Just caught this movie been shown on Film 4 in the UK.
Brilliant - I being a Brit, and not Scottish, I had never heard of Peter Marshall.
I saw the title in the on screen TV guide and assumed it may have been about Peter, Jesus' disciple - so being a Christian, I thought I would take a look - Well my assumption was sort of right - the man on the film was called Peter and he was definitely God's disciple - he just lived about 2000 years later than the 'original'
I missed the start of the movie by about 15 mins and was sort of half watching it upto the point where Dr Marshall delivered his first sermon in Washington, where he referred to Jesus being a 'man of the people' - from that moment on I was hooked.
What a great movie for its time - made by a major studio - where, arguably, the best scenes are when a Scottish Presbaterian minister is giving Christian sermons from the pulpit - I think that was a brave move on behalf of the director, even back in the more 'cosy' '50's - but what sermons - and how brilliantly delivered by Richard Todd - up to now I have always regarded him as a bit of a 'lightweight' but this performance totally has changed my view. A real study in biographical acting - apparently he looked nothing like Marshall but his vocals were spot on, according to his wife. The scene in the basement where he is questioning God about himself was truly moving, as was the simple scene where he is been taken to hospital for the last time and looks up from the stretcher to his wife and says "See you in the morning". You have to see that bit to understand why it is so touching - in writing here it looks nothing.
I am writing this after seeing the movie for the first time this afternoon - I have since spent some time on the internet, learning about this man and will be ordering the DVD asap, just so I can hear his voice for real as a recording of one of his sermons comes as an 'extra'
This film immediately comes into my 'Top Ten' as one of the best films I have ever seen.
Brilliant - I being a Brit, and not Scottish, I had never heard of Peter Marshall.
I saw the title in the on screen TV guide and assumed it may have been about Peter, Jesus' disciple - so being a Christian, I thought I would take a look - Well my assumption was sort of right - the man on the film was called Peter and he was definitely God's disciple - he just lived about 2000 years later than the 'original'
I missed the start of the movie by about 15 mins and was sort of half watching it upto the point where Dr Marshall delivered his first sermon in Washington, where he referred to Jesus being a 'man of the people' - from that moment on I was hooked.
What a great movie for its time - made by a major studio - where, arguably, the best scenes are when a Scottish Presbaterian minister is giving Christian sermons from the pulpit - I think that was a brave move on behalf of the director, even back in the more 'cosy' '50's - but what sermons - and how brilliantly delivered by Richard Todd - up to now I have always regarded him as a bit of a 'lightweight' but this performance totally has changed my view. A real study in biographical acting - apparently he looked nothing like Marshall but his vocals were spot on, according to his wife. The scene in the basement where he is questioning God about himself was truly moving, as was the simple scene where he is been taken to hospital for the last time and looks up from the stretcher to his wife and says "See you in the morning". You have to see that bit to understand why it is so touching - in writing here it looks nothing.
I am writing this after seeing the movie for the first time this afternoon - I have since spent some time on the internet, learning about this man and will be ordering the DVD asap, just so I can hear his voice for real as a recording of one of his sermons comes as an 'extra'
This film immediately comes into my 'Top Ten' as one of the best films I have ever seen.