Ken Anderson (filmmaker)

Ken Anderson (December 23, 1917 – March 12, 2006) was an American Baptist minister, screenwriter, director and producer of Christian films. He is most well remembered for founding Gospel Films and directing Pilgrim's Progress, a 1978 adaptation of The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, which marked the first screen appearance for actor Liam Neeson. Anderson wrote 77 fiction and non-fiction books over six decades, including the best-seller Where to Find It in the Bible.[1] He was the first editor for Youth for Christ magazine, which came to be known as Ignite Your Faith.

Ken Anderson
Born(1917-12-23)December 23, 1917
Rembrandt, Iowa, U.S.
DiedMarch 12, 2006(2006-03-12) (aged 88)
Warsaw, Indiana, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, director, producer, author
Years active1961-1986
Known forChristian-themed films
Notable workPilgrim's Progress
SpouseDoris Jones (1938-2006; his death)
Children7

Early life

Anderson was born in Rembrandt, Iowa. His mother died during childbirth, due to which Anderson was raised by his father and paternal grandmother. In 1938, he married Doris Ilene Jones (1918-2013). Anderson studied at Wheaton College and Trinity International University in Illinois, later joining the Evangelical Free Church as a pastor. He preached in churches in Isle, Minnesota, and later in Newman Grove, Nebraska. In 1944, he became the first full-time editor for Ignite Your Faith magazine, then known as Youth For Christ, through which he met Robert Pierce. In 1948, under Pierce's guidance, he traveled through China as a missionary.[2]

Career

In 1949, Anderson founded Gospel Films, which grew into the world's largest distributor of Christian films. In 1961, he and his wife Doris left to form Ken Anderson Films,[3] a for-profit company that eventually released over 200 titles[1] As a pioneer in the field, Anderson directly and indirectly influenced and encouraged many non-profit Christian film company start-ups.[4]

Death

Anderson died of natural causes in Winona Lake outside of Warsaw, Indiana.[2]

Filmography

Director
  • 1961: The Family That Changed the World
  • 1964: In His Steps
  • 1965: Man of Steel
  • 1969: Journey to the Sky[5]
  • 1972: The Gospel According to Most People
  • 1979: Pilgrim's Progress
  • 1979: Christiana
  • 1981: Hudson Taylor
  • 1982: The Answer
  • 1984: Fanny Crosby
  • 1984: Mud, Sweat and Cheers
  • 1986: Mark of the Red Hand
  • 1986: Second Step

Producer
  • 1972: The Gospel According to Most People
  • 1981: Hudson Taylor
  • 1984: Fanny Crosby

Writer
  • 1964: In His Steps
  • 1974: Apache Fire
  • 1979: Pilgrim's Progress
  • 1979: Christiana
  • 1981: Hudson Taylor

References
  1. Christian Cinema: Ken Anderson, Christian Film Pioneer, passes away
  2. White, Terry. "Filmmaker Ken Anderson, 88, Dies". Charis Connect.
  3. Christian Headlines: A History of Christian Films Archived July 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Lindvall, Terry. Celluloid Sermons. New York : New York University Press, ©2011. p. 142. ISBN 9780814753248. OCLC 1004782779.
  5. Staff writer (6 December 1969). "Journey to the Sky". Intelligencer Journal (Ad). Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. p. 6. ISSN 0889-4140.
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