278:
Several flashbacks occur to times in Patty's life before the
Rapture. The story begins with Patty and her two friends, who all have different destinies. Her friend Jenny considers Jesus Christ her Savior; her other friend Diane is more worldly-minded. Patty considers herself a Christian because she
291:
Patty awakens and realizes it has all been a dream. She is relieved, but her relief is short-lived when the radio announces that millions of people have in fact disappeared. Horrified, Patty frantically searches for her husband only to find he is missing too. Patty realizes that the
Rapture has
287:
Patty is conflicted: she refuses to trust Christ, yet she also refuses to take the Mark. She desperately tries to avoid UNITE and the Mark but is eventually captured. She escapes, but after a chase she is cornered by UNITE on a bridge and falls from the bridge to her death.
283:
if she does not put her faith in Christ. Meanwhile, her husband has been attending another church and has accepted Jesus. The next morning, Patty awakens to find that her husband and millions of others have suddenly disappeared.
279:
occasionally reads her Bible and goes to church regularly; however, her pastor is shown to be an unbeliever. She refuses to believe the warnings of her friends and family that she will go through the
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as a source of childhood terror." This is partly due to depictions in the film of characters who believe themselves to be saved but are not, and are instead left behind.
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earned an estimated $ 4.2 million during its first decade of release, the majority of which came from audience donations. It was "one of the first films to take on
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770:
229:, the plot is set during the near future, focusing on a young woman who, after being left behind, struggles to decide what to do in the face of the Tribulation.
1259:
263:, Patty Myers awakens to a radio broadcast announcing the disappearance of millions around the world. The radio announcer suggests that this might be the
271:
sets up an emergency government system called the United
Nations Imperium of Total Emergency (UNITE) and declares that anyone who does not receive the
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In the film, everyone must receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or right hand in order to buy or sell. Producers used three rows of a
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It has been described as traumatic for children, who comprised a significant percentage of its original audience, and criticized for using
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to a genre then-dominated by family-friendly evangelicalism. Balmer has stated that, "It is only a slight exaggeration to say that
215:. The film stars Patty Dunning, with Thom Rachford, Colleen Niday and Mike Niday in supporting roles. The first installment in the
422:
1224:
1234:
845:
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556:, but virtually every evangelical over thirty I've talked to is familiar with it, and most have seen it... I have found that
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to produce religious conversions. According to
Hendershot, "Evangelicals who grew up in the 1970s or early 1980s often cite
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wrote that producer
Doughten estimated that 100 million people had seen the film. More recently, Dean Anderson writing for
408:
1269:
678:
758:
1249:
886:
804:
592:, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready", "There's no time to change your mind, the Son has come and you've been left behind."
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is the only evangelical film that viewers cite directly and repeatedly as provoking a conversion experience."
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in 1958, and had produced other films in Iowa through his production company
Heartland Productions.
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professor of film and media
Heather Hendershot says, "Today, many teen evangelicals have not seen
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493:, is performed in the film by The Fishmarket Combo. The song went on to become the anthem of the
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450:. Thompson had been working in radio, and Doughten had worked with Good News Productions on
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affected the evangelical film industry the way that sound or color affected
Hollywood."
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202:
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The film has been translated into three languages and subtitled in others. In 1989,
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Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey Into the
Evangelical Subculture in America
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spoken of in the Bible. Patty finds that her husband has also disappeared. The
250:(1983). An additional three follow-ups were planned but ultimately unproduced.
1102:
451:
391:
1073:
968:
Regional Horror Films, 1958-1990: A State-by-State Guide with
Interviews
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Shaking the World for Jesus, Media and Conservative Evangelical Culture
264:
222:
233:
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took place entirely on location in Iowa, with scenes being shot in
841:
Superchurch: The Rhetoric and Politics of American Fundamentalism
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418:
six ("0110") to represent the number 666, an interpretation of
549:
1097:
1041:"Iowa's "A Thief in the Night": Not Just a Horror Flick"
404:, "the film brings to life the dispensational view of
529:says it has been seen by an estimated 300 million.
211:written by Jim Grant, and directed and produced by
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513:apocalyptic narratives within a fictional motif."
660:, archived from the original on February 26, 2014
292:actually occurred and she has been left behind.
588:echoes the refrain of Norman's theme song for
275:identifying them with UNITE will be arrested.
1118:
698:, Light & Life Publishing, archived from
695:The Rapture: Why the Orthodox Don't Preach It
8:
792:
790:
788:
574:A quarter century later, the authors of the
692:Coniaris, Anthony M. (September 12, 2005),
657:"Raptured or Not? A Catholic Understanding"
382:evangelicals, but is generally rejected by
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580:franchise have acknowledged their debt to
27:
18:
833:
831:
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1006:Knepper, Marty; Lawrence, John (2014).
723:Is the Pretribulation Rapture Biblical?
646:
1285:English-language science fiction films
752:
750:
748:
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744:
670:
1245:Films produced by Russell S. Doughten
7:
1260:Films directed by Donald W. Thompson
361:so cometh as a thief in the night."
773:from the original on April 16, 2012
757:Anderson, Dean A. (March 7, 2012).
654:Guinan, Michael D. (October 2005),
446:formed Mark IV Pictures to produce
636:A Thief in the Night (film series)
310:Maryann Rachford as Diane Bradford
14:
726:, Reformed Online, archived from
337:Betty D. Jackson as Wedding Guest
1240:Films based on the New Testament
398:. According to Dean Anderson of
328:Gareld L Jackson as UNITE Leader
325:Clarence Balmer as Pastor Balmer
1265:American post-apocalyptic films
846:Michigan State University Press
505:Produced on a $ 68,000 budget,
438:In 1972, Iowa-based filmmakers
346:The film's title is taken from
334:Herb Brown, Jr as UNITE Officer
313:Thom Rachford as Jerry Bradford
882:Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism
489:, composed by singer/musician
378:and the rapture popular among
1:
1280:English-language horror films
838:Edwards, Jonathan J. (2015).
367:presents a pre-tribulational
1255:1970s English-language films
1085:Film review by G. Noel Gross
797:Hendershot, Heather (2010).
759:"The original "Left Behind""
301:Patty Dunning as Patty Myers
887:Westminster John Knox Press
805:University of Chicago Press
331:Herb Brown as UNITE Officer
1301:
1275:1973 science fiction films
1230:Films about evangelicalism
633:
532:A pioneer in the genre of
487:I Wish We'd All Been Ready
1179:
1143:
677:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
584:. Indeed, even the title
33:Theatrical release poster
26:
965:Albright, Brian (2012).
357:warns his readers that "
304:Mike Niday as Jim Wright
146:March 22, 1973
1225:Films about the rapture
1080:Internet Movie Database
973:McFarland & Company
935:Oxford University Press
485:The film's title track
103:John P. Leiendecker Jr.
89:Russell S. Doughten Jr.
1235:Films about nightmares
1009:The Book of Iowa Films
720:Schwertley, Brian M.,
322:as Rev. Matthew Turner
307:Colleen Niday as Jenny
763:christianitytoday.com
463:Principal photography
376:Christian eschatology
316:Duane Coller as Duane
265:rapture of the Church
1270:1970s American films
1149:A Thief in the Night
1135:A Thief in the Night
1075:A Thief in the Night
590:A Thief in the Night
558:A Thief in the Night
554:A Thief in the Night
546:A Thief in the Night
507:A Thief in the Night
448:A Thief in the Night
365:A Thief in the Night
198:A Thief in the Night
22:A Thief in the Night
1169:The Prodigal Planet
1051:. December 13, 2012
1045:iowapublicradio.org
702:on November 9, 2012
623:The Prodigal Planet
536:, the film brought
396:Reformed Christians
388:Orthodox Christians
359:the day of the Lord
247:The Prodigal Planet
201:is a 1973 American
1250:Films shot in Iowa
1189:Donald W. Thompson
1162:Image of the Beast
1090:2005-04-29 at the
885:. Louisville, KY:
767:Christianity Today
612:Image of the Beast
527:Christianity Today
444:Donald W. Thompson
401:Christianity Today
374:interpretation of
242:Image of the Beast
218:Thief in the Night
213:Donald W. Thompson
60:Donald W. Thompson
43:Donald W. Thompson
1220:1973 horror films
1197:
1196:
1156:A Distant Thunder
1094:, January 3, 2002
1049:Iowa Public Radio
1019:978-0-9904289-1-6
982:978-0-7864-7227-7
944:978-0-19-936046-8
855:978-1-62895-170-7
814:978-0-226-32679-5
730:on March 11, 2013
602:A Distant Thunder
281:Great Tribulation
273:mark of the beast
238:A Distant Thunder
221:series about the
194:
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1184:Russell Doughten
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1120:
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1098:Official website
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320:Russell Doughten
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133:Mark IV Pictures
124:Mark IV Pictures
80:Maryann Rachford
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71:Patty Dunning
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900:. Retrieved
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859:. Retrieved
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818:. Retrieved
799:
775:. Retrieved
762:
732:, retrieved
728:the original
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704:, retrieved
700:the original
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662:, retrieved
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475:Red Rock dam
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244:(1981), and
241:
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162:Running time
139:Release date
86:Duane Coller
1055:February 8,
1025:February 8,
988:February 8,
950:February 8,
902:February 8,
861:February 8,
820:February 8,
777:February 8,
734:February 8,
706:February 8,
664:February 8,
586:Left Behind
577:Left Behind
353:, in which
227:Tribulation
209:horror film
203:evangelical
57:Produced by
39:Directed by
1215:1972 films
1210:1973 films
1204:Categories
641:References
634:See also:
538:rock music
434:Background
429:Production
420:Revelation
166:69 minutes
150:1973-03-22
117:Production
74:Mike Niday
49:Written by
501:Reception
473:, and at
392:Lutherans
206:Christian
108:Edited by
52:Jim Grant
16:1972 film
1088:Archived
927:(2014).
879:(2002).
771:Archived
673:citation
467:Carlisle
452:The Blob
423:13:11-18
409:24:36-44
372:futurist
240:(1978),
225:and the
190:$ 68,000
179:Language
65:Starring
1078:at the
596:Sequels
458:Filming
406:Matthew
234:sequels
223:Rapture
182:English
171:Country
148: (
119:company
1172:(1983)
1164:(1981)
1158:(1978)
1152:(1972)
1137:series
1016:
979:
941:
893:
852:
811:
542:horror
517:Legacy
469:, the
394:, and
342:Themes
232:Three
187:Budget
582:Thief
569:Thief
481:Music
1057:2021
1027:2021
1014:ISBN
990:2021
977:ISBN
952:2021
939:ISBN
904:2021
891:ISBN
863:2021
850:ISBN
822:2021
809:ISBN
779:2021
736:2021
708:2021
679:link
666:2021
628:1983
616:1981
606:1978
442:and
380:U.S.
355:Paul
296:Cast
254:Plot
550:MIT
411:."
351:5:2
1206::
1047:.
1043:.
1012:.
998:^
971:.
937:.
933:.
912:^
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671:{{
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
