blanche-2 Richard Todd is "A Man Called Peter," a 1955 film directed by Henry Koster and also starring Jean Peters. It's the story of minister Peter Marshall, who twice served as Chaplain to the U.S. Senate and was known for his sermons.I imagine some of these events took a little longer than is shown in the film, although it can't have been much longer because Todd died in 1949, at the age of 47. The film starts in the 1920a. He sure crammed in a lot. "A Man Called Peter" tries to hit the high points, showing his childhood in Scotland and love of the sea, a dramatic calling to the ministry, his first church in Georgia, meeting his wife Catherine (Peters), and the ministry in his church in Washington, D.C., which led to his fame. I'm not sure how much dramatic license was taken, but Marshall's story plays out very effectively.Jean Peters does a lovely job as Catherine, who also narrates the film. The linchpin, of course, is Richard Todd as Marshall, and he's absolutely wonderful, certainly worthy of greater Hollywood stardom than he had. He should have been right up there with Richard Burton. He gives a powerful, utterly believable performance, never putting on airs as a holy man but giving us a real human being. Sadly, Marshall's son, who also became a minister, died just this year at age 68 (if indeed he was born on the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor), and Marshall's wife Catherine passed away in 1983. The film is based on her book of the same name.I saw this film when I was in grammar school, I guess, so it was 50 years ago or more, and the only scene I remembered was the very last one. I don't know if I appreciated its spiritual message as much as I do now. This is a film not for people of any particular religion, but for people who consider themselves spiritual. I will only say that Henry Koster overdid it a little on the establishing shots, though I'm sure that since the film is in color, he wanted to show the lovely scenery. This isn't the kind of film that's being made any longer. There are films made with spiritual messages, but they're not done like this. "A Man Called Peter" is an old-fashioned Hollywood family movie, but its message is timeless.

Rick-Swain It is a long time since I have seen an 'old' film that has seemed so relevant to the problems facing western society. I think that Richard Todd is excellent in the role of Peter Marshall. He captures the dynamism and belief of Marshall. His sermons from the pulpit are full of power and conviction and they have made me want to read more of his sermons and prayers. I would also be interested to find out more about how he was viewed by his contemporaries. I found the address on December 7th particularly moving and I would recommend this film as one that will not disappoint. I am amazed that being in my 50's I had never heard of this film before.

andyevel6 This was the most beautiful and most inspiring movie in Cinemascope of the 50s decade. Very well directed and a box office hit in rural America and other parts of the world (lines to see it formed around the block all over Scottland, but also in cities like Havana, Madrid, London, Dublin, etc.), yet the Academy of Arts and Science ignored it as best film and passed on nominations to its players. It won only one award for screenplay adaptation (from the best selling biography). The reason for this may have been that Jean Peters, its star, quit the screen all too suddenly after its release, and Fox made no effort to push or promote the film within the academy when nominations were being selected. Releasing companies normally do that. Richard Todd certainly delivered the best performance of his career in a very difficult role. The strikingly beautiful Jean Peters amazed critics with a down to earth and totally believable performance that certainly merited a best actress nomination. And Marjorie Rambeau (of Tobacco Road fame)won other awards as supporting actress for her portrayal(including Critic's Choice), but wasn't even nominated for an Academy Award. If you check the 1955 nominees for best acting, you'll discover that only Susan Hayward, for I'll Cry Tomorrow, was at par with Peters' portrayal in this flick. True of the film as well. It was a much better picture than most of those nominated. Fox had scheduled this film as the first in Cinemascope to be released, with Peters and Richard Burton in the lead roles, but producer Lamarr Troti died; and so, Fox offered The Robe as an alternative-which was an inferior film in regards to content, facts and script. At any rate, see this film believing it did win "best picture of 1955". As it ends you'll likely become certain that it did.

bkoganbing In this particular time in history when we have so many obvious charlatans in pulpits, making good money and spewing out their own version of exclusive Christianity; Peter Marshall's life story stands as a stinging rebuke.This man certainly didn't make any money as a Christian, I think if he were alive today, he'd be embarrassed by a Pat Robertson or a Jerry Falwell. Peter Marshall(1902-1949) was a kid born in humble circumstances near Glasgow, Scotland. He had two loves, the sea and Christianity and in time the latter overtook the former.In Scotland to get the passage to come to America and then later in America he worked at a variety of very humble manual labor to get the money to go to seminary to fulfill what he conceived as his life's calling. Pastoring first in the Atlanta area and later at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. his reputation as a moving speaker eventually went national.Marshall identified very strongly with Jesus the carpenter. He saw Jesus as a working class hero as relevant for his time as in biblical times. The film makes it very clear that Marshall's own efforts at humble labor made him think of Jesus in that way. His church in Washington, DC a place once for a few privileged dowagers became a place where all became welcome.The movie is based on Catherine Marshall's book about her life with her husband. Jean Peters narrates and gives a strong performance as Catherine Marshall. She meets Marshall while attending college in the Atlanta area. Her best scene in the film when she gives her own sermon at a youth rally to combat the effects of drinking that Prohibition era alcohol.Ironically Prohibition's biggest boosters were American fundamentalist preachers of that era. Marshall himself doesn't take a position on Prohibition, but the effects of drinking that bootleg product were certainly real enough, especially among the young people of the Twenties.Richard Todd first became known to American audiences playing a terminally ill Scotch soldier in The Hasty Heart. He was a natural to play Peter Marshall. His best scenes are in the pulpit, delivering sermons that were taken from the texts of Peter Marshall's own sermons.Todd certainly doesn't play Marshall as arrogant and smug as so many of our prominent Christian preachers of today are. Another wonderful scene of his is when Catherine Marshall is stricken with tuberculosis and on the basement stairs of his house as he prays for the recovery of his wife and asks God if in fact he's become arrogant and self- assured. It's his own Gethsemene experience.The film is directed by Henry Koster who did a whole lot of fine religious themed films like The Bishop's Wife, The Robe and The Singing Nun. I think this was his best effort.Certainly believers will find this an inspirational film. Non-believers will appreciate the care that went into this product, the quality of the performances and the fact that one certainly can proclaim Christianity and actually live it.