Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-07
Mrs. Morsho|I's Successful Career
Launched by Words Heard in Dream
By Horriet French

1CS all rlgnC, haCe. 20 aneaQ
and write It. Tell it all. If it will
prove to people that a man can
love the Lord and not be a
sissy. :" These are the words
that Catherine Marshall heard
Peter Marshall say in a dream.
50 she, who had never taken
course in writing. even in col
lege," wrote "A Man Called
Peter" the book that for 119
consecutive weeks has been on
the best seller list and now is
being adapted to the screen.
although the publishers were
enthusiastic from the first" said
Mrs. Marshall. they never an
ticipated such success as this. I
am amazed myself"
Catherine Marshall, wearing a
bright blue wooden dress that
was reflected in the blue of her
eyes. was speaking in her house
on 38th street. that she says is a
compromise between the big
manse next to the Stimson es-
tate on Cathedral avenue and the
small apartment in Mclean
Gardens where she lived while
writing her book. She has re-
Gently returned from California
and Is full of enthusiasm about
the Fox Studios CinemaScope
adaptation of "A Man Called
Peter" AS technical adviser for
the picture, she met every morn
ing with the script writer who
was working out the story in de-
tail. They completed the out
line and now Miss Griffin, who
did the script for Boys Town."
is in the process of writing the
first draft of the screen version.
Mrs. Marshall has received over
100 letters suggesting someone
for the role of Peter" Ministers,
and others who are thought to
look like DR.. Marshall. have been
suggested, even though the man
may never have seen a camera"
The screen story will open, as
does the book, with the inaugu-
ration of President Truman in |
January, 1949. THE studio may
come to Washington quite soon."
said Mrs. Marshall, to get the |
sequence of the inauguration |
while the trees are bare. They /
will return later to make a big
scene by the foot bridge in Rock
Greek Park, where so many
white ducks swim and sun them
selves. Shots will be made at |
the Capitol where Peter was
Chaplain of the Senate and +.
other shots will be made at An
napolis, where he preached to the
Cadets on Pearl Harbor day. +
The Studio will go to Scotland
for scenes depicting Peters boy
hood until he emigrated to the |
United States. at the age of %. .
! met him in Atlanta while I
was attending Agnes Scott Col
lege and some Of the picture will I
be made on the campus. I knew
him before he knew me-" rem I
inisced Mrs. Marshall, because
I had heard him preach several .
times. In a sense, I fell in love
with him first"
Catherine Marshall was born .
In Tennessee, the daughter of .
the Rev. and Mrs. John A.
Wood. Her childhood was spent
In Mississippi and West Virginia
where her father was called to
Presbyterian Churches. She was
married to Peter Marshall in the
First Presbyterian Church of
Keyser. West Virginia, Novem-
Der 4, 1886.
II had always dreamed Of be-
ing a writer but I was married
as soon as I got out of college.
and was busy so didn't do any,
thing about 1t. The reception .
of my book has come as a COM !
plete surprise"
After DR.. Marshall's death, the |
publishers asked to publish his |
sermons. These were put into the
book called Mr.. Jones, Meet the |
Master. "a best seller for nearly
2 years. Mrs. Marshall wrote the |
introduction which she said was
really her foot in the door" She
decided to write a book about
the man who wrote the sermons;
the publisher suggested that she
send him an outline and one
chapter Of the book she had in
mind. He offered her a contract
Immediately. IT was so amazed
that he had such faith in me-"