Lamp Unto My Feet was an American ecumenical religious program that was produced by CBS Television and broadcast from 1948 to 1979 on Sunday mornings.[1] The title comes from Psalm 119: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

Lamp Unto My Feet
GenreReligious anthology
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkCBS Television
Release21 November 1948 (1948-11-21) –
21 January 1979 (1979-01-21)

Overview

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The program used a combination of drama, music, and dance to explore the histories, cultures and theological philosophies of the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths.[2][3] Most episodes in later seasons followed a reality-based documentary format, featuring various faith-based organizations and figures; a 1969 installment profiled the Lend-A-Hand Center in Knox County, Kentucky, and a 1970 installment featured Elizabeth Platz, the first woman in North America ordained by a Lutheran church body.

In 1979 this program and another long-running CBS religious series, Look Up and Live, were combined to form a new show called For Our Times (April 28, 1979 to 1988), sponsored by the National Council of Churches, New York Board of Rabbis, and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.[4]

The introduction was a simple voice-over, proclaiming "It is better to light one candle, than to curse the darkness," while a candle was being lit in a dark room.

Guest stars

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Notable guest stars included Mahalia Jackson, Kim Hunter, Luther Adler, Edward Mulhare, Arthur Hill, Eydie Gorme, The Ink Spots, and Aline MacMahon.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "George Crothers, 89, Television Producer". The New York Times. December 7, 1998. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  2. ^ "Lamp unto my feet - 1949-12-25 - The Christmas story". Moving Image Collections, Library of Congress. Retrieved 2009-03-08. [dead link]
  3. ^ Shulman, Arthur; Youman, Roger (1966). How Sweet It Was — Television: A Pictorial Commentary (PDF). New York: Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc., by arrangement with Shorecrest, Inc. p. 487. ISBN 978-0517081358. OCLC 36258864.
  4. ^ TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes and Noble. 2004. p. 377. ISBN 978-0-7607-5634-8.
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