Hollywood Flashback: ‘The Cardinal’ Drew High Praise at the Golden Globes in 1964

The just lately launched Conclave takes viewers inside the room the place the Catholic Church’s cardinals should choose a brand new pope, all whereas conspiracy threatens the proceedings. However the movie is much from the first to scrutinize the internal workings of the church. In 1964, the Golden Globe for finest drama went to The Cardinal, which features a conclave of its personal. It additionally options every little thing from Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan to the ballrooms of Vienna in a history-sweeping narrative. The Columbia film, directed by Otto Preminger, relies on the best-selling 1950 novel of the identical identify by Henry Morton Robinson. It follows Father Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) from his days as a newly ordained priest in Boston via a profession that culminates in one among the church’s highest places of work. Alongside the method, he grapples along with his calling after dealing with a life-and-death ethical dilemma.

Though the plot consists of such hot-button points as interfaith marriage, abortion and racial segregation and spans each World Wars, reviewers had combined opinions. THR famous it was stuffed with “spectacle, color, humor, ambition and topical interest.” The New York Instances, in the meantime, raved about John Huston’s flip as an older priest however bashed lead actor Tryon as a “callow cliché” in the “Bing Crosby priest tradition” with out the allure.

As for the manufacturing, Preminger eschewed soundstages in favor of taking pictures at historic church buildings in New England and Europe and websites in the American South, Vienna and Rome. In truth, the movie’s Vatican liaison for European places was a younger German priest named Joseph Ratzinger — later elected by conclave as Pope Benedict XVI.

This story first appeared in a November stand-alone difficulty of The Hollywood Reporter journal. To obtain the journal, click on right here to subscribe.