God Bless the Child Production Details

Production order:
26

Airing order in the USA:
27

Original air date:
December 9, 1988

Writers:
Alex Gansa & Howard Gordon

Director:
Gus Trikonis

Director of Photography:
Stevan Larner A.S.C.

Production Designer:
John Mansbridge

Editor:
Craig Ridenour

Music:
Don Davis - main theme by Lee Holdridge
 

Cast:

* A Waitress (Lisa Loving) is credited in the closing titles, but does not appear in the episode

Literary references:

Vincent and Father argue about names for Lena's child, mentioning four female names from Shakespeare plays:
Rosalind - As You Like it
Imogen - Cymbeline
Juliet - Romeo and Juliet
Maria - Twelfth Night and Loves Labour Lost

Vincent lends Lena a book by Lord Byron (1788-1824): she refers to it mentioning that she's liking "especially the letters". (In an earlier script Vincent quotes a poem from Byron's "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage")

The title - "God Bless the Child"
The episode has an overall Christmas flavor, recalling Vincent found as a newborn "wrapped in rags".

It's also the title of a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. in 1939, as well as of a 1988 movie dedicated to "13 million children living in poverty in the USA today" (starring, among others, Dorian Harewood, Jason Walker from Terrible Savior)

Musical references:

Several Christmas music/songs are spread along the episode:
Jingle Bells
The First Noel
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - sung by the tunnel children directed by Father.

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Supervising Producer:Stephen Kurzfeld
Producer: George R.R. Martin
Produced by: Kenneth R. Koch

Co-Producers: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon
Created by: Ron Koslow

Executive Producers: Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, Ron Koslow
Associate Producer: Anthony Mazzei
Coordinating Producer: David F. Schwartz
 

Unit Production Manager: Tony Brown
1st Assistant Director: John Hickridge
2nd Assistant Director: Gavriela Vazquez
Art Director: Joseph Hubbard
Set Decorator: Peg Cummings
Property Master: Allan J. Gordon
Literary Consultant: Patricia Livingston
Main Titles: Robert Farina, Chris Arnold
Script Supervisor: Patience Thoreson
Beast Make-up: Margaret Beserra
Make-up Artist; Fred Blau Jr.
Hair Stylist: Josephine McCarthy
Costumers: Mary Taylor, Ron Hodge
Sound Mixers: Pat Mitchell, Rick Ash
Sound Editing: David Hankins
Music Editor: Carl Swartz
Stunt Coordinator: John C. Meier
Special Effects Coordinator: Gary Bentley
Costume Designer: Judy Evans
Casting by Joyce Robinson C.S.A. & Penny Ellers C.S.A.
Beast designed & created by: Rick Baker
Matte Painting & Special Visual Effects: Illusion Arts

Lenses and Panaflex ® Camera by Panavision ®
The persons and events in this program are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons or events is unintentional.
Copyright © MCMLXXXVIII By Republic Pictures Corporation
All Rights Reserved
This program is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution, or exhibition may result in civil liabilities and criminal prosecution.
In association with Ron Koslow Films
A Witt-Thomas Production
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