Product Details

• Actors: Billy Graham
• Producers: Randall Balmer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Pbs Home Video
• VHS Release Date: September 10, 1996
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304119445
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,919 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Billy Graham has supposedly preached to more people than any other man in history. Raised on a dairy farm in North Carolina, he grew up to become the most famous and influential preacher of the 20th century, a friend and confidante to kings and presidents. Through interviews with close friends and associates, vintage and recent footage, and exploration of the historical record, the documentary, although by no means a probing exposé, paints a cogent and reasonably evenhanded portrait of the man born William Franklin Graham. He appears as the end of a long line of American evangelical preachers, from George Whitfield of the first Christian Awakening though the vaudeville antics of Billy Sunday. Graham taught himself preaching working as a Fuller Brush salesman, giving away the gospel along with the mops and brooms. With the evangelical team he assembled in the 1940s--Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea--Graham built a worldwide empire. A revival for 60,000 people in Portland, Oregon, is followed from inception to completion. Graham's politics are explored--H.R. Haldeman speaks about Graham's relationship with President Nixon; Jesse Jackson is candid on Graham and civil rights--and an in-depth interview with Graham follows the documentary, covering everything from his break with the fundamentalism of Bob Jones to his relationships with powerful media figures. --Laura Mirsky

Product Description

He has preached to more people than anyone else in history. Now, go behind the scenes to meet the man himself and witness the power of the Graham organization as it mobilizes millions of followers worldwide. Experience the inspiration of a Billy Graham crusade, from opening hymns with Cliff Barrows and the choir, to the personal testimony of famous personalities, and the message of the man himself who still pursues his 50-year mission.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, March 8, 2000

By 

Leon M. Bodevin "Do right and fear no man" (Lemoore, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crusade - The Life of Billy Graham [VHS] (VHS Tape)

If you think that all evangelists are phonies, then you need to watch this video. Billy Graham is a true believer, a man who never compromised his vision of bringing the gospel to the people. He even told President LBJ that he wanted to see him devote his life to Christ after his presidency: you've got to admire this unwavering belief in Christ. It's no wonder Graham is so influential. This is a wonderful video that brings Billy Graham to life.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Man of Faith, April 23, 2004

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Crusade - The Life of Billy Graham [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In this PBS production, we get an overview of Reverend Graham's life, from his youth as a Fuller Brush salesman to being the most prominent living evangelist in the world. There is also a little history of the evangelical movement in the U.S. from its inception, and some early film clips of Rev. Graham's early crusades that are marvelous, and that also include some of his "team" who have been with him since the beginning, among them George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows.
This documentary centers on a crusade in Portland, Oregon, where they show the extensive planning, the pre-event rehearsals, the people going door-to-door with announcements, the prayer teams. When one includes the huge choir, and all the technicians, a crusade can involve as many as 30,000 people, all coordinated for one purpose, to lead people to Jesus.

I am sure the producers of this documentary would argue that they were giving us a "balanced portrait," but unfortunately, it is done with the undercurrent of a snobbish attitude, in the words emphasized and in the people they chose to interview. They dwell at length with a certain Charles Templeton, a man who calls himself a "friend" of Graham's but speaks with the tongue of a snake, and thinks Rev. Graham has committed "intellectual suicide" and is preaching an "outdated faith." Written and hosted by Randall Balmer, there is much that made me uncomfortable, with a feeling that those who created this documentary sadly were not familiar with their subject, but rather had a pre-concieved opinion they tried to present.

There is a final ten minute interview with Rev. Graham which is a delight. If you can get past the supercilious tone of this documentary, it is well worth watching, especially for footage of young Billy Graham, tall and angular, preaching his heart out; a charismatic soldier for the Lord, who has become a much loved general in His army. Running time is approximately 1 hour and 46 minutes.

5.0 out of 5 stars Synopsis, June 21, 2008

By 

Anne Kathleen "Mirror Star" (In front of my Mac, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crusade: The Life Of Billy Graham (VHS Tape)

(From the back cover)
He has preached to more people than anyone else in history.

In a single night, a Billy Graham crusade is broadcast in 50 languages and reaches over on and a half BILLION people in 200 countries. Only one man has the power to draw the people of the world together again and again to share a single message.

Billy Graham is a simple man who has lived his life with a single purpose. Growing up as the son of a dairy farmer and following a brief but successful career as a Fuller brush salesman, Billy Graham has spent the past five decades spreading the word of the Gospel.

From the opening hymns with Cliff Barrows and the choir, to the sacred singing of George Beverly Shea, to the personal testimony of famous personalities such as Johnny Cash, a Billy Graham crusade is devoid of theatrics, yet is powerful and inspirational.

This program takes you behind the scenes to meet the man himself and witness the power of the Graham organization as it mobilizes followers far and wide.

And, following the program, don't miss a warm and personal visit with Billy Graham himself and enjoy his own personal memories and stories of a half century of preaching.

Running time: Approx. 1 hour, 46 minutes