The Cardinal (1963)

A young Catholic priest from Boston confronts bigotry, Naziism, and his own personal conflicts as he rises to the office of cardinal.

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Robert Dozier (screenplay), Henry Morton Robinson (novel)

Stars:

Tom Tryon, John Huston, Romy Schneider

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Tryon	...	Stephen Fermoyle
Carol Lynley	...	Mona / Regina Fermoyle
Dorothy Gish	...	Celia
Maggie McNamara	...	Florrie
Bill Hayes	...	Frank
Cameron Prud'Homme	...	Din
Cecil Kellaway	...	Monsignor Monaghan
Loring Smith	...	Cornelius J. Deegan
John Saxon	...	Benny Rampell
James Hickman	...	Father Lyons
Berenice Gahm	...	Mrs. Rampell
John Huston	...	Glennon
Jose Duvall	...	Ramon Gongaro (as Jose Duval)
Peter MacLean	...	Father Callahan
Robert Morse	...	Bobby (as Robert {Morse} and His Adora-Belles)

Storyline

Stephen Fermoyle has grown up in Boston at the turn of the twentieth century knowing that his destiny lies with the Catholic priesthood. Finally finishing his studies in Rome, he returns to America full of certitude and ambition to one day join the College of Cardinals. But his road to that office is a long one, paved with crises. In Boston, he must decide whether to save the life of his sister or her unborn child, conceived out of wedlock. In Austria, he confronts the question of whether to remain with the priesthood or abandon his oath so that he can be with the woman he loves. In Georgia, he contends with Rome's indifference in the face of racial bigotry. And in Austria, he finds himself personally involved in the church's dealings with the Third Reich.

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Plot Keywords:

priesthood | catholic priest | priest | epic | woman in labor | 

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Taglines:

A motion picture that spans two decades of conflict and drama as it tells the story of a young American and his rise to prince of the church.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Latin

Release Date:

12 December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

El cardenal

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Otto Preminger Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

175 min

Sound Mix:

6-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the movie is fiction, parts of the story were based on the early career of Cardinal Francis Joseph Spellman, Archibishop of New York from 1939 to 1967.

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Goofs

When the blood is flowing from the statue's heart and Father Fermoyle addresses the worshiping crowd, the length of the flow on the statue is inconsistent between cuts going from nearly all the way down the statue to being shown at midway down the statue and returning to be all the way down the statue.

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Quotes

Cardinal Glennon: We've never had a priest working with the Mafia before. But I suppose you made some interesting contacts in Rome.
Stephen Fermoyle: I had no choice, Your Eminence. I had to work my way through the seminary by selling opium in St. Peter's Square.
Cardinal Glennon: You're not afraid of me.
Stephen Fermoyle: No.
Cardinal Glennon: Why not? Most people are.
Stephen Fermoyle: I think it's because you remind me of my father. He was known as "Den the Down Shouter," but I soon learned his roar was the only fierce thing about him.
Cardinal Glennon: He's a lucky man to have a son who's not afraid of him.

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Connections

Featured in Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker (1991)

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Soundtracks

Stay with Me
(uncredited)
Music by Jerome Moross
Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh

User Reviews

A compelling story of a priest trying to fulfill his vocation in a world that sometimes conflicts with Catholic morality.

Tom Tryon is one of the better but less appreciated actors of the '50s and '60s when mature top stars were the likes of Rock Hudson. Tryon, however, is not only an excellent actor but a good writer as well with a number of books to his name just like Sterling Hayden, another almost forgotten actor of the period.

This movie should be required viewing in Moral Theology as it provides guidance on how a serious practicing Catholic should act when faced with moral dilemmas. With the current moral divide on the question of abortion, I am reminded of that crucial scene in the movie when the character portrayed by Tryon had to decide on what medical procedure to choose in the case of an emergency arising out of a childbirth gone awry. He was the nearest of kin of the woman involved and the doctors advised him that there was a choice as to whether to abort the baby (by crushing its head with forceps) or let the childbirth proceed in which case the mother's life would be compromised. In such cases, Catholic morality requires that the best effort should be made to save both infant and mother but in no case may an intervention be made to kill either one of them.