The Strange Ways of Father Brown
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Strange Ways of Father Brown |
| Original title | Father Brown |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1954 |
| length | 90 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Hamer |
| script |
Thelma Schnee , Robert Hamer |
| production | Paul F. Moss |
| music | Georges Auric |
| camera | Harry Waxman |
| cut | Gordon Hales |
| occupation | |
| |
The Strange Paths of Father Brown is a British detective film comedy from 1954 directed by Robert Hamer with Alec Guinness in the title role of the shrewd Catholic man of God with a sense of crime. Peter Finch plays his opponent Flambeau . The story is based on the character of the same name in the novels by GK Chesterton and is based on the story The Blue Cross .
action
The English Roman Catholic Father Brown does not always make his superior, the bishop, happy with his arbitrariness. The mischievous pastor has an insatiable penchant for extra-church activities, especially those that challenge his criminalistic nose. The philanthropist who believes in the good in everyone - at the beginning of the film Brown puts recovered loot (a large sum of money) in the vault from which it was stolen by a parishioner and is promptly caught by the police - understands it better than anyone else To put them in the mind of the common criminal and, if not to prevent them, then at least clear up their crimes. The conversion and moral purification of the "stray sheep" is always more important to him than its punishment. When the father learns that the internationally sought-after art thief Flambeau, a master of disguise, is planning to steal a valuable crucifix from Brown's parish , the “Blue Cross”, during a transport from London to a Eucharist meeting in Rome, feels As expected, Father Brown challenged. At the same time, the clever man of God wants to put his villainous opponent down, lead him back on the right path of virtue and thus protect Flambeau's sinful soul from the eternal hellfire. Since Brown does not have too much confidence in the guarding skills of Scotland Yard , he decides to accompany the cross to the Holy City as a less conspicuous guard himself.
Already when crossing the English Channel , where Brown identifies an alleged car dealer named Dobson, he becomes suspicious because Brown does not buy the car dealer from him in his distrust. Then Father Brown confides in a colleague. But here, of all places, his mistrust would have been appropriate, because this false priest turns out to be none other than the French master thief Gustave Flambeau. And shortly afterwards, Father Brown succeeds in stealing the cross. Deep down in the Paris catacombs, Flambeau is able to shake off Father Brown, who has just failed Flambeau's attempt at conversion. The master thief disappears with the stolen “Blue Cross”, which is said to have once belonged to St. Augustine. But Brown, who feels hurt in his honor and therefore declines police help in the form of Inspector Valentines, uses all his detective skills to regain the sacred artifact for his church. At his side is only a good old friend, Lady Warren, and with her as a close confidante he plans to set a trap for the Womanizer Flambeau.
But the man of a thousand masks is by no means as easy to outsmart as Brown had hoped. A game of cat and mouse at eye level between the devious Flambeau and the savvy church servant begins, which finally ends with the remorseful conversion of the thief, which is hit by the light of knowledge and redemption. Finally, Father Brown tracks down the secret Flambeau mansion, furnished with valuable stolen antiques. The wealthy thief and art collector proudly presents his collection of paintings, including El Grecos . But he reacts blankly to Flambeau's petty-bourgeois addiction and says disparagingly: “I thought you are a big sinner, but you are only a small one. I came expecting to encounter an extraordinary secret here ... ”. Then a disappointed Father Brown leaves the property with the recovered crucifix. As an act of final purification, Flambeau follows the admonition of the devout Catholic and leaves “his” works of art to a museum so that from now on the general public can admire them.
Production notes
The Strange Paths of Father Brown originated in Great Britain and France (in Paris and in the countryside) and premiered in London on June 8, 1954. The German premiere took place on November 19, 1954. German television premiere was on January 6, 1964 on ZDF .
Vivian A. Cox took over the production management. John Hawkesworth designed the film structures, Julia Squire the costumes. Max Varnel was assistant director, Alec Mills was camera assistant.
Muir Mathieson directed the orchestral recording of Georges Auric's composition and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra played .
At the Venice International Film Festival , the strip received a nomination for the Golden Lion in 1952 .
useful information
- After a largely unnoticed film production from 1934 (Father Brown, Detective) , this was the second Pater Brown feature film.
- Brown cast member Alec Guinness converted to Catholicism years after this production .
synchronization
| role | actor | Voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Father Brown | Alec Guinness | Anton Reimer |
| Gustave Flambeau | Peter Finch | Curt Ackermann |
| Lady Warren | Joan Greenwood | Carola Höhn |
| bishop | Cecil Parker | Hans Zesch-Ballot |
| Inspector Valentine | Bernard Lee | Bum Kruger |
| Inspector Dubois | Gérard Oury | Harald Wolff |
| Bert Parkinson | Sidney James | Werner Lieven |
| Viscount de Verdigris | Ernest Thesiger | Hans-Hermann Schaufuss |
| Inspector Wilkins | John Horsley | Christian Marshal |
Reviews
In Variety it was said: “It's always a smooth story, unfolded slowly and always dominated by a masterful performance by Guinness. The short-sighted priest ... is admirably brought to life by Guinness. His performance, as good as it is, does not overshadow a first-class actor performance by Peter Finch as the international thief who likes to collect the rare treasures that he cannot afford. "
Bosley Crowther found in The New York Times that Father Brown was "a leisurely, humorous film."
In Decent Films, where the film, which in some cases was clearly criticized, was analyzed in detail and compared with the literary original, it can be read: "Guinness makes a wonderfully pleasant Father Brown, and the film's dialogue sparkles with flashes of Chesterton's wit."
The lexicon of the international film judges: “Comedic crime entertainment that perfectly reflects the spirit and the subtle-cheerful mood in GK Chesterton's stories. Thanks to the acting performance of Alec Guinness, it was an unadulterated pleasure. "
The Movie & Video Guide called Father Brown "another British gem, superbly cast".
Halliwell's Film Guide called the film “a wonderfully eccentric comedy” and summed it up: “A thoroughly cultivated entertainment”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The strange ways of Father Brown in the German dubbing index
- ↑ Review in: Variety , accessed on March 1, 2020
- ^ New York Times, November 2, 1954
- ↑ Decent Films: Father Brown on decentfilms.com
- ↑ The Strange Ways of Father Brown. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 1, 2020 .
- ^ Leonard Maltin : Movie & Video Guide, 1996 edition, p. 415
- ^ Leslie Halliwell : Halliwell's Film Guide, Seventh Edition, New York 1989, p. 339
Web links
- The strange ways of the Father Brown in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Father Brown on Turner Classic Movies