The Gospel Blimp

It is too bad that this film is forgotten. It was possibly the best Christian film that I ever saw. Kind of bizarre storyline with a group of Christians wanting to spread the Gospel so for some reason they buy a blimp to spread the Word. They upset the whole Mayberry type town as their radio signals messes up peoples TV reception and the Gospel tracts that they throw out of the blimp covers freshly raked lawns. Kind of funny to see angry townspeople shaking their fist at the Blimp. Then things get really weird. The guy who pilots the Blimp starts dressing up in some Commodore outfit for some reason and starts on a delusion of grandeur trip. I had a friend once who thought that this film should be turned into a Christian "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with people in the pews dressing up as their favorite characters and reacting to lines in the film. It would have been fun. This is a very hard movie to get ahold of.

This is a very funny film. The book is a lot funnier, but... Try to find a copy of either, it's difficult. For anyone, they should find it rather amusing. For Christians of the evangelical camp, they should find it both humorous and thought-provokingly challenging.

Basically, a guy becomes "saved" at a revival meeting during a difficult time in his life. He becomes better and better at evangelizing for his faith, to the point where his ego begins to consume and embolden him. He gradually moves to doing massive, grandiose attempts to evangelize others-- especially his irritating "unsaved" next-door neighbor-- including hiring a blimp to flash signs of salvation over the city, and especially over the house of his "unsaved" neighbor. But he can't even go over and meet the man, face to face.

The movie's conclusion (as with the book) finds him discovering that offering salvation and acts of faith and charity are sometimes closer to home, and more personal.

This is my all time favorite Christian film. It shows a great message about how to reach others for Christ, and does it well in a short amount of time. It is not easy to find, but I would recommend it. Also, many senior adults will enjoy this as it was produced in the 1960's and they will relate to some of the visuals. It also shows how Christians can sometimes go to extremes to share their message, while missing the mark and the easy way! I have shown this in numerous churches, and it is always a hit. The name alone should tell you it is going to be fun. Children through adults will enjoy this movie...it has a story easy enough to be understood by all, and it has lots of laughs along the way.