'In God We Tru$t or Gimme That Prime Time Religion' ( 1980 ) was one of two movies ( the other being 1977's 'The Last Remake Of Beau Geste' ) written, directed and starring the much-missed British comic genius Marty Feldman. It opened to a hostile response from critics and public alike, causing Universal to terminate his five-picture contract, plunging him into near-suicidal despair. With 'Monty Python's Life Of Brian' having opened the year before, and America about to embrace the kind of materialistic values the film makes fun of by putting Ronald Reagan in The White House, its timing was unfortunate. Marty plays 'Brother Ambrose', one of an order of Trappist monks, who is asked by 'Father Thelonius' ( Wilfrid Hyde-White ) to leave the monastery and go to Los Angeles in search of big-time television evangelist 'Armaggeddon T.Thunderbird' ( Andy Kaufman ), founder of the Church of Divine Profit. The filthy rich Thunderbird has an office which is a copy of the Oval Office in the White House ( a sign on his desk reads: The Bucks Stop Here ). He also has regular conversations with 'God' - who turns out to be a computer known as 'General Operational Directorvator' ( voiced by Richard Pryor! ). Brother Ambrose must ask Thunderbird to pay off the monastery's mortgage. The first person he meets on his epic journey is seedy evangelist 'Dr.Sebastian Melmoth' ( the late Peter Boyle ), who drives a mobile church! Robbed by the preacher, Ambrose is left destitute. Until he meets a hooker with a heart of gold called 'Mary' ( Louise Lasser )...
This is a clever satire on the commercialisation of religion, in particular those charlatans who shamelessly exploit The Bible to line their pockets. There is not a jot of difference between Melmoth selling wooden crosses with a toy Christ affixed and Thunderbird urging his followers to hand over all their belongings because 'God is in hospital'. Mixing satire and slapstick can be a risky business, but here Marty ( and co-writer Chris Allen ) have miraculously pulled it off. Only occasionally does it get a little heavy-handed, such as Thunderbird's followers screaming "Seek! Find!" in such a way as to make it indistinguishable from "Sieg Heil!", but it does not harm the film too much. Feldman gives a delightful performance as the innocent 'Brother Ambrose', and is ably supported by Boyle, Lasser, and Pryor. I have never been a fan of the late Andy Kaufman, but his performance as the smarmy 'Thunderbird' is simply brilliant. He gets most of the best lines, including: !"If God had not intended for some people to be poor, then He would not have had The Bible published in paperback!".
Funniest moment - during Mass, the brake on Melmoth's mobile church slips, causing it and everyone aboard to go hurtling downhill into a river!
Second funniest moment - the wonderful climax which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'redistribution of wealth'!
Marty's next appearance on the big screen would be in 'Slapstick Of Another Kind' ( 1982 ), based on the Kurt Vonnegut book. Shortly after completing his scenes in Graham Chapman's ill-fated pirate spoof 'Yellowbeard' ( 1983 ), Marty died from a heart attack. His 'In God We Trust' co-star Andy Kaufman succumbed to lung cancer a year later. They may have gone, alas, but the film they made together lives on, and looks funnier with each passing year. In my view it deserves a major revaluation.
This is a clever satire on the commercialisation of religion, in particular those charlatans who shamelessly exploit The Bible to line their pockets. There is not a jot of difference between Melmoth selling wooden crosses with a toy Christ affixed and Thunderbird urging his followers to hand over all their belongings because 'God is in hospital'. Mixing satire and slapstick can be a risky business, but here Marty ( and co-writer Chris Allen ) have miraculously pulled it off. Only occasionally does it get a little heavy-handed, such as Thunderbird's followers screaming "Seek! Find!" in such a way as to make it indistinguishable from "Sieg Heil!", but it does not harm the film too much. Feldman gives a delightful performance as the innocent 'Brother Ambrose', and is ably supported by Boyle, Lasser, and Pryor. I have never been a fan of the late Andy Kaufman, but his performance as the smarmy 'Thunderbird' is simply brilliant. He gets most of the best lines, including: !"If God had not intended for some people to be poor, then He would not have had The Bible published in paperback!".
Funniest moment - during Mass, the brake on Melmoth's mobile church slips, causing it and everyone aboard to go hurtling downhill into a river!
Second funniest moment - the wonderful climax which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase 'redistribution of wealth'!
Marty's next appearance on the big screen would be in 'Slapstick Of Another Kind' ( 1982 ), based on the Kurt Vonnegut book. Shortly after completing his scenes in Graham Chapman's ill-fated pirate spoof 'Yellowbeard' ( 1983 ), Marty died from a heart attack. His 'In God We Trust' co-star Andy Kaufman succumbed to lung cancer a year later. They may have gone, alas, but the film they made together lives on, and looks funnier with each passing year. In my view it deserves a major revaluation.