The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)

“Dear Lord, let me have patience and forbearance where now I have anger. Give me humility, Lord; after all, it was only thy merciful goodness and thy divine providence that saved the boy… but they *are* ungrateful and You know it!” – Father Francis Chisholm

Number of Times Seen – 1 (12 Jun 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A young priest is sent to a mission in China where he must find a way to bring his religion to the warring locals.

My Take on it – This is another film that I had never even heard of before finding out that Gregory Peck was nominated for an Oscar for the lead role.

The story itself is actually quite interesting and they manage to give us so much insight into the kind of life that a missionary in China would live during the last part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century.

We get to see some of the highlights of his life there that include many surprises along the way where he must deal with very unexpected matters along the way.

Peck is superb in this role and was very deserving of his very first Oscar nomination for Best Actor for this compelling and interesting character.

The supporting cast helps make this story even more interesting and Thomas Mitchell and Edmund Gwenn are both great in their small yet very significant roles here.

This story is based on a novel by the same name which I’m sure gives an even more detailed account of the life of the priest who must find ways to overcome so many obstacles on his way to fulfilling his important role in the world.

Bottom Line – Great story that gives so much insight into the life of a missionary in a foreign country that much deal with much more than he expects. Peck is superb in the lead role here and was very deserving of his Oscar nomination for this performance. The supporting cast is also great with Mitchell and Gwenn as the stand outs among the very talented cast. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The only Oscar nominated performance by Gregory Peck in a non-Best Picture nominated film. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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