Martin Luther, His Life and Time (Silent)

A ground-breaking silent film, Martin Luther, His Life and Time single-handedly made the religious movie a viable genre in the United States. It tells the story of the famed theologian's life, from his boyhood choice to study the Bible instead of law, to his nailing of the Ninety-five Theses on the doors of a Wittenberg church, to his confinement at Wartburg Castle translating the New Testament to make it accessible to all peoples. It concludes with Luther returning to Wittenberg to wed his beloved Katherine von Bora, a nun who leaves the convent in order to marry him. The film was originally shot in Germany, at historical sites including Wartburg Castle and the University of Erfurt, where Luther studied. Pacifist Berlin pastor Walther Nithack-Stahn wrote the film's scenario, drawing parallels between Luther's life and that of Christ. Karl Wüstenhagen both directed and starred as Martin Luther. Following a press screening in Munich, the film premiered at the Wartburg in 1923 as Martin Luther. The Lutheran Church then became interested in distributing the film in America. Forming the "Lutheran Film Division, Inc." they imported all eight reels to the U.S. as Martin Luther, His Life and Time, marketing the picture as a traveling road show attraction. It was a massive success, selling 12,167 tickets just during the two months it spent in the New York area. This led to a boom in the production of spiritual films, as other religious groups saw the financial benefit in making movies of their own. The Lutheran Church would distance themselves from the film's foreign origins in later years, as Karl Wüstenhagen became a committed National Socialist during World War II (tellingly, he receives no credit in this Americanized print.) Despite this, Martin Luther, His Life and Time stands as an artful and accurate portrayal of the celebrated theologian, and would influence future cinematic retellings of his biography.