HotToastyRag In Gregory Peck's second film, he earned an Oscar nod for his role as a devoted but struggling priest. He's sent to China to convert/educate the natives, but he encounters a number of obstacles and has to find inner strength to guide him through.If it wasn't for Gregory Peck, The Keys of the Kingdom would probably be forgotten about. There have been many movies with a similar theme, and there really isn't much to distinguish its plot from its competitors, but there is Gregory Peck. He was twenty-eight at the time, and in this role, he aged decades more than his years. It really is a remarkable breakthrough performance.If you like Greg (really, who doesn't?) then you'll want to check this movie out. And if you like these kinds of stories where a strong, likable, pious person has a variety of friends and challenges throughout his life, you'll probably like it.

doug-06653 Without going into storyline details, this 1944 title is uncannily similar to the story events of the later "Inn of the Sixth Happiness", produced in 1958. What is baffling is that the "..Sixth Happiness" movie is claimed to be the biographical account of Gladys Aylward; yet it seems to be "Keys of the Kingdom" in new clothes. Story similarities: (1) unlikely missionary called to China (2) must build their mission with few resources (3) wins favor of local provincial leader (4) starts a children's home (5) caught in the middle of the Chinese civil war (6) humble servant, recognized for a lifetime of service.I have looked online for a comparison of these two titles, without results but I believe the storyline must have emerged from the same source. I recommend watching both, then draw your own conclusions.

MartinHafer So often in older Hollywood films, religious films are cloying or loaded with clichés. While they try to be inspiring, they often leave me feeling a bit embarrassed because they are just so badly written--filled with platitudes and unrealistically "holy" performances. Because of this, I didn't rush to see this film--even though it starred one of my favorite actors, Gregory Peck. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that instead of the near-perfect and bigger than life character, Peck played a very down to earth and decent sort of priest--who was still quite human. Because of this, the film seemed real and very watchable.The film begins with an old Gregory Peck living as a very old priest in Scotland. He is being chastised for his unorthodox ways, though after a minor chewing out, his superior, Cedric Hardwicke happens upon Peck's diary and begins to read about his career. At this point, the film becomes a flashback and we see a younger and more vigorous Peck in his native Scotland (though he never comes close to approximating the accent). From his college days to becoming a missionary in China we see his growth and mistakes and his humility throughout it all.This gentle film manages to pull the viewer in due to its excellent acting, writing and direction. One thing I really liked is that the Chinese roles were actually all played by Asian-Americans--not the more traditional White guys ridiculously made up to look Chinese. There's very little not to like here--give it a look and don't worry--it's very enjoyable and not the least bit preachy.FYI--Although Cedric Hardwicke is reading Gregory Peck's diary in order to know what was occurring, there were a few instances when information took place on the screen in the flashback that Peck could not have known and could not have written in his diary. In other words, how could Hardwicke be reading about things that others did if they never told Peck? Just a minor continuity problem and it doesn't seriously effect the film.

dglink The trailer for "The Keys of the Kingdom" compares the 1944 film to the prior classics "Goodbye Mr. Chips" and "How Green Was My Valley," and the comparisons are apt. Like the two earlier films, "The Keys of the Kingdom" is the narrated story of a man's life with present-day scenes as bookends. All three films follow ordinary men who leave indelible legacies, but fail to grasp the worth of their own accomplishments. While Mr. Chips is an English teacher and young Huw Morgan is a Welsh miner's son, Father Francis Chisholm is a Scottish missionary priest in China.In this well written adaptation of the A. J. Cronin novel by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Nunnally Johnson, Gregory Peck underplays the role of Francis Chisholm effectively and with the solid dignity that distinguished Peck's long career. In only his second screen role, Peck is a Christ-like figure who accepts people as they are, which puts him at odds with the dogmatic bureaucrats that run his church. Vincent Price is colorful as Angus Mealy, an ambitious fellow priest who puts personal advancement above godliness, and Thomas Mitchell is equally fine as Willie Tulloch, a doctor who puts his service to humanity above religion. Besides Price and Mitchell, the film has a rich cast of such other outstanding character players as Edmund Gwen, Anne Revere, Cedric Hardwick, Sara Allgood, Benson Fong, and Roddy McDowall. Each of these fine performers makes even the smallest role memorable. While Rose Stradner is fine as the Reverend Mother, the film treads a delicate line with its subtle hint at a love story between her and Father Chisholm. Perhaps there was an underlying attraction between the two that went beyond mere friendship, but, if so, that was daring territory to explore during the 1940's.While "Keys of the Kingdom" runs more than two hours, the engrossing story should hold the attention of viewers who loved "How Green Was My Valley" and "Goodbye Mr. Chips." The film provides an emotional payoff that equals those in the earlier films, and damp eyes and a sniffle or two will likely affect even the hardest hearts. While at times sentimental in the best sense of the word, "The Keys of the Kingdom" also has an important message of acceptance that is particularly relevant today. Father Chisholm does not criticize "heathens" or "atheists," but rather respects their points of view and loves them for their good deeds regardless of their philosophies. When one of Chisholm's non-believer friends lays dying, the priest does not pressure him to convert on his deathbed, and the dying man thanks his friend for his respect and for allowing him to die as he had lived. The film certainly makes a strong point when the kindest, most generous works were those done by the non-believers, the doctor and Mr. Chia, the Chinese landowner, while the most selfish individual was the self-serving social-climbing priest played by Vincent Price. Peck's acceptance of and offer of friendship to the Protestant missionaries was yet another example of the man's Christianity, which placed him at odds with his own church and did more to illustrate Christ's message than the bureaucratic church hierarchy that would not even send money to fund the mission and told him to convert people of means. Although there are a few slow stretches and the finished film is not the classic that its creators intended, "The Keys of the Kingdom" is rewarding and a showcase for a young Gregory Peck, who was poised at the dawn of his stardom.