Wikipedia

Paulist Productions

(Redirected from Ellwood Kieser)

Paulist Productions is a Catholic film production company founded in 1960 by the Paulist priest Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser. The Paulists describe the company as a "creator of films and television programs that uncover God’s presence in the contemporary human experience".[1]

Paulist Productions
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1960; 64 years ago (1960)
FoundersFather Ellwood "Bud" Kieser, CSP
HeadquartersWilshire Blvd,
Los Angeles, CA 90024, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Mike Sullivan
(President)
Fr. Tom Gibbons, CSP
(Vice-President)
David Moore (Director of Development and Production)
Brands
  • Insight (1960–1983)
    Paulist Pictures
OwnerPaulist Fathers
ParentIndependent
(1960–present)
Websitewww.paulistproductions.org

As of 2018, producer Mike Sullivan is president of Paulist Productions.[2]

Paulist has generated a range of programming for CBS, The History Channel, Hallmark Hall of Fame and UPtv.

History

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Ellwood "Bud" Kieser was born in Philadelphia in 1929. After graduating from La Salle College in 1950, he joined the Paulist Fathers. He earned his Ph.D. in theology of communications from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. in 1973, writing his dissertation on Cinema as a Religious Experience.[3]

The original purpose of the company was to produce Insight, an American religious-themed weekly anthology series that aired in syndication from October 1960 to January 1985. Insight earned six Emmy Awards during its twenty-three year run.[4]

In 1974, the Humanitas Prize for film and television writing was founded by Kieser and the men and women of Paulist Productions.[5][6]

In 1984, Paulist produced the ABC prime time special, The Fourth Wise Man. The New York Times reviewer, John J. O'Connor said, "Father Kieser has generally proved adept at attracting first-rate talent to Paulist projects, and The Fourth Wise Man indicates his powers of persuasion are stronger than ever."[7] Adapted by Tom Fontana from the short story by Henry van Dyke Jr., the film starred Martin Sheen, Eileen Brennan and Alan Arkin.[8]

 
Paulist Productions Pacific Palisades

Paulist Pictures was later formed for the purpose of film production, creating the features Romero (1989) and Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996).

After Kieser's death in September 2000, Frank Desiderio, C.S.P. became president of the company.[3] He broadened the scope to produce television documentaries for the History Channel, including Judas - Traitor or Friend, Joseph: The Silent Saint, The Twelve Apostles, St. Peter: The Rock and Paul, the Apostle. Healing and Prayer: Power or Placebo was also produced for A&E. He was followed by Eric Andrews, C.S.P.

In 2004, Paulist Productions released the made-for-television film Judas which aired on ABC and was written by writer/producer Tom Fontana, who also served as executive producer.

In 2013, Paulist filmed the CBS special A New York Christmas to Remember. The special of Lessons and Carols was taped at St. Paul the Apostle Church with choirs from St. Paul’s and Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. Telecast on December 24 at 11:35 p.m., it also featured Regis Philbin and the nativity puppetry of Jane Henson.[9][10]

Later productions include The Town That Came A-Courtin' and Christmas for a Dollar for UpTV, and the short Christmas film No Ordinary Shepherd. Paulist also released the short film He Knows My Name and finished production on the feature film The Miracle Maker. Chris Donahue was president of Paulist Productions from July 2014 to 2018, followed by Michael Sullivan.[11] In 2015 Paulist Productions moved from Pacific Palisades to Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles.

On September 8, 2015, Deadline Hollywood reported that publisher Author Solutions (an imprint of Penguin) made a first-look deal with Paulist.[12] In 2020, a documentary film, Fr. Bud: Hollywood Priest, was announced.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Paulist Productions". www.paulist.org.
  2. ^ "About", Paulist Productions
  3. ^ a b Weinraub, Bernard. "Rev. Ellwood Kieser, Priest And Film Producer, Dies at 71", The New York Times, September 20, 2000
  4. ^ Hendrix, Kathleen (24 July 1991). "Hollywood Priest : Outspoken Father Ellwood Kieser Spreads the Word by Making Movies" – via LA Times.
  5. ^ Eulogy by Frank Desiderio, President of Paulist Productions and Chairman of the Board for The HUMANITAS Prize Archived 2006-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Biography of Kieser mentions that John Sacret Young (a present Humanitas board member) wrote the script for Romero.
  7. ^ O'Connor, John J. (30 March 1985). "TV:'THE FOURTH WISE MAN' ON ABC". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  8. ^ Anderson, Jon (30 March 1985). "'Wise Man': Christian Parable Has Wit, Humor". Chicago Tribune.
  9. ^ Woods, John. "Paulist Productions, New and Old, Are Right on Target", Catholic New York, December 31, 2013
  10. ^ Mary Rezac (15 September 2016). "The nativity show from the creators of the Muppets". Catholic News Agency.
  11. ^ Hipes, Patrick (November 20, 2018). "Paulist Productions Taps Veteran Exec Mike Sullivan As President". Variety.
  12. ^ Petski, Denise (8 September 2015). "Penguin's Author Solutions Inks First-Look Deal With Paulist Productions". Deadline Hollywood.
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