A Man Called Peter
| A Man Called Peter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Henry Koster |
| Produced by | Samuel G. Engel |
| Written by | Eleanore Griffin (screenplay) |
| Based on |
A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall |
| Starring |
Richard Todd Jean Peters |
| Music by | Alfred Newman |
| Cinematography | Harold Lipstein |
| Edited by | Robert L. Simpson |
|
Release date
|
31 March 1955 (New York) |
|
Running time
|
119 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.74 million |
| Box office | $4.5 million (US rentals) |
A Man Called Peter is a 1955 American drama film directed by Henry Koster and starring Richard Todd. The film is based on the life of preacher Peter Marshall, who served as Chaplain of the United States Senate and pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC before his early death. It is adapted from the 1951 biography of the same name, written by his widow Catherine Marshall.
The film was a box-office hit in 1955, and it was nominated for an Academy Award in 1956 for its cinematography.
This was the final feature film of the actress Jean Peters, who played Catherine Marshall. Alfred Newman reused much of his score from his 1948 film The Walls of Jericho.
As a boy growing up in Coatbridge Scotland, Peter Marshall loves the Sea and wishes to work on a ship. Several years later, he is caught in a fog and is nearly falls over a ledge. The feeling that prevents him from going over the ledge also tells him to dedicate his life to the ministry. He begins working double-shifts to save enough money to go to school in America. He gets to America and again works very hard to save enough to pay for divinity school. Upon graduation he is called to serve as Pastor at a rural church in Covington, Georgia.
His sermons are well-received and soon people are coming from all over the area to attend services at the church. Catherine Wood from nearby Agnes Scott College falls in love with him the first time she hears him speak.
Catherine impresses Peter by helping him at an event for college students where she gives an extemporaneous speech using quotes from some of his sermons. They begin spending time together. They marry. Their honeymoon is spent on an ocean voyage and fishing trip. Catherine gets seasick on the voyage and refuses to get into a fishing boat.
They return from their honeymoon to Washington, D.C. Peter has accepted a position as Pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church Services are sparsely attended at the church but Peter invites people from all walks of life to attend and soon services are overflowing.
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Wikipedia