A Man Called Peter ** (1955, Richard Todd, Jean Peters, Marjorie Rambeau, Jill Esmond) – Classic Movie Review 13,301

The 1955 biopic A Man Called Peter stars Richard Todd as the real-life Reverend Peter Marshall, a Presbyterian minister and chaplain of the US Senate. 

Director Henry Koster’s 1955 American biopic A Man Called Peter is based on the 1951 biographical book by Catherine Marshall, and stars Richard Todd, Jean Peters, Marjorie Rambeau, and Jill Esmond.

Richard Todd plays the real-life Reverend Peter Marshall, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who emigrated to the US, married Catherine Marshall (Jean Peters), author of the source book), and became Washington Presbyterian Church pastor and the voice of God as chaplain to the political big-shots of the American Senate.

This good-hearted movie may be pretty dull but it is well produced and nicely photographed: Harold Lipstein picked up an Oscar nomination for his colour, widescreen cinematography. Todd and Peters do solid if not inspired work in their roles.

It is the last feature film of Jean Peters.

It is also the last film of Jill Esmond, as Peter’s mother, though she lived on till 1990.

The score is by Alfred Newman who reuses much of his music from the 1948 film The Walls of Jericho.

The film was a surprise box-office hit, costing $1.74 million and taking $4.5 million at the US box office.

The cast and credits

The cast are Richard Todd as The Reverend Peter Marshall, Jean Peters as Catherine Wood Marshall, Marjorie Rambeau as Miss Laura Fowler, Jill Esmond as Mrs. Findlay, Les Tremayne as Senator Willis K. Harvey, Robert Burton as Mr. Peyton, Gladys Hurlbut as Mrs. Peyton, Richard Garrick as Colonel Evanston Whiting, Gloria Gordon as Barbara, Billy Chapin as Peter John Marshall, Ricky Kelman, Charles Evans as the President of Senate, Gladys Hurlbut, Billy Chapin, Marietta Canty, William Forrest, Doris Lloyd, Emmett Lynn, Sam McDaniel, Larry Kent, and Ben Wright.

A Man Called Peter is directed by Henry Koster, runs 119 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Eleanore Griffin, is shot by Harold Lipstein, is produced by Samuel G Engel, is scored by Alfred Newman, and is designed by Lyle R Wheeler.

Jean Peters (October 15, 1926 – October 13, 2000)

Jean Peters’s stardom was short lived. After A Man Called Peter, she refused several roles and was put on suspension by the studio. It turned out to be her final film as she left 20th Century Fox to enjoy her private life.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,301

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