the mostly fictional story of the reallife early 20th century megastar evangelist sister aimee semple mcpherson played by anna. The movie is a prequel to aimee semple mcpherson, because sister aimee s evangelist husband robert semple came out of the azusa street movement. In december 1907, she decided to attend a local tent revival on a whim, and fell in love with its.
Aimee semple mcpherson 18901944 this amazing lady was a gifted missionary and healing evangelist, editor, author and founder of the international church of the foursquare gospel that today has over 25,000 churches and over 3 million members. Watch sister aimee american experience official site pbs. Nov 25, 2014 aimee semple mcpherson was one of the most glamorous women in the us in the 1920s but there is still one unexplained mystery in the evangelists life. Prior to her 1926 reported kidnapping, aimee semple mcpherson was little known outside of southern california. The way she lived her life was charitable, controversial, and contradictory mcphersons background and life was all about helping people beginning with watching her mother work with the salvation army. After she fled her described captors and emerged from the desert, she was a page one story cabled abroad by foreign correspondents. Rather than telling the decadeslong tale of mcpherson.
She became internationally famous as the leader of the 5,300seat angelus temple in. Pbss american experience did a show last year on aimee semple mcpherson 18901944, the pentecostal evangelist so archetypal that her whole life read like a movie script. Revivalist aimee semple mcpherson did not let anything stand in her way. Aimee semple mcpherson was a famous evangelist from the early twentieth century who founded the foursquare church. Anna margaret hollyman plays aimee semple mcpherson, the faith healer who reached a mass audience in the 1920s and 30s via radio broadcasts and vaudeville theatrics. This movie dramatizes the court hearing held to determine exactly what. With michael mosley, jordan elsass, amy hargreaves, macon blair. Foursquare founder aimee semple mcpherson was a woman of intense passion, creativity and energy. She was raised a methodist, her father jamess faith. The mysterious disappearance of a celebrity preacher bbc news.
Just five years later, she founded angelus temple, preaching four essential biblical truths. Sep 26, 2019 anna margaret hollyman plays aimee semple mcpherson, the faith healer who reached a mass audience in the 1920s and 30s via radio broadcasts and vaudeville theatrics. The aimee semple mcpherson story 2006, original working title aimee semple mcpherson, is a featurelength dramatic biographical film about evangelist sister aimee semple mcpherson. The aimee semple mcpherson story i was more than willing to forego the usual expectations of what generally constitutes a good movie production values, acting in hopes of discovering an honest, intelligent, well told true life story of a fascinating 20th century icon. Aimee semple mcpherson was born aimee elizabeth kennedy on her familys farm near ingersoll, ontario, canada. Others claimed that she was off carrying on an affair with a married man. Aimee semple mcpherson christian history christianity today. The disappearance of aimee is a 1976 american madefortelevision biographical drama film directed by anthony harvey and starring faye dunaway as the. Aimee semple mcpherson 18901944 smith wigglesworth. October 9, 1890 september 27, 1944, also known as sister aimee or sister, was a canadianamerican pentecostal evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s, famous for founding the foursquare church. Nov 05, 2012 aimee semple mcpherson was born aimee elizabeth kennedy on a canadian farm in 1890. Jan 19, 2010 a documentary of this preacher like a movie star in the city of the stars.
In 1926 americas most famous evangelist is a woman. The evangelist, who established the foursquare gospel church which is still around today, had a passion for religion, a mind for business, and a definite flair for the dramatic, the likes of which. With faye dunaway, bette davis, james sloyan, james woods. A documentary of this preacher like a movie star in the city of the stars. In 1926, famous evangelist aimee semple mcpherson disappeared for six weeks.
A feature film about the life of aimee semple mcpherson, the famed evangelist of. Roberts liardon shares about the life and ministry of aimee. She was exposed to religion at an early age by her mother, a soldier in the salvation army. It began as a powerful evangelistic movement and spread throughout the nations to become the global family it is today.
She led an incredible life that exemplified gods miraculous mercy. While the story of the 1926 disappearance of evangelist aimee semple mcpherson may not be known by many, theres more than enough in. Richard rossis lowbudget, directtovideo feature sister aimee dramatizes the life of controversial american evangelist mcpherson here portrayed by mimi michaels. Part of the preparation for the project involved rossi, griffith, and other crew members visiting the bonnie brae house where the legendary prayer meetings took place. As a teenager, aimee was introduced to pentecostalism through the preaching of robert semple, whom she eventually married. For a striving woman like semple mcpherson, recontextualizing her journey into seemingly contemporary terms isnt too big of a jump. A feature film about the life of aimee semple mcpherson, the famed evangelist of the 1920s. Feb 22, 2019 before jussie smollett was aimee semple mcpherson radio evangelist and celebrity aimee semple mcpherson, shown in 1926 at angelus temple in echo park. The mysterious disappearance of aimee semple mcpherson.
Aimee semple mcpherson was one of the most glamorous women in the us in the 1920s but there is still one unexplained mystery in the evangelists life. Aimee semple mcpherson was born aimee elizabeth kennedy on a canadian farm in 1890. In december 1907, she decided to attend a local tent revival on a whim, and fell in love with its irishborn preacher, robert. Jesus christ was the savior, baptizer with the holy spirit, healer and sooncoming king. When she surfaced, she claimed that she had been kidnapped and held prisoner in mexico. In the 1920s, aimee semple mcpherson was a phenomenon a bold celebrity, every bit as big as greta garbo, harry houdini, and charles lindbergh. May 18, 2017 aimee semple mcpherson 18901944 was a flamboyant, controversial, immensely popular preacher who the international church of the foursquare gospela pentecostal denomination which still exists today with 1,600 churches and a quarter of a million members and adherents in the u. Dvd video collection with aimee semple mcpherson speaking. With mimi michaels, laura anderson, carl ballantine, teres byrne. Reported kidnapping of aimee semple mcpherson wikipedia. Aimee semple mcpherson is the focus of sister aimee, a new movie from married writing and directing team samantha buck and marie schlingmann. Oct, 2018 in the 1920s, aimee semple mcpherson was a phenomenon a bold celebrity, every bit as big as greta garbo, harry houdini, and charles lindbergh.
In december 1907, she decided to attend a local tent revival on a whim, and fell in love with its irishborn preacher, robert semple. Aimee semple mcpherson was an optimistic dispenser of grace, showcasing in her sermons the love of god, redemption, the joys of service and the hope of heaven. The movie is a prequel to aimee semple mcpherson, because sister aimees evangelist husband robert semple came out of the azusa street movement. Mcpherson pioneered the use of modern media in religious services, using radio to draw on the growing appeal of popular entertainment. Then she vanished mysteriously in 1927 at venice beach. Aimee semple mcpherson 18901944 was a flamboyant, controversial, immensely popular preacher who the international church of the foursquare gospela pentecostal denomination which still exists today with 1,600 churches and a quarter of a million members and adherents in the u. In fact, it is a fairly faithful account of the life of one of americas most famous faith healing evangelists, a woman who started her own denomination, the four square gospel.
Sister aimee claimed to be the first woman in the world to preach on the radio the foursquare gospelowned kfsg kall four square gospel broadcast from the radio towers. Jun 17, 20 aimee semple mcpherson, evangelist, faithhealer, founder of the foursquare gospel church and builder of the angelus temple, was believed to have disappeared during a swim on may 18, 1926. The pbs documentary movie was surprisingly good, featuring interviews with most of the leading scholars responsible for major publications on mcpherson. Aimee semple mcpherson christian history christianity. A strong willed child, aimee came to christ through the pentecostal preacher robert semple. Sister aimee tells the dramatic life story aimee semple mcpherson, the controversial, charismatic, wildly popular evangelist who was instrumental in bringing conservative protestantism into.
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