Martin Luther (film and television)
The life of church reformer and theologian Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) has inspired a number of adaptations of the events of the Reformation for both television and film. Some of these have been large-budget, major studio productions, while others have been produced by local Lutheran church bodies.
Film
edit| Date | Title | Luther portrayed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Luther | Eugen Klöpfer | Released by Cobb Studios Filmed in Berlin, Germany |
| 1953 | Martin Luther | Niall MacGinnis | directed by Irving Pichel
Academy Award nominations for black & white cinematography and art/set direction
|
| 1973 | Luther | Stacy Keach | A film adaptation of the John Osborne play Luther, written by Edward Anhalt and released by Cinévision Ltée. Other actors included Patrick Magee, Hugh Griffith and Judi Dench. |
| 1981 | Where Luther Walked | N/A | A documentary about the life of Martin Luther, narrated by the scholar Roland Bainton |
| 1983 | Martin Luther, Heretic | Jonathan Pryce | A BBC production. |
| 2002 | Here I Stand: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther | Wink Martindale | A biography of the Reformer, released direct to video by Lathika International Film & Entertainment Inc. |
| 2003 | Luther | Joseph Fiennes | Released by Eikon Film and partially funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Other actors included Alfred Molina, Jonathan Firth, and Peter Ustinov |
Television
edit| Date | Title | Luther portrayed by | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Martin Luther | Terry Norris | An Australian adaptation of the John Osborne play Luther for television |
| 1965 | Play of the Month | Alec McCowen | A BBC adaptation of the John Osborne play Luther. |
| 1983 | Martin Luther | Lambert Hamel | A German-language television documentary, drirected by Rainer Wolffhardt and released by Eikon Film. |
| 2001 | Opening the Door to Luther | N/A | A PBS travelogue, hosted by Rick Steves and sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. |
| 2002 | Martin Luther | Timothy West | Part of the PBS Empires series. Narrated by Liam Neeson |