Classic Television: "Great Stories - Bible Stories"

Great Stories - Bible Stories [a.k.a. Great Bible Stories, Children's Heroes of The Bible] 

Children's animated series
Syndicated: 1969 - ????
Production:  John Rydgren, (writer); Betty Garth, (executive producer);
Paul Ballentyne, Robert Pastene, Niki Flacks, John Rydgren, John Lewin, Dale Waddell, Donald West, (voices);

Title Card for Great Stories - Bible Stories.

"Great Stories
Bible Stories
Stories that are true
They tell of God and his love for us
And his power too"

This was a series of 65 four and a half minute cartoons underwritten by the American Lutheran Church Department of TV/Radio/Films for $500,000. They were released in cooperation with the Broadcasting and Film Commission of the National Council of Churches. These cartoons were offered to TV stations for free, provided that they air them as part of a weekday series for children.

Title Card of "The Story of Moses"

Moses and his staff.

Moses and the Burning Bush. 

The shows were created by Cameo Productions, a Chicago based producer of TV and educational films that formed in 1962. Production on the series was announced as early as 1965, was promoted for distribution in 1967, but not copyrighted until 1969.

The opening title reads "Great Stories - Bible Stories" (also its copyright title) but in the end credits it is announced as "Great Bible Stories"
.
The timing for a color animated Bible series for children was very good. 1966 was the year that all networks began broadcasting in color, and the late 1960s is still famous for the domination of animation in children's programming. The limited animation is quite good for a 1960s series depicting realistic looking human characters and difficult visuals like massive armies, crowds, and the parting of the Red Sea. The voice work is also good and provided by seasoned actors. I found myself enjoy "The Story of Moses", "The Story of Jesus" and "Story of The Apostles" as told in multiple short episodes.

End credits logo for Cameo Productions, Inc., Chicago Ill.

The episodes were written by John Rydgren (1932 - 1988), the president of the ALC from 1962 to 1968, more famous for his unconventional Lutheran radio programs.

This series continues to entertain and teach after more than 40 years. Many episodes of Great Bible Stories were released on VHS in the 1980's and 1990's & more recently on streaming media and DVD under the title "Children's Heroes of The Bible". The DVD was given a "Faith Friendly All Ages" rating by the Dove Foundation. 

Sources & Citations
Information in this post is cited from various issues of Broadcasting magazine, the New York Times, other media magazines and the Catalog of Copyright Entries. Contact the author or leave a comment for a complete bibliography. 

Classic Radio: More About "Bible Story For The Children", KDKA with Rev. William A. Logan

In a continuation of my post on Rev. William Logan here is the original text from KDKA's news publication that revealed the identity of the beloved story teller of the Bible Story For The Children  [a.k.a. Children's Bible Story, Children's Bible Stories] program.

Radio Broadcasting News, July 22, 1922, Vol. 2, No. 8. Page 1.

Old Stories in a New Way

We older folks read a story, are amused, and pass on to something else. But to the child the story becomes more than amusement. It grips his imagination and becomes for the time a part of his life. No matter how fantastic may be the situation portrayed, it becomes as real to the child as the home in which he lives. Impossible as the feats of the hero may seem to the older minds, the circumstances of childhood make them perfectly reasonable. Thus in the child's life, the story plays a necessary and important part. 

Some months ago the manager of station KDKA received a letter from one of the ministers who had conducted Radio Chapel. He suggested a series of "Bible Stories for Children" to be given each Sunday just before the Chapel Services. He offered to write the stories and read them to the children, but specifically requested that his identity should remain a secret. 

The stories were started and have been given each Sunday ever since. The children are among the most enthusiastic of radio listeners. Thousands of them heard these stories and expressions of their appreciation began to pour into KDKA. Parents listened and added to those of the children their requests for the name of the man who was interesting the children so keenly in the great heroes who are portrayed in Biblical history. So insistent have been these inquiries that at last the author of these "Children's Bible Stories" has consented to let the Radio Broadcasting News reveal his identity. What is even better we are showing the photo- graph of this popular minister on our front cover this week.  

Cover of Radio Broadcasting News, July 22, 1922, Vol. 2 No. 8.
From AmericanRadioHistory.com 

This friend of the children is the Reverend Wm. Logan, pastor of the Alpha Lutheran Church of Turtle Creek, Pa. We think the secret of his keen insight into the minds of the children, his kindred spirit with the girls and boys, and his extreme popularity, is explained by the audience shown in the picture, which may be reached without the use of radio, for it is daily with him in his home. And familiarity does not lessen the greatness of this story teller for Margaret, Donald, Bill, and Jean will tell you that "Daddy tells us the grandest stories." Thousands of boys and girls all over the country are thankful that the Logan "Kiddies" are willing to share one of their Daddy's stories each Sunday afternoon.