A Man Called Peter (1955)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Henry Koster

Writers:

Eleanore Griffin (writer)
Catherine Marshall (book)

Release Date:

April 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Family

Plot:

Based on the true story of a young Scottish lad, Peter Marshall, who dreams of only going to sea but...

Plot Keywords:

Washington D.C. | Minister | Senate | Scotland | Chaplain

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Richard Todd	...	The Rev. Peter Marshall
Jean Peters	...	Catherine Wood Marshall
Marjorie Rambeau	...	Miss Laura Fowler
Jill Esmond	...	Mrs. Findlay
Les Tremayne	...	Senator Willis K. Harvey
Robert Burton	...	Mr. Peyton
Gladys Hurlbut	...	Mrs. Peyton
Richard Garrick	...	Colonel Evanston Whiting
Gloria Gordon	...	Barbara
Billy Chapin	...	Peter John Marshall

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Average Shot Length (ASL) = 17 seconds

Quotes:

The Rev. Peter Marshall: Catherine, I'm afraid you'll have to ask the blessing. The Lord knows I'm not grateful for turkey hash and I can't fool him.

Soundtrack:

A Man Called Peter

Why isn't this movie on DVD?

You'd think 20th Century Fox would have better sense. In a time when Mel Gibson racks up $400 million for a Christian movie in Aramaic, this good film about a minister that they already own would be out on DVD in a double-disc set. The sermon scenes ("full of heart and fire" to quote a contemporary review) wouldn't offend Jon Stewart. Richard Todd earned an Oscar nomination for his warm portrayal of a beloved minister in Washington, DC. The VHS has been available for a long time, but this one really is too good to bury...

Peter Marshall was the Pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church during the forties. His sermons were so popular that they had to install loudspeakers to send them to the crowds waiting outside. He was chaplain of the US Senate. Marshall's rolling Scots burr and warm "friendship with God" are still appealing. His wife Catherine wrote the book on which the film is based, and several other books besides. Jean Peters gives an engaging performance as Catherine, making the film less a religious tract and more a portrait of a family you wish to know. It's a joy to spend time with these people. They are better ambassadors for Christianity than many you may have seen lately.

If there was someone at Fox with a marketing sense, they'd re-release this one with great fanfare - the timing couldn't be better.