 Films Available Commercially & At Some Public Libraries These films have characters that are Quakers and are suitable for watching by folks of all ages. The links for individual movies refer to the Internet Movie Database where you can learn more about each film. All are available for purchase online at various outlets. Titles with *** are likely to be available in stores and libraries as well. Can you think of others? Have your teacher email us suggestions.
Clara Bow plays a supporting part as the tomboy granddaughter of a Quaker whaling magnate. The story is a your basic romantic melodrama with scheming villains and star crossed young lovers. This film is 90 minutes long and is well known for it's authentic depiction of 19th-century whaling. One of the villains is portrayed in a racist manner and there is also a question of whether Quaker families ever forced their daughters into arranged marriages even in the early 1800's. This is good to watch if it is approached with a "look how things have changed" discussion. This British film is the tale of William Penn and his journey from English aristocracy to his founding of the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. The film includes his famous trial, which established the English right of trial by jury. Deborah Kerr appears in one of her earlier roles. John Wayne plays an outlaw who is sought after by Prudence Worth (palyed by Gail Russell) a Quaker girl. He falls in love with her and eventually becomes a member of her community, giving up his evil ways. Considered THE classic western, Gary Cooper plays a retiring lawman about to leave town with his new bride- a Quaker - played by Grace Kelly. Cooper tries to give up the gun and get the town's people to be their own police, but in the end violence prevails. Jessamyn West's classic story of a family of Quakers in Indiana as the Civil War breaks out. They and their neighbors struggle to maintain their faith and way of life in the face of war's turmoil. Ironically, a copy of this film was given by President Ronald Reagan to Russia's President, as a symbol of our peace loving nature. Alex Haley's seminal work on the African American experience includes Quaker abolitionist characters. This is a television series starring Kellie Martin as a young idealistic teacher who goes to rural Appalachia to teach the poor residents and ends up learning about life herself. She gets special help from Quaker Alice Henderson played by Tyne Daly. Films & Videos Available From PYM The Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Library has many videos including the following lists that might be good for young people to watch:
18th Century Quaker 20th Century Quakers Alice Paul Brother Outsider: The Life Of Bayard Rustin Colonial Life For Children: Wm. Penn Fox Among The Fells Friend-Ship Kits: Making A Difference George Fox And The Quakers John Woolman Quaker Lucretia Mott Out Of Hitler's Reach Quaker Women Of Medicine The Quakers: William Penn: A Living Legacy Rebecca Lukens: America's First Industrialist Rebel Hearts Rufus Jones : A Luminous Life (Include Reference To The Study Guide) The Story Of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony Visionaries: AFSC Whittier: A Portrait William Penn World Of Edward Hicks |