"All For The Best" ~ Godspell (1973)

[@Memington]

That last shot hits real different these days

[@dougkester8952]

Yeah, it's quite prophetic. They weren't even completed.

[@hexahexametermeter]

2:15 if you look at a clock face, the hands point to 6 and 11 which is 9 11 upside down.

[@derekaustin3744]

I made an edit of that "different hit"...kind of ashamed of myself...kind of

[@potatodar]

It’s all for the be- wait no it wasn’t

[@bsoz9759]

That's saying it minimally. I grew up in NJ with lots of views of the towers in commercials. Saw them in person. They were a staple. An icon. My mom worked at a school in NJ where 2/3 of the parents commuted to NYC daily to work in the towers. Towers were destroyed, lives lost. Her school DID NOT lose a single parent, but children lost Aunts, Uncles and family friends. They felt lucky. At the time, we (husband and 2 kids) lived in western MA. My barely 3yo son lost a lot of sleep. Dark circles under his eyes. When I asked him why he was losing sleep he said... "I can't stop thinking about the people who died. And I can't stop thinking about the people who loved them who won't see them again." He was 3 years and 2 weeks old. Very intuitive, wears his heart on his sleeve to this day. We had tried our best to shield our kids from this horrible and tragic event, but he probably learned of it at pre-school or when we spoke of it after they went to bed. To this day I have no desire to go to ground zero. I can't. I just can't. I'm too emotional about those who were lost - employees and first responders. Too much emotion for me.

[@otamatonecomedy.6424]

Something people don't notice is that, when Jesus saves the lady in roller skates, where they are standing is where the water is, Jesus is walking on water.

[@Tellytuber-r6x]

Also definitely a song about Trump. So ironic that religious people love someone that is so anti Jesus.

[@coolername98]

I thought it was about the beatitudes? The mourning getting comforted, the poor being blessed in heaven, the meek inheriting the earth

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

I'm an Atheist, but this movie, and this scene in particular, took an absolute godly miracle to film. Not only on top of the newly constructed WTC, but a NYC WITH NO OTHER PEOPLE IN IT!

[@Sundae_Times]

Good spot! Crack of dawn, I'm guessing?

[@AlbertPaysonTerhune]

Seems to be largely around Lincoln Center. Don't see WTC anywhere...till the very end.

[@meesalikeu]

if you not😅ce in the movie there are only other people around in the very beginning and very end. also, its not hard to temporarily close off that lincoln center pool area, you can see how they did it in the making of documentary. 🎉

[@martinsorenson1055]

This song has one of my all-time favorite shots - it's jaw-dropping when you think about the logistics it took to achieve it. It's right when John The Baptist sings "The best in every town". He's on an inflatable raft in a swimming pool on top of an apartment building. The camera zooms slowly out - way out- until John is nowhere to be seen. What we get now is part of the New York skyline. The camera pauses there a moment, letting us take that in; then the camera starts to move down to the right, where it picks up the roof of another building. There is Jesus dancing around to the beat of the music. Camera slowly zooms in on him now. And that's when he produces a magician's cane out of nowhere. And the shot is over. It's such a smooth shot. To work it out so that it all flowed smoothly but have been a real challenge. Then again, the next part of the song featured Jesus and John the Baptist dancing against lighted shadows of themselves in front of the Accutron sign. Which itself was no easy task.

[@somebodystoppls]

John is already Judas in this song, but you are right! such an amazing camera work

[@lindasherryrichardson3902]

I saw this movie when I was 8. My father took me. He was a cinematographer in California at the time. I now see why he loved this move so much, the editing and aerial footage were superb. He loved the shot taken on the top of the twin towers, and thought that was epic. He never saw the towers fall. I’m glad of that. I love that he shared this with me, it’s still ingrained deep in my brain, and brings me to a happy place.

[@lyndarogers222]

Part of this video Movie) was shot up on one of the WTC buildings (before it was opened) makes me sick to my stomach now to think about it! 😥

[@peterwis8240]

watching this in 2021 love❤️ the scene shot on the unfinished WTC tower Never forget 09/11:2001🙏

[@kamandi1362]

What’s great is that you get such a sense of place, too. This feels so much more New York than most modern films set there, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home.

[@luckyotter623]

Incredible to realize this movie is now 50 years old and these young actors are in their 70s, some may be close to 80.

[@esthervarney4011]

How time flies I am not any older ooooops yes I am still amazing we are still young in our hearts!peace to all❤🎉😮😊j

[@obscurelyvague]

"S. Brombacher" it would be interesting if some documentary were done in which those old actors were interviewed and there was an update on where they are now and what they went on to do after Godspell.

[@jmitterii2]

The actor Victor Garber playing Jesus played the Titanic builder Thomas Andrew on the Titanic. I watched this the first time and thought... that actor looks very familiar. I watched a making of the Titanic thing, and one of the other actors mentioned his singing on Godspell. And thought oh... it was him! LOL!

[@garymerken3837]

@@jmitterii2, Victor Garber also played the smarmy law professor Callahan in Legally Blonde.

[@Milesco]

@@garymerken3837 And the Canadian ambassador in "Argo". And a butler in an episode of "Frasier".

[@doctorhoffman4550]

Victor Garber is GLORIOUS ❤️

[@IlaughedIcried]

It will always slightly blow my mind that Victor Garber was the original Jesus in "Godspell," way back to the workshopping days of the show in Toronto! He was, like, 23 o4 24 in this movie!!!! Holy Hamburgers!! Every time I see him in something (and he's in a lotta stuff!) I think of wee little infant Victor dancing around with an afro and a Superman shirt. :)

[@John-rw2zf]

He was perfect for the part. No doubt about it.

[@TullyMars-d3m]

Agreed David Haskell is perfect

[@adambomb1553]

I love the little "Thanks!" Jesus does. Like God gave him the cane.

[@meesalikeu]

yeah i love that, its funny and random and actually the best part, well of the vocals not the spectactular visuals 🎉

[@sharilscott3663]

don’t forget ,that when you get Heaven , you will be blessed..... 🙌🕊🌻🙏🏻❣️

[@garybrockwell2031]

Top line😘🤔✌️💪🙏😁💞 AMEN 🗣️📢🇺🇸🇬🇧🎬💯🤩

[@Its_lexiloves1314]

Amen! 🙏❤

[@ClosedCaptions-if7kx]

Yes, it's All For The Best!

[@meesalikeu]

kind of redundant if you are already in heaven, but ok 😂

[@kashigata]

You are blessed now. You are alive. Being dead isn’t a blessing.

[@victoriabarclay3556]

Hard to believe that’s Victor Garber right there. Such a versatile actor

[@MaskedMan66]

Not for me; it's the first thing I ever saw him in! 🙂

[@garymerken3837]

@@MaskedMan66, not me. I just came across these clips from a movie I didn't know existed! (I'm very familiar with the stage musical.). I remember Victor Garber from movies like Titanic and Legally Blonde.

[@MaskedMan66]

@@garymerken3837 I saw _Godspell_ on T.V. in the late 70's or early 80's.

[@crowdpleaser54]

@@garymerken3837I’m over here like Mr. Andrews?? 😂 amazingly talented man!

[@catha.j.stuart2200]

I played Jesus in our high school production of Godspell. This was definitely the most fun song to perform.

[@MadMetsFan]

Keep in mind - watching the joyful and carefree performance on the roof of the tower - the sheer terror most must have had doing that up there.

[@OreadNYC]

It depends. Not everyone has a fear of heights, at least not as such. Most people do have a fear of accidentally *falling* from a great height, which is an entirely legitimate fear! That being said, it's quite possible to feel afraid of falling on a two-story fire escape (I know that feeling well) but yet at the same time feel no fear standing on top of a one hundred story building.

[@MadMetsFan]

@@OreadNYC it all varies from person to person, but its safe to say that a wide and broad range of people would find being on top of one of the towers (particularly when its construction isn't finish and the low railing) terrifying. My brother did; he was 15 years old working a summer job there with the Port Authority in 1983 and a mechanic needed some assistance to fix a fan on the roof of Tower #2 and my brother - being low on the totem pole - was volunteered. He said the first thing to hit you is the wind - which he said was strong enough to knock a person off balance - and the small amount of railing. And he didn't go as far as the dancers did. He got a standing ovation when he returned to the office

[@JeffFreemanPresents]

@@MadMetsFan I totally feel that! I have acute acrophobia. I am keenly aware that I am phobic; I have no rational justification for it, but i get this intense feeling throughout my entire body. My mind can be completely focused on the fact that I am perfectly safe, but my body just won't listen to that logical nonsense. haha I got that feeling the first time I went up to the rooftop deck. It took me like 15 minutes to be able to walk around without holding onto the railing.

[@MadMetsFan]

@@JeffFreemanPresents I never was atop of one of the towers, but my brother was when he was 15 and working a summer job at the Port Authority. He was "volunteered" when one of the technicians needed someone to handle his toolbox while he repaired an unit up there. He said it was terrifying ... but he got a round of applause when he came back to the office

[@JeffFreemanPresents]

@@MadMetsFan I'm giving him my own round of applause after reading your comment. Thanks for sharing that, Michael. :)

[@tugboat2030]

"That's no answer to the question!" "Did I promise you an answer to the question?" This sums up the Law and the Prophets.

[@schizoidboy]

It's and interesting thing that Christ sometimes if not most of the time answered a question with an question, which if you think about it forced the person who asked the question to think for themselves and even answer their own question.

[@Eunacis]

@@schizoidboy and then they wrote a whole book of questions dueling banjo style and called it the Talmud.

[@John-rw2zf]

The actors and actresses really did great imitations of Brooklyn accents and other comedic vocals.

[@CasperDoodles008]

I used to watch this all the time when I was younger, it always made me laugh (and sometimes cry), coming back and watching this I'm just kind of realizing this whole movie is literally Jesus chilling with his homies 😎😊

[@paigelamar7658]

I remember when my mom would check this out at the library, and my brother and I would watch it nonstop. This movie has some of the best music and is fun to watch.

[@JonathonWoodgate]

“All For The Best”... Filmed atop the North Tower... 28 years later, no more North Tower... the irony boggles the mind!

[@cf3482]

Jonathon Woodgate Please explain to me what exactly about that is ironic.

[@jameskelvin6720]

@@cf3482 First of all, listen to ALL of the words in the song and draw your own poetic verse correlations. Perhaps he/she finds something ironic in the song verse and comparisons to 9/11. Second, if you deem his statement incorrect, no need to be rude or snarky about it, pointing out your thoughts on stupidity or innacuracies. In fact, doing so goes against what Godspell is all about. You could have worded your question differently.

[@timothy3732]

@@jameskelvin6720 What could be seen as even more ironic or adds to it is that later on they sing, "We can build a beautiful city...."

[@susanbrogan2517]

The irony is that it doesn't exist anymore.

[@codetech5598]

The strange thing is that at the beginning of the movie, when they are showing scenes on NY City, they show the towers with a plane flying towards them.

[@ickate036]

I’m only 50 years too late but I love this song!

[@MoteMayhaps]

Almost no one believes me when I say that the cast dances on one of the twin towers in this film. Finally, easily-sharable proof! Thank you.

[@bootes53]

The not-even-finished towers! Making this probably the first movie to feature them (The Wiz is another musical w/ tons of WTC footage, of course)

[@MichaelMartin-q4j]

Omg my friends were just saying that the cast does NOT dance on top of the World Trade Center too and I have this solid evidence they did in fact dance on top of the World Trade Center

[@InweTaralom]

Every time I see them on the roof of the World Trade Center, I start to freak out at the thought of there not being safety netting or a handrail.

[@DotMcFarlane]

I know. I get vertigo just watching it 😅😅

[@scotthamilton007]

I agree with Roger Ebert who gave this film high marks when he was a very young critic. Deservedly so. It’s inventive but-more than that-refreshingly innocent and engaging. The backdrop of a seemingly frozen-in-time, devoid of all other contemporaries gave this story and intimacy and urgency which draws the viewer in. Fascinating!

[@Ichigo_Hime]

I learned this song when I was 11 in middle school theater. Turns out even after 13 years of not thinking of this song I can still sing it.

[@jacquielunari]

Same , except 45 years! Who knew 🤣

[@hecate235]

Always loved David Haskell's counterpoint starting at 1:12. It has an even sharper edge now..... Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please richer than the bees are in honey. Never growing old, never feeling cold, pulling pots of gold from thin air. The best in every town, best at shaking down best at making mountains of money. They can't take it with them, but what do they care? . They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat, houses on the street where it's sunny Summers at the sea, winters warm and free, all of this and we get the rest. But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for? You guessed! it's all for the best. Someone's got to be oppressed!

[@rwitter5333]

Thanks for interpreting that for me 😊

[@obscurelyvague]

Absolutely

[@krystanoelll]

Homie had a point for sure

[@wompwompwomble]

learnt this in the school choir back in year 5/6, still stuck in my head more than a decade later!

[@AnimeboyIanpower]

This has to be my favorite song in all of Godspell! It's light and bouncy, catchy and the way Jesus and John/Judas (it's hard to tell where John ends and Judas begins for me) sing together in counterpoint is absolutely stunning! Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the hilarious scenes throughout it, from Jesus not watching where he's going and almost falling into the water, to Katie losing control of her skates, to John/Judas actually falling into the water and the "Speck of Sawdust" scene before everyone scrambles to get to the final part of the song. Those scenes never fail to crack me up! And if I'm being honest, it awakened a memory of elementary school where it was a carnival day at school and I heard someone playing "All For The Best" on piano, and I always wished I could've been outside with them singing along. In short, I love this song and yes! It's all for the best!

[@jayd5694]

super late response, but i always interpreted judas beginning immediately after the baptism scene

[@authorguy5696]

John ends and Judas begins during the song By My Side, when Judas tells of how he began to look out for an opportunity to betray him.

[@John-rw2zf]

You picked a great song off that soundtrack. I know that song by heart. It's a blast from the past. No doubt about it.

[@watrgrl2]

Watching them dance so near the edge of what was the world trade center triggers my fear of heights which is exacerbated by a fear of someone falling to their death by stumbling or tripping near the edge. Then I remember what happened on that horrific day of 9/11 and I just can’t shake the memory of watching it all happening on live TV.

[@sidpheasant7585]

Same for me...

[@shyman99]

The same for me except I couldn't watch it on live TV as it was too horrific for my degree of being afraid of heights. I have to turn away when they pan out of the WTC in this video as I get vertigo and anxious. The only thing that calms my nerves is asking Jesus to hold my hand. He grabs it each and every time.

[@ozmond]

What happened on 9/11?

[@Trinitylover]

😢

[@John-rw2zf]

The hearts of the cast and crew must have stopped for few seconds when they watched the news on 9/11.

[@watrgrl2]

Oh wow that ending.. 😦🤭i had no idea they filmed on top of the World Trade Center🥺. That makes me profoundly sad now. 😣

[@theshermer]

watrgrl2 you can actually see many images of the World Trade Center buildings in this film. Magnificent but sad at the same time.

[@kimsmith1383]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@xtusvincit5230]

Throughout this scene, you will notice that the rooftops get successively higher until they reach the highest building WTC representing the haves up in the sun and fresh air looming over the have-nots below. Truly excellent symbolic representation of the 1% over the rest of us. Brilliant.

[@annoldham3018]

My favourite song from the film. Love how they sing the different verses at the same time. ☺️

[@MushroomMagpie]

ya, those buildings got godsmacked hard by the Bush-Cheney human centipede.

[@gabrielgabidu13]

Un miracle cette musique !!! J'ai vu cette comédie musical en France en 1974 au théâtre de la porte saint Martin le soir de Noël , j'avais 6 ans !! Depuis je crois en Dieu ( pas à l'egilse ) et je suis musicien !!

[@goofyrulez7914]

I can't listen to this song without a huge smile on my face!!!

[@antfactor]

I can't believe I know all the lyrics... 😆!! Saw this in '73(?) when I was 7 years old. Realizing how slapstick this film really was... Now that I'm a 'bit' older - LOL! Cheers. 🐜

[@JillVITA]

Thank you for sharing this. Our beautiful towers. God hold and keep all those souls close as well as those left behind to deal with the pain. I loved my Trade Center, oh how I spent so many days there.

[@suzieparis6821]

Im so sorry..ive never been there..wish i had seen it...only in old movie clips

[@puppyash9656]

Well, according to you god, it's all for the best. Your god, not mine.....

[@stressmuffin]

This is one of my favorite songs in Godspell. Plus it breaks my heart seeing The twin towers of The World Trade Center in this video, because 28 years later, they’re both gone during 9/11. 😪🙏🏼

[@CatRidingSkatboard]

@@SuperTrojan64 no they weren’t

[@ohyeah3365]

And now we have war in Isreal and Palestine. When will they ever learn?

[@IlaughedIcried]

I was just thinking that same exact thing!!! The fact that the last shot is the World Trade Center....oh my heart.

[@MaskedMan66]

Have you ever seen the movie version of _The Wiz?_

[@UltimateGenosyko]

28 years later is wild to think about because that’s actually such a short amount of time but the 70s to the early 2000s felt like such a big gap in time😦

[@AndreCrema97]

Godspell is one of the best examples of good circus performance in all of theater

[@debbieleonard9160]

This is cinematography at it's best. That being said, it's a little sad at the end when the camera pans out and you see where they're at.

[@MadBadSadAndGlad]

Jesus was in Jerusalem when he ransacked the temple & took on the priesthood & government of the day. I think it's v appropriate that it was in NYC in the shadow of the looming fate of the WTradeCntr....

[@cheyennemalfaro8891]

This movie was a total work of art. It really loved my soul and makes me so proud to be a Christian ❤

[@sidpheasant7585]

Agree, though "blessed" rather than "proud"...

[@barryrichman2874]

Watch out sister, pride is a sin. 🎉

[@DaveFisher-cq2dr]

3:45 Lynne Thigpen, the black woman wearing the pink hat, she died on March 12, 2003 from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 54, her movies include Tootsie, Running on Empty, The Paper, Bicentennial Man, Shaft & Anger Management which was dedicated in her memory

[@kissedbysun2517]

And the amazing show, "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego"!

[@T-Pup12345]

Anyone here in 2024?!❤❤

[@Trinitylover]

on 9/11/24

[@annalavransdattar5935]

Me too 9/11/24

[@TullyMars-d3m]

Oh yes

[@davidwohler5297]

Inane comment unworthy of the subject.

[@marcellaoreilly2730]

👱‍♀️

[@sadem1045]

The camera work and editing are both perfect.

[@barryrichman2874]

This song reminds me of that tragedy. (Norm McDonald)

[@onothankyou]

I love @1:54, when he reaches up and His Father delivers the miracle, and He says a simple, heartfelt "Thanks". So much expression of care, love, and respect in that simple moment, so well portrayed.

[@thegorn68]

Ugh! That's still such a gut punch when the camera pans out and you see they're dancing on top of the almost finished Twin Tower building. Love this musical. This film is okay, but it's so much better as a stage play in my opinion.

[@ausername2524]

The first time I saw this my mom showed me cause it has a Jesus clown. And this scene and the VERY anti Semitic robot rabbi made me laugh my ass off

[@barryrichman2874]

Yeah, but no one asked for your opinion. 😊

[@maryb5465]

How bittersweet this video is in the end.

[@John-rw2zf]

Really makes you think doesn't it?

[@garybrockwell2031]

The last shot and the last words🗣️📢 what a Laugh in 2023 cor BLIMEY 🆘💯🇬🇧✌️🙏

[@Scorpio3002]

I just watched this for the first time, since I'm in a production of this show. I actually had no idea that the WTC was in this clip. 20 years ago today...

[@meesalikeu]

it catches a lot of people for a big shock if they dont know!

[@jacquielunari]

The closing scene with the twin towers while the chorus sings “yes, it’s all for the best” sent chills 😢 I love love loved this when I was a kid, used to dance around and jump on my bed to the songs. As a grownup of some years, I happened upon this when I did a random search “when you feel sad”. Sending love to all you sad folks out here with me ♥️

[@kevhead1525]

Loved this as a kid, when it was ok to show something so positive as a network special. Now things have changed...

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

I am obsessed with this clip now! So uplifting.

[@ChaseRiverBand]

Throughout the years I've seen the theatrical version of this musical five times. Each one offered a slightly different interpretation, but the message was always powerful. Some people criticize the hippie/clown version portrayed in the film version, but one has to remember the time in which it was made...it perfectly suited the late 60s/early 70s era. I was always in awe of the troupe dancing on the roof of the soon-to-be-completed WTC. I look at that now with a measure of sadness... yet at the same time, am happy to be able to experience that moment in the film -- knowing that the message of this song (and the entire musical) can overcome the horror and evil that occurred on 9/11.

[@lanetower3411]

Actually the message is a bit defeatist, but it is a great tune.

[@KathrynBowden]

​@@lanetower3411you feel that taking one's focus off of the pursuit of/indulgence in earthly material things and instead focusing on spiritual rewards is defeatist?

[@lanetower3411]

@@KathrynBowden yes. Especially if it means living in poverty. Promising a reward when you are dead is defeatist. That said, I memorized this tune 50 years ago as a child. Still can rattle it off without a hitch. In my permanent bank. Love it.

[@Buggy-su4oy]

Victor did a wonderful capturing Jesus' kind and gentle personality.

[@Sundae_Times]

Yes, Hollywood is adept at distorting the truth.

[@davidwohler5297]

I will spew you out of my mouth. No man cometh to the father but by me. He dared not show us his mirth because he did not have any. He was a humorless megalomaniac, utterly unconnected to reality.

[@markrandle9025]

0:02 When you feel sad, 0:08 or under a curse 0:13 Your life is bad, 0:17 your prospects are worse 0:21 Your wife is sighing, crying 0:24 And your olive tree is dying 0:28 Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying 0:29 And creditors weighing your purse Your mood and your robe Are both a deep blue You'd bet that Job Had nothing on you Don't forget that when you get to Heaven you'll be blessed Yes, it's all for the best 2:07 drum Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please Richer than the bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the street where it's sunny Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of this and we get the rest But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for? You guessed! It's all for the best Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please Richer than the bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the street where it's sunny Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of this and we get the rest But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for? You guessed! It's all for the best Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please Richer than the bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the street where it's sunny Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of this and we get the rest But who is the land for, the sun and the sand for? You guessed! It's all for the best (you must never be distressed) Yes, it's all for the- (all your wrongs will be redressed.) Yes, it's all for the- (someone's got to be oppressed!) Yes, it's all for the best! Songwriters: Stephen Schwartz For non-commercial use only. Data from:Musixmatch Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying

[@readthebible67]

I watched this when it was new, and in the movie theater, and it is still my favorite....my sister and went cuckoo for the movie, ran out and bought the album. Which, amazingly, my parents enjoyed, too! Eventually, we got the movie, and were SUPER happy!!

[@navyskaterdude]

I saw this Live in Boston in 1973. Awesome! I was with My Churches Youth Group

[@jamiedyercville]

Tremont Street Theater. I saw it four times.

[@filker0]

That is a fun song to perform. I was in a community theater production of a very abridged "Godspell", and got to sing/perform the counterpoint on this. It was an odd feeling, being a Jewish kid who was attending a boarding school 200 miles from home in an area that had very few Jewish families. The staging, of course, was very different from the performance I saw by a touring company in Cleveland, Ohio, and of course had most of it cut out. I got the part because the guy who was supposed to be John the Baptist was in an accident and was on crutches, and I was the only baritone in the community theater "troupe" who could belt it out without tripping over their tongue. This was about two years after I was effectively kicked out of choir and took up drama in its place.

[@aaaaaeiou]

Oh my God! The World Trade Towers!!!! 😢

[@markdinkel-uh2je]

We did the play at Ritter high school in Indianapolis indiana in about 1973.

[@walterhoenig6569]

It’s pretty amazing not to see anybody but the characters in a city with 8m people.

[@nolaburkhard]

Oh Man! I forgot that parts of this were fllmed on top of the Being Built World Trade Towers - It breaks my heart that after 9/11 they were destroyed so tragically. Still, I'll be that was a hoot to film up there!

[@jacklow9611]

I just recently realized that this song is one way of telling the story of Christ's temptation by Satan and His response to what Satan told Him. I'm sorry it took so long for me to realize this.

[@SatansFire]

This song has me feeling a certain way these days.

[@pangupongo9742]

Ayo?

[@cards0486]

One of my very favorite musicals ever. I don’t know how many stage versions I’ve seen, and adore the movie. In my Bible when I come on a parable or something Jesus says I’ll mark beside it: GODSPELL. “Your mood and your robe are both a deep blue. You’d bet that Job had nothin’ on you.” I love every word and note! 😊❤️🎶 In our hymnal there is a song WE THANK THEE, O FATHER. It was written in 1782, and the melody is different. But Verses 1and 3 are word for word ALL GOOD GIFTS. I’m not saying Stephen Schwartz plagerized but... I’ve never seen the sheet music or script. I’m assuming credit is given to the original composer. I keep seeing sweet Merrill in my mind singing that song.

[@readthebible67]

It is not considered plagurizing, as after a length of time, usually 10 years, it is considered "public domain".

[@collinmount988]

I think the goal was to add in some subtle details audiences would get, alluding to their own faith. Certain aspects of what Schwartz was doing were just a nod to other songs. Schwartz is at times subtle with references, so he focused on the aspect of Jesus as a rabbi, with a sense of humor. He was hoping to express the character in a way that wouldn't offend, the way "Jesus Christ Superstar" had put people off. He succeeded in getting along with Christians..."Day By Day" became something Chirstian artists would do covers of. "On the Willows" was based on Al Naharot Bavel, which Shcwartz probably even recited at his own wedding a few years earlier. That song, interestingly, is symbolic destruction of Jerusalem, which Christians, who read Matthew, would notice Jesus talks about HIMSELF as a temple to be destroyed. Part of the masterpiece of this work was to almost show an "inside joke" between those who have grown up in the faith, while still being entertaining enough for those who are just curious.

[@kennethpurscell]

Actually about 72 years in the US. "Steamboat Willy," the first Micky Mouse short is about to become public domain.

[@KathrynBowden]

“Save the People”: Episcopal Hymnal 1940, no. 496 “Day by Day”: E. Hymnal, no. 429 (from Richard of Chichester) “Learn Your Lessons Well”: Original lyric by Stephen Schwartz “Bless the Lord”: E. Hymnal, no. 293 (adaptation from Psalm 103) “All for the Best”: Original lyric by Stephen Schwartz “All Good Gifts”: E. Hymnal no. 138 “Light of the World”: Adaptation of Matthew 5:13-16 “Turn Back, O Man”: E. Hymnal no. 536 “Alas for You”: Inspired by Matthew 23:13-37 (Adapted by Stephen Schwartz) “By my Side”: Original lyric by Jay Hamburger “We Beseech Thee”: E. Hymnal no. 229 “On the Willows”: Adaptation of Psalm 137 “Finale”: Lyric by Stephen Schwartz; reprise of Matthew 3:3 “Beautiful City”: Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for the film version of Godspell.

[@KathrynBowden]

It's openly published and known since 1971 (when it started off-Boadway) that any lyrics not written by Schwartz were from the Episcopal hymnal...

[@user-b3i2q]

I was part of this musical in a small-town church performance in the 90s. I am listening to this again now in my 40s, and that one line about first taking the plank out of your own eye-I finally understand that line, after all of the inner healing and growth I've been experiencing in 2024. Healing past traumas, even reaching into past lives and healing ancestral traumas passed down through DNA. Healing on as many levels as possible. Now I do feel like I'm in a much better position to help other people, after going through all the pain, suffering, healing and recovery, myself.

[@martythemartian99]

3:44 This part still scares me after all these years. I used to work on top of tall buildings and the wind can be sudden and fierce. One trip and someone could have gone over. Thank God no one did.

[@pedroflores7457]

They are not that close to the edge as it looks. There is another level below.

[@KilamajaroKen]

Godspell, Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Prince of Egypt, Enchanted, Disenchanted, Wicked. All filled with bangers. All Stephen Schwartz.

[@simongee8928]

My favourite song in my favourite musical - !

[@Ephisus]

Something this work really expresses is the friendship before the treachery.

[@laurat9043]

My goodness! I saw this when it came out on Broadway! I was in grade school! Thx for bringing the memories back!

[@TullyMars-d3m]

Can't help but smile when listening

[@alexconstable3155]

The closing shot of the World Trade Center adds a posthumous irony that is just staggering.

[@giazn1]

Thank you for this wonderful musical reminder!! You've reintroduced me to one of my all time faves in life.. Back in the day, I wore this album out & saw the movie dozens of times.

[@nannerz1994]

I grew up Catholic and we didn't learn the song and I went to children's theater and we learned the song and I don't believe in God but I love this whole musical. I learned more about the Bible from this musical than I ever did taking religious education as a kid. When I first watch this movie as a kid when I was in the musical it was the cringiest thing ever but honestly it's a very very good time capsule of the '70s!

[@sgabig]

My vertigo would kick in & I'd freak out at 2:08 if I was asked to sing & dance on scaffolding

[@rosworms]

My favorite song in the musical and the last shot still freaks me out. The first time i saw the movie was spring of 2002, so that was very surreal.

[@adamgreenspan4988]

40 years later, both the WTC and Lynne Thigpen were gone. Sad times.

[@meesalikeu]

most of them are gone actually. garber is of course still on tv shows pretty often.

[@evanhughes1510]

@@meesalikeu4 of them gone

[@catherineerwin8269]

Thank you so much for uploading this video.

[@MiamiSpartan1]

Looks like they were just finishing construction on the other tower when this was filmed....

[@John-rw2zf]

Like or dislike this play if you want. From any angle, the creators were genius. The music in this play is absolutely amazing.

[@emanuellawton7942]

This movie came out at the height of the " found Jesus", born again Christian movement craze among young people in the early 1970s which included hit stage and film musical,"Jesus Christ Superstar".

[@testsubject6676]

I'd forgotten all about this musical and then I stumble upon this clip and can't stop grinning.

[@Trinitylover]

The irony of the lyrics of "All for the Best" and the wonderful dance on death-defying heights of the Tower is heart-breaking.

[@lucy661000]

Just goes to show, Jesus has a tremendous sense of humor.

[@the_budde]

The cinematography man.... makes ya move your body like a weasel

[@HummingbirdLodge]

my heart turned from stone to clay--l love ya Diane!!! ❤❤❤❤😂😂

[@miracledezwijger1500]

here for victor garber

[@decemberschild1504]

OMG! All these years and I never realized he played Jesus. Thanks!

[@googleisgay3289]

That last shot, man. All for the best maybe, but those towers bled real human blood.

[@canaknight2897]

Thank you... God bless you

[@sawyer6264]

As a former Catholic who grew up in an abusive and homophobic household, I’ve grown a distaste for the majority of Catholic media, but Godspell is one of the few I genuinely love

[@hexahexametermeter]

How is "Columbia Pictures" "Catholic media"? LOL

[@brianborchardt7198]

It's interesting how many love this movie for its religiosity but no one ever comments about Victor Garber as an openly gay man portraying Jesus.

[@valeriepark9444]

When they showed the skyline of NYC toward the end before the last dance segment, I thought, "I wonder if you can see the Twin Towers in the background" Clearly I didn't remember that bit in 2008.

[@MommeeMadre1]

I think of this number every September 11th. Construction on The WTC was nearly complete.

[@johnhancock2914]

I saw this movie 21 years ago around 3 am in the morning on showtime . I was 17 and I thought it was a weird ass movie

[@timothy3732]

Boy! Talk about singing and dancing somewhere Off Broadway!

[@f.n.246]

Ok Schmicago, I thought the hippies were from Sweet Charity but they are definitely from this too. I was unaware lol.

[@henryathurmanjr]

Great shots of the World Trade Center buildings! i like the singing and dancing of the cast!

[@nikkic36]

That’s amazing. I’ve sung this for years but never seen this

[@barbarahannon6033]

I remeber seeing this film on television more years ago than I like to rember, It is a pitty so few people know about it as it is just as good as jeasus christ super star (another of my faverat stories) which over shadows it.

[@michaeldurham6867]

I love this movie so much For bless you facepaint and patches Thank you

[@hilbillie]

Amazing! They need to do a modern remake for the next generation.

[@Sundae_Times]

Preferably without the silly religious element

[@BarekHalfhand]

For some reason I always think of the Manson family when I watch Godspell... I'm not sure why.

[@djlewis5149]

Looks a bit like ‘Stephen kings IT the musical’ to me

[@markdinkel-uh2je]

Wow. Probably similar clothes maybe. I red helter skelter twice. Old friend of mine lived a canyon from Tate residence

[@Alex-mq1oc]

My school just did Godspell and Thai song is my favorite from the whole musical

[@steelgranny9027]

Wow, the ending blew me away.

[@pinball1970]

Great track

[@meesalikeu]

this movie isnt really about the passion so much as its a love letter to nyc 🎉

[@timothy3732]

4:05 Holy shit! Are the actors really dancing on top of the WTC and that close to the edge? Or are they back farther from the edge as it looks or on a sound stage with a photo of NY as the background and very good lighting? If they really are that close and up that high it is a miracle that no one tripped over the edge.

[@yesthisisshi]

id guess that they have harness on ad are tied to something just in case they fell

[@yesthisisshi]

I thought you were talking about the sign dance, not the end of the scene. my bad

[@codetech5598]

The top platform was narrower than the rest of the building, so the edge that you see was not the edge of the entire building.

[@thephantomoftheparadise5666]

You couldn't pay me to do that. I don't do well high up.

[@lordzhuge]

No fear in the 70s!