Main Cast: Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell, Vincent Price, Roddy McDowall, Rosa Stradner, Edmund Gwenn
Release Year: 1944
Country: US
Run Time: 137 minutes
Plot
Based on the novel by A.J. Cronin, The Keys of the Kingdom was the first big-budget effort of movie-newcomer Gregory Peck. This is the 137-minute chronicle of a Scottish priest (Peck), who is assigned a mission in China. Never very focused in his life or work, the priest finds plenty to keep his mind occupied in his new post; when he isn't coping with the starvation and poverty plaguing his flock, he must contend with China's bloody civil war. Nonetheless, he perseveres, and finds it difficult as an elderly man to retire. He returns to Scotland, where he finds a new purpose in life; that of ministering to youngsters who, like him, have trouble determining their place in the world. Keys of the Kingdom was one of the last 20th-Century-Fox films produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz before his career-shift to directing; Rose Stradner, Mankiewicz' then-wife, has an important role in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
The Keys of the Kingdom established Gregory Peck as an important new presence in Hollywood and proved that he could carry a movie -- which he certainly does here. While Keys has a number of assets other than Peck, it also has its share of flaws that work against it. These include its length, which, combined with some inattentive pacing from Lumsden Hare and John M. Stahl, makes for some fairly dull patches throughout. There's also a distinct lack of humor almost throughout, this situation interrupted only by an occasional cynical remark from Thomas Mitchell. Surprisingly, considering that Nunnally Johnson and Joseph L. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay, there's an abundance of stilted dialogue as well. Fortunately, Peck is on hand to mitigate these flaws, and he gives a commanding performance, full of his usual quiet dignity and intelligence, and spiked with a stubbornness and inner fire that make the character truly come alive. The supporting cast is also solid, with especially fine work from Rosa Stradner, the aforementioned Mitchell, and a wonderfully pompous Vincent Price, and Arthur C. Miller's incisive cinematography deserves a special nod. Keys also benefits from its subject matter, and those viewers who respond strongly to stories with an inspirational bent will be especially taken with the film. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Alfred Hitchcock, a Catholic, liked the novel very much and hoped to direct it, but the plans fell through. Also, Ingrid Bergman was considered for the part of Mother Maria-Veronica, though the producer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, decided to cast his wife, Rose Stradner, instead.
Awards
The film was nominated for Academy Awards in the following categories: [1]
Alfred Newman incorporated Irish and Chinese elements into the score. The beautiful theme at the heart of the track, "The Hill of the Brilliant Green Jade", is associated with a Chinese nobleman who befriends Father Chisholm after he has saved his son’s life. Newman later reused the melody in his Oscar-winning score for the 1955 film Love is a Many-Splendored Thing. Richard Rodgers lifted the tune for the song “I Have Dreamed” in the 1951 musical The King and I.[2]
