Oh, God!

"Anybody who could turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, incinerate Sodom and Gomorrah and make it rain for forty days and forty nights has got to be a fun guy."

1977 1h 38m EN

😐

6.4

MID

🍅

72%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 142🍅72%Rotten Tomatoes●56Metacritic★6.6IMDB · 11,569

FantasyComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When God appears to an assistant grocery manager as a good natured old man, the Almighty selects him as his messenger for the modern world.

“Anybody who could turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, incinerate Sodom and Gomorrah and make it rain for forty days and forty nights has got to be a fun guy.”

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Cast

John Denver
Jerry Landers
George Burns
God
Teri Garr
Bobbie Landers
Donald Pleasence
Doctor Harmon
Ralph Bellamy
Sam Raven
William Daniels
George Summers
Barnard Hughes
Judge Baker
Paul Sorvino
Reverend Willie Williams

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Carl Reiner
Writers: Larry Gelbart
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Oh, God! Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Carl Reiner, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Elliott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bud Molin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

John Denver and George Burns and Teri Garr carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Anybody who could turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, incinerate Sodom and Gomorrah and make it rain for forty days and forty nights has got to be a fun guy.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0076489 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Carl Reiner directs. Victor J. Kemper behind the camera. Jack Elliott scores. Bud Molin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

149 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "Oh, God! Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Carl Reiner, shot by Victor J. Kemper. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jack Elliott. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bud Molin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6John Denver and George Burns and Teri Garr carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Anybody who could turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt, incinerate Sodom and Gomorrah and make it rain for forty days and forty nights has got to be a fun guy.".
8IMDB entry: tt0076489 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper
Original score: Jack Elliott
Editing: Bud Molin
Makeup / hair: Ruby Ford
Sound: Wayne Artman
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $41,687,243
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Oh, God! (1977)
Rotten Tomatoes: 72% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 56/100
IMDB rating: 6.6/10 · 11,569 votes
MPAA: PG

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 3 nominations total

Part of

Oh, God! Collection

Oh, God! is a 1977 comedy film starring George Burns and John Denver. Based on a novel by Avery Corman, the film was directed by Carl Reiner from a screenplay written by Larry Gelbart. The story centers on unassuming supermarket manager Jerry Landers (Denver), chosen by God (Burns) to spread his message despite the skepticism of the media, religious authorities, and Landers' own wife (Teri Garr). The film inspired two sequels, Oh, God! Book II (1980) and Oh, God! You Devil (1984), both of which featured Burns reprising his role, but with no other recurring characters from the original story.

Also by

Carl Reiner

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

JPV8522021-09-10
★ 7/10
Simple but sweet little theological comedy. The material and tone seemed to be something out of the 1960s than the mid 70s. George Burns was good and even John Denver was fine in the lead. Not sure I have a huge desire to re-watch, however. 3.25/5
Wuchak2024-05-07
★ 7/10
What if the Almighty manifested and gave you an assignment? God appears to a grocery store manager (John Denver) in the guise of an old man (George Burns), offering him the task of spreading the word that He’s there, He cares, and we must work it out on Earth through peace and love as opposed to violence and hate. Teri Garr is on hand as the man’s wife. “Oh, God!” (1977) is a comedy-fantasy that I found laugh-out-loud funny through the first act. It eventually gets more serious, addressing religious sects and hypocrisy, while remaining amusing. Being a lighthearted movie for the masses, don’t expect commentary on hardcore or complicated theological issues, like sin, divine judgment and humanity’s need for eternal life, not to mention the consequence of damnation. There might be a quick witty comment on some of these items, but nothing more. If you can accept that, it’s an entertaining fantasy that screams mid-70s in every frame. Besides, the basics ARE true: If the Almighty manifests (one way or another) and gives you a mission, you would be compelled to carry it out and face the negative consequences, like ridicule and loss of your job. Likable Denver is surprisingly good for a musician and the ending is heartwarming. A sequel came out in 1980 with the same sitcomy vibe, but focuses on a little girl and wasn’t as funny, although it’s worth checking out if you liked this one. The third and last installment, “Oh, God! You Devil,” debuted in 1984 and involved a Barry Manilow wannabe morphing into a stud-ly Rick Springfield rock star after making a deal with the devil. It’s reminiscent of “The Rose” if it were a comedy and, in its own way, is just as good as this one. The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot in Burbank and surrounding areas (Long Beach, Los Angeles, Van Nuys and North Hollywood). GRADE: B