Key to the kingdom of heaven

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Movie
German title Key to the kingdom of heaven
Original title The Keys of the Kingdom
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1944
length 130 minutes
Rod
Director John M. Stahl
script Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Nunnally Johnson
Template: Archibald Joseph Cronin
production Joseph L. Mankiewicz
music Alfred Newman
camera Arthur Miller
cut James B. Clark
occupation

Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (original title The Keys of the Kingdom ) is an American literary film adaptation directed by John M. Stahl . The leading roles are cast with Gregory Peck , Thomas Mitchell , Vincent Price and Rose Stradner . The script was based on Archibald Joseph Cronin 's novel of the same name, which was published in Germany under the title The Keys to the Kingdom .

action

In 1938 Monsignor Sleeth visits Francis Chisholm, the oldest priest in Tweedside, Scotland , who is about to be retired . Chisholm asks the Monsignor to reconsider this decision and reminds Sleeth that he was a childhood friend of Bishop Angus Mealy, who made this order. This decision is also based on the fact that one does not conform to the sermons of Chisholm. Francis Chisholm was a missionary in China for decades and has only been back in Europe for a year .

When the monsignor cannot fall asleep, Chisholm's diary falls into his eyes, he opens it and begins to read. He reads about Chisholm's poverty-stricken childhood and his parents' love for him, and his grief over the tragic end of his parents who drowned. After his parents' death, Francis lives with his aunt Polly, who wants him to be a priest . Francis has fallen in love with Nora Bannon and is torn between his feelings for Nora and his love for the priestly profession. That doesn't make his visit to Hollywell College any easier, although Reverend Hamish McNabb takes care of the young man and his emotional confusion. When Francis learns during his training that Nora is very desperate because she has been abandoned by the father of her unborn child, he wants to help her, but is too late. Nora died giving birth to the child.

Now the young man is sure that his calling is to become a priest. In his first two posts, however, he cannot meet the expectations placed in him. His adviser, Reverend Hamish MacNabb, suggested that he go to the village of Paitan, China, as a missionary. On his arrival, Chisholm is greeted by the unfriendly women Hosannah and Philomena Wang. The mission station itself is shabby and in dire condition. First alone and then with the help of the young Chinese Catholic Joseph, Chisholm rebuilds the station, although the men are not deterred by attacks by bandits. Thanks to Willie Tulloch, a friend of Chisholm and now a doctor, the ward now also receives the most essential medicines, so that Chisholm can set up a kind of pharmacy. When Chisholm Chia-Yu, the child of the local mandarin, saves the life and the latter then wants to convert to Catholicism, Chisholm only says that he cannot accept to win a soul in exchange for natural help, only if you care about it in his heart believe one should do this. At least he accepts the help of the mandarin, who makes land available to him and also supports him financially with material and labor costs, so that Chisholm can then set up an appropriate mission station. After the mission is finished, the nuns Sister Maria Veronica, Sister Martha and Sister Clothilde arrive to set up a school and to support Francis in other ways. Sister Maria Veronica, a very beautiful woman, comes from an Austrian noble family, and initially behaves very dismissively towards Chisholm.

When government troops approach the village, because the bandit Wai is supposed to be in the surrounding countryside, the men suggest Chisholm to leave the station, as it would be exactly in the center of the fire line to be established. Chisholm rejects this. In this critical situation, Chisholm's childhood friend Dr. Willie Tulloch on the mission. When there is an uprising between the bandits and government troops, many people are injured and killed. Chisholm and Tulloch try as best they can to help and look after the dead and dying for four days and four nights almost without a break. When Francis learns that his church has been hit, he rushes back to the mission with Tulloch, where he is fatally hit by a bullet. Tulloch was a staunch atheist and it is not Chisholm's style to want to convert him at the hour of his death. Above all, Sister Maria Veronica resents him. When the bandits raided the mission station the next day and demanded that all food be returned, Chisholm steadfastly refused. He even manages to blow up the gun that the bandits built.

A short time later, Chisholm's childhood friend Angus Mealy, who has since been ordained a bishop , arrives at the station. He leaves no doubt that he blames Chisholm personally for the fact that the church has been burned down and he also dislikes Chisholm's simple way of life. Sister Maria Veronica is only now realizing what an extraordinarily good person Chisholm is, who does not need the pompous way of life that Angus claims and consciously lives as equal among equals. After the bishop has left, she asks Chisholm for forgiveness for her previous attitude and from now on he has a warm friend in her. With the help of Maria Veronica's wealthy family, the church can also be rebuilt. In the years that followed, everyone at the mission station worked hard and a flourishing parish emerged. When Chisholm finally returns to Scotland, having grown old, he meets Nora's grandson Andrew there, whom he takes care of from then on.

After reading the last lines, Monsignor Sleeth thoughtfully put Chisholm's diary aside. He asks Chisholm to forgive him for invading his privacy and is impressed with what he has read. Chisholm plays it down a little and says he is humbled that Sleeth has paid such attention to his life. Sleeth lets the old man know that he is honored to have met him and assures him goodbye that he will work to ensure that he can stay in Tweedside.

background

The shooting took place from February 1 to May 20, 1944; further recordings were made between July 10 and July 12, 1944. The film was shot in Laguna and Malibu in California and in the 20th Century Fox studios in the USA . The film premiered in the United States on December 15, 1944, and was generally shown in cinemas on December 29, 1944. It was first released in Germany on March 4, 1947 and in Austria on February 28, 1947.

During the film, the voice of Monsignor Sleeth keeps popping in, reading from Father Francis Chisholm's diary. An abridged edition of Cronin's novel appeared in a 1942 edition of the Ladies Home Journal . In addition to David O. Selznick , who acquired the rights to Cronin's book for $ 100,000, MGM and 20th Century Fox producer Frank Vincent are also said to have expressed an interest in the rights to the novel. David O. Selznick had envisaged Ingrid Bergman for the role of "Maria Veronica" . Even Rosalind Russell said to have been for the role in the conversation. Filming with Bergmann, Jennifer Jones , who was supposed to be "Nora", and Shakespeare actor Maurice Evans was repeatedly postponed. In March 1942 it was announced that Cedric Hardwicke had been cast for the role of "Father Fitzgerald", as well as Burgess Meredith and Gene Kelly are said to have been cast. Even Alan Marshal should be given a role and Franchot Tone was talking for the role of Father Francis Chisholm. Other candidates contemplated for the role of Father Chisholm include Spencer Tracy , Dean Jagger , Orson Welles , Henry Fonda , Joseph Cotten , Alan Ladd , Edward G. Robinson and Van Heflin . Since there was no agreement on which actor was the right one for the role of Father Chisholm, the rights were sold to Twentieth Century-Fox at the end of 1942. After Nunnally Johnson withdrew from the project, Joseph L. Mankiewicz was hired to write the script. Ultimately, both were named as in charge of the script. Since appointments were not kept, Bergmann was no longer available for the role of Maria Veronica, so that Geraldine Fitzgerald and Rose Stradner, who finally played the role of Maria Veronica, were cast. Stradner had been married to Mankiewicz since 1939. After it was first mentioned that Dana Andrews should get the role of Father Chisholm, the role then went to Gregory Peck. In the end, quite a few recorded scenes fell victim to the scissors, so that various actors involved could not be seen in the finished film. The film then had some difficulties in escaping the censorship, which was primarily due to the negative characterization of some priestly roles, which were attested to being narrow-minded, as well as the portrayal of warlords, epidemics and famine in China. Even the published book by Cronins had to endure harsh criticism from Catholic reviewers.

Ronald Colman and Ann Harding appeared on November 19, 1945 on the Lux Radio Theater-initiated broadcast. In The Saturday Evening Post of March 22, 1947, Gregory Peck is quoted as saying that in the column, “The Role I Like Best,” Father Chisholm was his favorite role to date because of “the choice and the Diversity". Peck received his first Oscar nomination for this role.

Reviews

The lexicon of international films comes to the conclusion that it is a "very expansive film adaptation of the novel of the same name by AJ Cronin: emotionally stressed and technically solid, but without deepening the religious problem".

Variety Staff concludes that Gregory Peck is playing brilliantly and believingly transcending the effects of tolerance, faith and piety .

Bosley Crowther of the New York Times says that the subtle and spiritual story of a Catholic missionary, who was portrayed with so much warmth and vitality by AJ Cronin in his novel, did not succeed in this long and soft film with the same Transport title. […] However, the film shows a picture of a man who is impressive in his faith and humility. […] However, in a two-hour film one could reasonably expect that one would get more insight into the characters and their conflicts. […] Gregory Peck's performance as Priest Chisholm is recognized as calm and powerful. It leaves a fine impression of devotion to God and silent dignity. Edmund Gwenn is also praised for his portrayal of an understanding man of the Church who puts the young priest in the right place. Thomas Mitchell is also good in his brief role as an atheist. Vincent Price, on the other hand, has to take criticism for his strangely tasteless change of identity.

Awards

The Key to Heaven was nominated for four Oscars at the 1946 Academy Awards:

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b The Keys of the Kingdom at TCM - Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  2. ^ Key to the Kingdom of Heaven in the Lexicon of International FilmsTemplate: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used . Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  3. The Keys of the Kingdom  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. at Variety Staff. Written December 31, 1944. Retrieved February 3, 2013.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.variety.com  
  4. ^ The Keys of the Kingdom Bosley Crowther, The New York Times. Published December 30, 1944. Retrieved February 13, 2013.