Billy Sunday Documentary to be Filmed
Posted by Terry White on December 27, 2006
From today’s Warsaw (IN) Times-Union:
BY JENNIFER PERYAM, Times-Union Staff Writer
WINONA LAKE – The Billy Sunday Historic Museum is working with an Elkhart-based video production company to produce a documentary film about Billy Sunday.
Sunday was a professional baseball player during the 1800s who converted to Christianity in the 1880s. He became an evangelist and spoke to more than 100 million people, according to Bill Firstenberger, museum curator.
Sunday moved to Winona Lake in 1910 and died in 1935. The home where he lived is now the Billy Sunday Museum.
Firstenberger is partnering with Jeremy Pinckert, writer and producer for Explore Media, who will assist in shooting and producing a film based on the life of Sunday.
Firstenberger wrote a book titled “In Rare Form: A Pictorial History of the Baseball Evangelist Billy Sunday” that was published in October 2005.
The book is a pictorial biography with artifacts and images of the life of Sunday that was published by University of Iowa Press. It is available for purchase at the Billy Sunday Museum.
Firstenberger said since the book was written, the museum has been working with production companies to produce a documentary film.
He said the video will be a one-hour production targeted at both secular and Christian audiences.
The film will be shot in Winona Lake with footage of the town and museum as well as interviews with people who live in the town.
Firstenberger said other possibilities where the film also could be shot include Ames, Iowa, where Sunday was born, Billy Sunday tabernacles where Sunday preached, and possibly could include interviews with Billy Sunday scholars and authors across the country.
Pledges have been attained from television stations to air the production from several regional PBS affiliates including WNIT (Elkhart-South Bend), WFWA (Fort Wayne) and WIPB (Muncie).
Firstenberger said several other regional stations are considering airing the documentary.
He said getting commitments from these regional stations will help the museum reach its goal of airing the program nationally on PBS, The History Channel, A&E, Biography, TBN or Angel Network.
He said the budget for the project is $154,000.
Firstenberger said the museum is opening up a private pledge drive to the public to support the film project.
The museum has sent a letter out to museum volunteers and visitors requesting people make pledges to fund the project.
Firstenberger is requesting people not send money at this point, but make pledges that will be used as private sector cash contributions in his grant application.
People have the opportunity to make pledges of any amount they wish to contribute toward the project.
A Sunday scholar from New Jersey who collects Sunday post cards and photographs has already pledged $4,000 to use as money to get the production started.
To be included in the public pledge drive, people may submit their pledge by Jan. 15 to the museum at 1101 Park Avenue, Winona Lake; call 574-268-0600; or e-mail billysundaymuseum@juno.com
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