Ted Baehr ’69

On promoting Christian values in Hollywood

"With a class of 1929 father who was a cowboystar in Hollywood, I grewup in that milieu. Dartmouth became a place where I could be inspired and encouraged and also keep my wits about me as someone coming from the entertainment business."

"I recall that when [language professor] JohnRassias assigned a paperI told him I'd rather write play, then somehow I convinced him that it shouldbe performed at severalwomen's colleges. I think John discovered that everyone playing a role got more excited about French."

"When I talk with film producers I ask them what their philosophy of art is and usually get blank stares. Because I was a comparative literature major I can wax eloquent on roes and Maimonides. It's fun to be able to say to producers, 'There's a whole history behind what you're doing. If you're pushing the envelope you're in the Aristotelian tradition. If you're reflecting the ideal, you're in the Platonic tradition.' "

"I would not want to go into detail about my life prior to my conversion. Growing up backstage at a Broadway theater meant growing up without moral boundaries."

"I funded five sleazy feature films. Then one day I was reading the Scripture and I asked myself, 'How can I fund these kinds of films when I have children?' Who's going to explain it to them?"

"It's always the convert who is the most zealous. I came to Christ at 27. As a child I was a neopagan. At NYU Law School I moved toward atheism and environmentalism. If I hadn't converted I probably would've worked for a law firm and I would have had a totally different lifestyle."

"There are more people of faith and values in the film industry now than 22 years ago when I started Movieguide. Now, there are movies like The Passion of the Christ, NativityStory, Amazing Grace and Bridge to Terabithia. The better is getting better, the worst is probably getting much worse; it's a biblical principle that the wheat and chaff grow up together."

"When it comes to critiquing culture and the entertainmentindustry I draw on the three principles I learned at NYU lawschool. We have the law, we have the facts and we have the ability to impeach credibility. The biblical principle commands us to expose the fruitless works of darkness.'"

"Biographical criticism of people is very weak. With his wonderful scene of Jesus coming to one of the men buried under the World Trade Center and keeping him alive in World TradeCenter, Oliver Stone was more brave than the Christian who made The Path to 9/11 and never mentioned Christ once."

"In the United States the National Association of Theater Owners said recently that 83 percent of the seats in their theaters are empty on the average. That compares to churches, where 80 percent of the church seats are filled."

"The value of publishing box office data for offensive movies is freeing children and adults from the myth that everybody is watching them."

"The Church itself is a very broad, eclectic group. In many ways, it's easier making your case to the Hollywood entertainment industry leaders who are concerned about making a profit than it is to make the case to the breadth and depth of the Church."

"We're going forward. Now there are 2 billion Christians on the planet. Christians believe in a linear view of history, but I didn't before I came to Christ. I believed in the cyclical view of history. The good news is that we're living in the kingdom and the kingdom is expanding. We may have to suffer trials and tribulations, but we're on the side of the angels."

CAREER: Chairman, Good News Communications; publisher of Movieguide and www.movieguide.com, "a ministry dedicated to redeeming the values of the mass media according to biblical principles, by influencing entertainment industry executives and helping families make wise media choices," 1978 to present NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS: Many awards, including five "Angels" from Excellence in Media, a group dedicated to family programming; recent books include TheAmazing Grace of Freedom (2007), TheCulture-wise Family (2007), So YouWant To Be In Pictures (2006) FAMILY: Lives in Camarillo, California, with wife Liliana; lather of Pierce, James '05, Robert, Evelyn; son of the late I.E. Theodore Baehr '29 EDUCATION: A.B., comparative literature; J.D., New York University Law School, 1972; advanced studies at the Institute of Theology, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York City, 1977 to 1980