Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-08

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ton based upon Catherine Mar
he is as exciting a character as
Hollywood has isolated in long
time. This was man of faith
and vigor destined for leader
ship and choosing to lead in a
field with q need for his special
gifts Of vitality and eloquence.
The adaptation Of Mrs. Mar
shall's best seller, written with
warmth and understanding. was
not an easy task for Hollywood
Yet with a faith that might
have been inspired by DIR. Mar
shall's own, Goth Century Fox
wisely decided to let the facts
Of its subjects life speak for
themselves. Little effort is made
to provide the film with a con-
ventional plot. but "a Man
Called Peter" is the more strik-
ing for its resistance to this
temptation.
There is all that Is needed, of
story, if not even a bit more. in
the life Of this man who loved
God, His creation and charm
ing Southern girl, Catherine
Wood. played warmly by Jean
Peters.
And all that is needed, too. of
dramatic conflict between a man
of faith who could have his
passing doubts. one whose
methods could raise more than
an eyebrow, and one whose elo-
quenee could sting as well as
persuade.
These aspects of the life of
Peter Marshall. pastor Of the
New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church and Chaplain of the
United States Senate, add up to
q big picture. In making it one
in CinemaScope and color
the producing studio testifies to
its sound confidence that 1t will
also be popular one.
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Peter Marshall's story begins
with his boyhood in Scotland. q
tempestuous boyhood with init
nations of dramatic aftermath.
This was a stormy child who
first wanted to run away to sea,
later merely wanted to run away
until one night after a fall on
the brink of cliff, he heard the
call to his life'S work. It was a
call to which he could respond
with fervor if not patience. but
eventually he found himself
graduated from the seminary
and launched upon his career
in Atlanta.
From this point on, the film
narrates the drama of a man
who was genius but with few
of the melancholy shortcomings
of the type. He was blind, true.
to the fact that Catherine Wood
was Gods greatest personal gift
to him, but once she opened his
eyes to this, atonement was
quick and complete.
It was on their honeymoon
that Peter Marshall received his
call to President Lincoln's
church here. This was to lead
him to fame, but not to unal-
loyed bliss. He could respect
tradition, but he could also up
set it and he did.
This he did most dramatically
by refusing to run a musty mu-
scum for aristocratic parishion-
ers when he might create a
popular church with mass APP
peal, new edif1ce materially
and spiritually. Like the Mas
ter he followed. he wanted at
tention but selflessly. He got it
but not quite on his own terms.
There were triumphs. his popu-
larity that led to his call to the
Senate chaplain's post; and
there were troubles, his wife's
collapse into tuberculosis and
his own first heart attack.
Eleanore Griffin's screenscript
Is never at a loss for incident
to illustrate the energy of DR..
Marshall's nature. nor Actor
Todd the perfect fair to capture
the eloquent essence Of the man
in his sermons.
These latter constitute a very
considerable part of the film ver-
sion of "A Man Called Peter"
and many will think its best
parts. They are no less inviting
to an actor of Todd's fervor for
poetic and meaningfully words
than they were to congregations
of Midshipmen. of Senators.
of laymen.
His sermons were Peter Mar
shall at his most expressive and
the excerpts from the most
memorable of these will make
"a Man Called Peter" the more
memorable as a film.
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Todd's portrait of DR.. Mar.
shall catches the attractive hui
mainly Of the man as well as the
dynamics Of his Christianity. He
shows him to be man of small
faults as well as great virtues. a
deep enough believer to have
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