The Detective (1954)
"Father Brown" (original title)

Works of art are disappearing, stolen by a master thief, a master of disguise. Father Brown has two goals: to catch the thief and to save his soul.

Director:

Robert Hamer

Writers:

G.K. Chesterton (stories), Thelma Schnee (adaptation),

Stars:

Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Peter Finch

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Guinness	...	Father Brown
Joan Greenwood	...	Lady Warren
Peter Finch	...	Gustave Flambeau
Cecil Parker	...	The Bishop
Bernard Lee	...	Inspector Valentine
Sid James	...	Bert Parkinson
Gérard Oury	...	Inspector Dubois
Ernest Clark	...	Bishop's Secretary
Aubrey Woods	...	Charlie
John Salew	...	Station Sergeant
Sam Kydd	...	Scotland Yard Sergeant
John Horsley	...	Inspector Wilkins
Jack McNaughton	...	Railway Guard
Hugh Dempster	...	Train Passenger in Bowler
Eugene Deckers	...	French Cavalry Officer

Storyline

Works of art are disappearing, stolen by a master thief, a master of disguise. Father Brown has two goals: to catch the thief and to save his soul.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | remake

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Taglines:

An open and shut case of Guinness! Up to his EARS in chaos...Up to his NECK in laughs

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Detective

Filming Locations:

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Facet Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alec Guinness was spotted in costume when walking home through the French countryside. A young boy ran up to him, yelling "Mon père! Mon père!" ("My father! My father!") Guinness did not speak French, so he could not correct the young boy's mistake, but was touched that the young boy apparently immediately bonded to him on the assumption that he was a priest. Soon after the film was released, Guinness converted to Catholicism.

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Goofs

In the stained-glass window behind the (catholic) bishop, there is a portrait of Henry VIII (second from left). Given that Henry was the first king to oppose the pope and separate the Church of England from the catholic church, his face would never be tolerated in this place.

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Quotes

Father Brown: I've never been in a cell before. Except a monastery cell, of course.

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Connections

Version of Father Brown (1974)

User Reviews

An Underrated Guinness Gem

This is another of the often ignored 'small' Guinness films from the early and mid-50's that rarely get the attention they deserve. While it had a brief revival last fall at Britain's National Film Theatre, it doesn't seem to show up that often in Guinness retrospectives.

A number of elements in this gently comic film that are worthy of notice: Sir AlecÕs performance is deft, subtle and delightfully wry whether he is playing the sleuth or spouting philosophy to the villain Flambeau.

An added treat is a cast that includes Peter Finch, who won an Oscar for Network, Joan Greenwood, who was Lady Balleston in Tom Jones and Bernard Lee who portrayed M in the James Bond series. Guinness, Greenwood and Cecil Parker (The Bishop) also appeared together in the Ealing Studio comedy, The Man in the White Suit.

Another interesting aspect is that a large part of the film was shot on location in Paris and rural France, apparently a rarity for the British films of that era.

Finally a bit of trivia: After his portrayal of Father Brown, Guinness converted to Catholicism