On the eve of World War II, a ceremony is held in which Stephen formally becomes a cardinal. After the success of the missions on which the Vatican had sent him, he is elevated to the College of Cardinals. He manages to see Annemarie one last time after she has been imprisoned by the Nazi authorities. He and the cardinal ultimately must flee for their lives. Stephen is sent back to Austria to persuade a cardinal not to cooperate with the Nazi government, with a threat of a world war looming over all. After successfully handling the assignment, Stephen is consecrated as a bishop, with Father Gillis present for the consecration. The Vatican returns him to the United States on a mission in the American South to assist a black priest named Father Gillis ( Ossie Davis) who is opposed by the Ku Klux Klan. Stephen's vocation calls him back to Rome and the church. There he meets and enters into a relationship with a young woman, Annemarie ( Romy Schneider). Racked with guilt over the death of his sister, Stephen suffers a crisis of faith, so he is transferred to Europe and made a monsignor, but he is unsure of how committed he is to a life in the clergy, and he travels to Vienna, taking a two-year sabbatical by working as a lecturer. Mona dies giving birth to the child, Regina. Stephen will not allow the doctor to do so, because according to Catholic doctrine, the baby may not be killed. She is taken to the hospital, where the doctor tells Stephen that it is too late to perform a caesarean operation and in order to save Mona, the head of the baby must be crushed. Stephen, his brother and Benny find Mona in agony because her pelvis is too small for a large baby. Meanwhile, Mona becomes pregnant out of wedlock. Fermoyle learns humility from him and his housekeeper, Lalage ( Jill Haworth). Father Halley is very sick with multiple sclerosis. There he meets the humble pastor, Father Ned Halley ( Burgess Meredith), and Fermoyle observes the unpretentious way in which he lives his life and treats his parishioners. After he tells her to give Benny up, she runs away and becomes promiscuous.Ĭoncerned about the young priest's ambition, the archbishop ( John Huston) assigns Stephen to an out-of-the-way parish where it is hoped that he will learn humility. Mona seeks Stephen's counsel as a priest. Benny does not agree and leaves to serve in World War I. Stephen and his Irish Catholic family will only permit Mona to marry Benny if he becomes a Catholic or agrees to raise any children as Catholic. He discovers that his parents are upset about daughter Mona ( Carol Lynley) having become engaged to marry a Jewish man, Benny Rampell ( John Saxon). The film is shown as a series of memory flashbacks during a formal ceremony where the protagonist is instituted as a cardinal.Ī newly ordained Irish Catholic priest, Stephen Fermoyle ( Tom Tryon), returns home to Boston in 1917. This former Boston streetcar was restored to its 1915 Boston Elevated Railway livery for scenes in the film. The story touches on various social issues such as interfaith marriage, sex outside marriage, abortion, racial bigotry, the rise of fascism and war. Joseph Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican's liaison officer for the film was Rev. Robinson's novel was based on the life of Francis, Cardinal Spellman, who was then Archbishop of New York. The film was shot on location in Rome, Vienna, Boston and Stamford, Connecticut. ![]() It marks the final appearance by veteran film star Dorothy Gish as well as the last big-screen performance of Maggie McNamara. The film's cast features Tom Tryon, Romy Schneider and John Huston, and it was nominated for six Academy Awards. ![]() The music score was written by Jerome Moross. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel of the same name (1950) by Henry Morton Robinson. The Cardinal is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures.
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