Watch A Man Called Peter For Free

That was an excellent one.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Excellent but underrated film

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Richard Todd is "A Man Called Peter," a 1955 film directed by Henry Koster and also starring Jean Peters. It's the story of minister Peter Marshall, who twice served as Chaplain to the U.S. Senate and was known for his sermons.I imagine some of these events took a little longer than is shown in the film, although it can't have been much longer because Todd died in 1949, at the age of 47. The film starts in the 1920a. He sure crammed in a lot. "A Man Called Peter" tries to hit the high points, showing his childhood in Scotland and love of the sea, a dramatic calling to the ministry, his first church in Georgia, meeting his wife Catherine (Peters), and the ministry in his church in Washington, D.C., which led to his fame. I'm not sure how much dramatic license was taken, but Marshall's story plays out very effectively.Jean Peters does a lovely job as Catherine, who also narrates the film. The linchpin, of course, is Richard Todd as Marshall, and he's absolutely wonderful, certainly worthy of greater Hollywood stardom than he had. He should have been right up there with Richard Burton. He gives a powerful, utterly believable performance, never putting on airs as a holy man but giving us a real human being. Sadly, Marshall's son, who also became a minister, died just this year at age 68 (if indeed he was born on the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor), and Marshall's wife Catherine passed away in 1983. The film is based on her book of the same name.I saw this film when I was in grammar school, I guess, so it was 50 years ago or more, and the only scene I remembered was the very last one. I don't know if I appreciated its spiritual message as much as I do now. This is a film not for people of any particular religion, but for people who consider themselves spiritual. I will only say that Henry Koster overdid it a little on the establishing shots, though I'm sure that since the film is in color, he wanted to show the lovely scenery. This isn't the kind of film that's being made any longer. There are films made with spiritual messages, but they're not done like this. "A Man Called Peter" is an old-fashioned Hollywood family movie, but its message is timeless.

If you want to see a moving film about a good, but flawed man, then watch this. The added bonus is that it's the only film I know of that isn't afraid to feature sermons - sounds dull, doesn't it, but they're absolutely riveting and are taken word for word from Peter Marshall's sermons, spoken and acted powerfully by Richard Todd. He plays Peter Marshall, the Scottish minister, to a tee, a strong and solid character, who must have been, to put it mildly, a challenging man to live with. This film would never be made today - too wordy and too slow - but that is very much part of its charm. All the words count and nothing is wasted. And it's worth watching just for the sermons - when can you say that about a film?! It's charmingly dated and definitely one to watch whenever it appears on the television, which is all too rare!

It's refreshing to see a film about faith without all the dogmatic posturing and self-righteousness so prevalent among today's more evangelical "clergy".This is a good film biography of a remarkable man, whose true calling to the ministry influenced so many lives. His inclusive message of the all-encompassing love of God and the Christ spirit seems more meaningful today than in its own time.The best part of the film are Marshall's own concise and lucid sermons, lifted straight from the page and thrillingly delivered by the actor Richard Todd. The actor listened carefully to recordings of Marshall's speaking style and the memories others had of it and carefully replicated it. One doesn't hear public speaking like THIS anymore, without a microphone, the text delivered with style and passion.This film changed my life as a teenager, forty years ago, introducing me to the spiritual life. I then read the book from which it derives (even better than the picture), all the collections of Marshall's sermons and prayers then in print (the prayers even more wonderful than the sermons!) and these books carried me through many bleak times in my life, as did the subsequent books by Peter's wife.I hope this film can do the same for you.

For years it has amazed me that this film was not available on DVD, and now I see Fox has come around to correcting that mistake--bravo! Now the glorious CinemaScope picture can be enjoyed along with the note-perfect score by Alfred Newman and the amazing performance of Richard Todd."A Man Called Peter" charts the true story of Peter Marshall, a Scottish immigrant who became a nationally-known Presbyterian pastor in the US and eventually found himself chaplain of the US Senate. But don't let those accomplishments fool you--the story of Peter Marshall is, in its own words, the story of "one man's friendship with God," nothing more and nothing less. Not that it's a syrupy, sugar-coated look at faith, however. "A Man Called Peter" deals with the realities of life and the questions we often find ourselves asking, particularly with regards to suffering. It doesn't shirk these issues, doesn't provide pat answers...it just demonstrates Peter Marshall's simple trust in the one he called "The Chief." One of the amazing things about "A Man Called Peter" is its attention to Dr. Marshall's amazing gift for preaching. Quite a bit of time is spent on his sermon material,expertly delivered by Richard Todd. The December 7th, 1941 scene is particularly moving. Overall, the sincerity of Peter Marshall's faith is evident, both in the highs and lows of his life. And despite his premature passing, the film still manages to end on a stirring note of hope. "See you in the morning" is a phrase that will never be the same for you after watching this film.After Peter's death, Catherine Marshall had a dream she was visiting him in heaven, where she told him she was contemplating writing a book about his life. In the dream Peter said to her, "Go ahead and write it, Kate. Let the world know a man can love God and not be a sissy!" The movie version of "A Man Called Peter" demonstrates that with class, top-notch performances, and a heart sadly missing from many films today."A Man Called Peter" is a classic--and now it's available in the only format that can do it justice. I can't wait to experience it for the first time all over again!