The Detective
(1954)
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The Detective
(1954)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Alec Guinness | ... | ||
| Joan Greenwood | ... |
Lady Warren
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| Peter Finch | ... | ||
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Cecil Parker | ... |
The Bishop
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| Bernard Lee | ... | ||
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Sid James | ... |
Bert Parkinson
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Gérard Oury | ... |
Inspector Dubois
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Ernest Clark | ... |
Bishop's Secretary
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Aubrey Woods | ... |
Charlie
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John Salew | ... |
Station Sergeant
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Sam Kydd | ... |
Scotland Yard Sergeant
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John Horsley | ... |
Inspector Wilkins
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Jack McNaughton | ... |
Railway Guard
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Hugh Dempster | ... |
Train Passenger in Bowler
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Eugene Deckers | ... |
French Cavalry Officer
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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. Written by Cleo <frede005@maroon.tc.umn.edu>
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