In Search of Historic Jesus

{{Infobox film

| name = In Search of Historic Jesus

| image = File:Film_Poster_for_In_Search_of_Historic_Jesus.jpg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Henning Schellerup

| producer = James L. Conway
Bill Cornford
Charles E. Sellier Jr.

| based_on = In Search of Historic Jesus
by Lee Roddy and
Charles E. Sellier Jr.

| screenplay = Jack Jacobs
Lee Roddy
Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Robert Starling
Malvin Wald

| narrator = Brad Crandall

| starring = John Rubinstein
Brad Crandall

| music = Bob Summers

| cinematography = Paul Hipp
George Stapleford

| editing = Kendall S. Rase

| distributor = Sunn Classic Pictures

| released = {{Film date|1979|8|}}

| runtime = 91 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross = $22.4 million{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldwideboxoffice.com/movie.cgi?title=In%20Search%20of%20Historic%20Jesus&year=1979|publisher=Worldwide Box Office|title=In Search of Historic Jesus, Worldwide Box Office Information|accessdate=September 17, 2016}} or $10.6 million{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/page/291/mode/1up|title= American film distribution : the changing marketplace|last=Donahue|first= Suzanne Mary|year=1987 |publisher=UMI Research Press |page=291}} Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada

}}

In Search of Historic Jesus is a 1979 American documentary film based on Lee Roddy and Charles E. Sellier Jr.'s book of the same name. Released by Sunn Classic Pictures, the film speculates on the historical accuracy of the Biblical depiction of Jesus.

Production notes

In Search of Historic Jesus was produced by Sunn Classic Pictures, a Utah-based independent film company that specialized in releasing low-budget family films and documentaries. Along with such features as In Search of Noah's Ark (1976) and Beyond and Back (1978), the film was one of a series of releases from the company that attempted to present convincing scientific evidence for Christian theology.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230922/http://movies.amctv.com/movie/1978/Beyond+and+Back Beyond and Back, AMC Movie Guide.] AMC via Internet Archive. Archived July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2016.

Parts of the film were shot in Heber, Provo, and Park City in Utah.{{cite book|last1=D'Arc|first1=James V.|title=When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah|date=2010|publisher=Gibbs Smith|location=Layton, Utah|isbn=9781423605874|edition=1st}}

Reception

Although In Search of Historic Jesus was a major commercial success, the picture met with some negative critical reviews. According to movie historian Leonard Maltin, who declared the film a "BOMB" (his lowest possible rating), "This drivel should have been titled In Search of Morons Who Will Believe Anything."Maltin's TV, Movie & Video Guide

Produced on a low budget, the movie earned over $22.4 million at the North American box office{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/In-Search-of-Historic-Jesus|publisher=The Numbers|title=In Search of Historic Jesus, Box Office Information|accessdate=September 17, 2016}} and was the 33rd highest-grossing film of 1979.{{cite web| url=http://www.listal.com/list/top-grossing-films-1979| title=Top Grossing Films of 1979| publisher=Listal.com| access-date=2016-09-17| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612145001/http://www.listal.com/list/top-grossing-films-1979| archive-date=2018-06-12| url-status=dead}}