The Keys of the Kingdom

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For the album by the Moody Blues, see Keys of the Kingdom.

For the popular fantasy book series by Garth Nix, see The Keys to the Kingdom.

The Keys of the Kingdom

Directed by	John M. Stahl
Produced by	Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Written by	A. J. Cronin (novel) Nunnally Johnson Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Starring	Gregory Peck Thomas Mitchell Vincent Price Rose Stradner Edmund Gwenn Benson Fong Roddy McDowell
Music by	Alfred Newman
Cinematography	Arthur C. Miller
Editing by	James B. Clark
Distributed by	Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Release date(s)	December 15, 1944
Running time	137 min.
Country	United States
Language	English (also Mandarin and Cantonese)
Budget	$3,000,000
IMDb profile

The Keys of the Kingdom is a 1944 American film, which was nominated for Academy Awards in the following categories: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Gregory Peck), Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

The film was adapted from a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning four decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish priest who struggles to establish a mission in China. Through years of toil, famine, and war, Chisholm holds fast to his belief that tolerance is the highest virtue and earns the respect of the Chinese and his former critics with his kindly, courageous, and self-sacrificing ways.

Spanish movie poster

[edit] Cast

Gregory Peck ... Father Francis Chisholm
Thomas Mitchell ... Dr. Willie Tulloch
Vincent Price ... Anselm "Angus" Mealey
Rose Stradner ... Reverend Mother Maria-Veronica
Roddy McDowall ... Francis Chisholm, as a boy
Edmund Gwenn ... Reverend Hamish MacNabb
Cedric Hardwicke ... Monsignor Sleeth at Tweedside
Dennis Hoey ... Alec Chisholm, Francis' father
Ruth Nelson ... Lisbeth Chisholm, Francis' mother
Edith Barrett ... Aunt Polly Bannon
Peggy Ann Garner ... Nora, as a girl
Jane Ball ... Nora, as an adult
James Gleason ... Rev. Dr. Wilbur Fiske
Anne Revere ... Agnes Fiske
Ruth Nelson ... Mrs. Chisholm, Francis' mother
Benson Fong ... Joseph
Leonard Strong ... Mr. Chia
Philip Ahn ... Mr. Pao, envoy for Mr. Chia
Arthur Shields ... Father Tarrant, at Holywell
Sara Allgood ... Sister Martha
Ruth Ford ... Sister Clotilde
Richard Loo ... Major Shen
H.T. Hsiang ... Hossanah Wang
Si-Lan Chen ... Philomena Wang
Eunice Soo-Hoo ... Anna, as a toddler

[edit] Trivia

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.

[edit] External links

v • d • e Works by A. J. Cronin

Novels	Hatter's Castle • Three Loves • Grand Canary • The Stars Look Down • The Citadel • The Keys of the Kingdom • The Green Years • Shannon's Way • The Spanish Gardener • The Valorous Years • Beyond This Place • A Thing of Beauty/Crusader's Tomb • The Northern Light • The Native Doctor/An Apple in Eden • The Judas Tree • A Song of Sixpence • A Pocketful of Rye • The Minstrel Boy/Desmonde • Lady with Carnations • Gracie Lindsay

Selected Short Stories & Story Collections	"Kaleidoscope in 'K'" • Country Doctor (novella) • "Vigil in the Night" • Adventures of a Black Bag • The Innkeeper's Wife • Further Adventures of a Black Bag • Doctor Finlay of Tannochbrae

Play	Jupiter Laughs

Autobiography	Adventures in Two Worlds

UK/US Film & Television Adaptations	Once to Every Woman • Grand Canary • The Citadel (film) • Vigil in the Night • The Stars Look Down • Shining Victory • Hatter's Castle • The Keys of the Kingdom • The Green Years • The Spanish Gardener • Web of Evidence • Dr. Finlay's Casebook • The Citadel (television)