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20th Century Fox presents The Keys Of The Kingdom. Written by Joseph L Mankiewicz and Nunnally Johnson. Based on the Novel by A.J. Cronin. Running Time: 137 minutes. Not Rated. Originally released in 1944.
Director:
John M. Stahl
Cast:
Gregory Peck………Father Francis Chisholm
Thomas Mitchell………Willie Tulloch
Vincent Price………Angus Mealey
Rose Stradner………Reverend Mother Maria-Veronica
Roddy McDowall………Francis Chisholm, as a boy
Benson Fong……….Joseph
The Movie:
Nearly 20 years before Gregory Peck won the academy award for To Kill A Mockingbird he was nominated for his roll in this film as Father Francis Chisholm. Gregory Peck is always a presence to be reckoned with on screen even in this, his second film. It’s a shock that he received four best acting nominations before finally winning one.
This is the story of a young Scottish man’s life, as he becomes a Father of the church. It starts with him as an old man and someone starts reading his diary, and on cue a flashback starts.
The drama in this film starts high. In a flashback to Francis’s childhood we see his father get beaten by the local townsfolk for being a Catholic then Francis watches in horror as the over flowing river steals both his parents away from him. A couple years later after he’s been away at missionary school the woman he loved gets sick and dies. Poor Francis just can’t get a break, it seems.
After this loss he’s give a huge opportunity: Go to China to rebuild an abandoned Mission. And boy does he have his work cut out for him. When he arrives in China the mission is completely torn down and none of the 400 members of the congregation that he was told would be waiting for him are. He gets fruit, vegetables, and other things thrown at him by the villagers.
Things start to turn around when a Chinese Christian, Joseph, comes to help Francis. Joseph, who is played wonderfully by Benson Fong, brings a humor and lightness to the story. While the entrance of Reverend Mother Maria Veronica adds a little more tension as she doesn’t get a long well with Francis.
The film has a very dramatic climatic ending that would be done a disservice for me to tell you exactly what happens. I will, however, tell you that the small roll played by a young Vincent Price is fantastic. Price really is a great actor and it’s awesome to see two greats like Price and Peck go head to head, if only for a few minutes.
For a film made in the 40’s it’s refreshing to see that the Chinese are not portrayed as stereotypes as one might expect. It’s a good film but on a personal level I find it hard to agree with. I don’t see why the Catholics feel they need to go into other countries with attempts to change their faith. I understand why they do it, but I don’t agree with it. At the same time though, with the character Willie Tulloch, played wonderfully by Thomas Mitchell, we get to see another side of the argument. Willie is a doctor who does not believe in god. Also, Francis won’t let just anyone join his congregation, only those who truly believe in god. This film succeeds in presenting many different opinions. It shows the greater side of the human spirit and the human condition.
STORY: 7/10
ACTING: 9/10
LOOK/FEEL: 7/10
ORIGINALTY: 8/10
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 7/10
FINAL SCORE: 7.5/10
Francis gets a cut on his face after having stuff throw at him.
The DVD:
The Video:
This film is full screen, 1.33:1. The restoration on this film is really good but there are still a few nicks and scratches on the print, but not so much that it detracts from the viewers enjoyment of the film.
The Audio:
This film is presented in English Mono (as well as Spanish & French Mono). The sound here is crisp and clean. These old films had such dramatic scores and this one comes through perfectly. However, during the last half hour of the film the audio gets really wobbly.
Extras:
Commentary by Biographer Kenneth Geist and Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s Son, Chris Mankiewicz.: First a little correction. Joseph L. Mankiewicz was the producer and one of the screenwriters, NOT the director. Whoever let the disc go out with the major error should totally be fired! A typical commentary not too interesting. A few interesting insights, nothing to write home about.
Still Photo Gallery
Trailer
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