THE CARDINAL

Father Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) faces the KKK

THE CARDINAL (1963). Produced and directed by Otto Preminger.

At his birth it was decided that Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon of The Unholy Wife) would become a priest, and he never questioned it. Seen as being too ambitious by Bishop Glennon (John Huston), Fermoyle is sent to one of the poorest parishes in the nation, where he works with the dying Father Halley (Burgess Meredith). Not certain that he wants -- or ever wanted -- to be a priest, he takes a leave of absence and falls in love with the Austrian woman Annemarie (Romy Schneider) and vice versa, but his faith is reignited and he remains in the priesthood. As he advances at the Vatican due to the patronage of Cardinal Quarenghi (Raf Vallone), he jeopardizes his career by helping a black priest, Father Gillis (Ossie Davis), in Georgia and comes afoul of whip-wielding members of the Ku Klux Klan. Later he goes to Vienna to consult with Cardinal Innitzer (Joseph Meinrad), who has capitulated to the Nazis but is betrayed by them. He manages to escape an attack on Innitzer's quarters and with most of his family present is made a cardinal. 

Raf Vallone with Tom Tryon

Over three hours long, The Cardinal -- which spans WW1 up to the beginnings of WW2 and the rise of Hitler -- is never boring. I only watched the film because I was curious how actor-turned-novelist Tom Tryon would handle such a demanding lead role, and he comes through with flying colors. Unfortunately, The Cardinal was a financial flop, and that adversely affected his career. One of the film's greatest strengths is the performances of the entire cast, although John Huston, despite some solid moments, is as uneven in this as he was in The Other Side of the Wind. Carol Lynley makes her mark as Stephen's sister, who falls in love with a Jewish man, well-played by John Saxon. Broadway star Bill Hayes is also effective as Stephen's brother, Frank, as is Dorothy Gish as their mother. Others in the cast include Patrick O'Neal as a southern bigot, Murray Hamilton as one of the racist group who tries to help Stephen, Chill Wills as a bishop, and Bobby Morse (appearing with the Adora-Belles) as the main performer in a spirited nightclub act. 

Joseph Meinrad with Tryon

One problem with the film is that apparently some scenes had to be left on the cutting room floor, or perhaps were never filmed. The resolutions of storylines involving the sister and her fiance, as well as Annemarie in Nazi-controlled Vienna, are left dangling. Some scenes, such as a confrontation between Stephen and his sister's Jewish fiance after a tragic occurrence, cry out to be recorded but are never shown. On the other hand, there are some powerful moments, such as a chorus of Catholics in Vienna attracting the negative attention of the SS and Hitler Youth, forming a startling contrast, and the sequences when Nazis storm Cardinal Innitzer's quarters, which actually happened. Joseph Meinrad [Sissi: The Young Empress] is excellent as the cardinal, who was a real-life individual. 

Brothers: Tom Tryon with Bill Hayes

The Cardinal does something unusual in that it depicts the Nazi persecution of Catholics. Although ordinary members of the clergy (Protestants as well as Catholics) were sent to concentration camps or killed, higher-ranking clergy were generally left alone so as not to become martyrs. In any case, this doesn't compare to the persecution of Jews, whose ordinary citizenry were slaughtered in appalling numbers. Annemarie's husband has Jewish blood, and comes to a bad end, but otherwise The Cardinal doesn't really deal with antisemitism, another serious flaw of the film. Despite the fact that the film was partially bankrolled by the Vatican (the church's liaison later became Pope Benedict XVI), it is made clear that the church didn't really want to get involved in civil rights, let alone in the troubles of the Jews.  

Whatever its flaws, The Cardinal boasts a beautiful, expressive score by Jerome Moross [The Big Country] and superb cinematography courtesy of Leon Shamroy [The Robe] . 

Verdict: I am not remotely Catholic but I enjoyed this movie -- the religiosity never quite becomes overbearing, it is great to look at, and much more interesting than you might imagine, with a great cast. ***. 

JOAN ON GE THEATER

"Because I Love Him:" Crawford

JOAN CRAWFORD ON G.E. THEATER.

General Electric Theater was hosted by future president Ronald Reagan. Joan Crawford appeared in three episodes of the dramatic series, which ran for nine seasons:

Joan's first appearance on GET was in 1954 in a story entitled "The Road to Edinburgh." In this she plays Mary, a determined newspaper columnist driving from London to Edinburgh who meets a stranger named Wickers (John Sutton of The Invisible Man Returns) when he comes out of nowhere to fix her flat tire. She gives him a lift, but gets understandably freaked out when he tells her he just got out of prison after eighteen years after murdering his wife's elderly aunt. Fearing for her life, Mary does her best to get help from a hitch-hiking U.S. soldier (Chuck Connors) and the police. Although suspenseful, the wind-up in this episode is especially stupid, and considering the things that Wickers told her about himself, her self-contempt over her unfounded suspicions are ridiculous. **.

Strange Witness: Tom Tryon, Crawford

"Strange Witness" is listed on imdb.com as being an episode of GET as well as of The Joseph Cotton Show: On Trial; possibly a rerun. In the best of her GET appearances, Joan plays Ruth. who takes a lover, David (Tom Tryon), and is trapped in a loveless marriage with Chris (John McIntire.) Chris comes home earlier than expected and tells David, "You should have fixed your face when Ruth did," referring to the lipstick on David's cheek. With the affair out in the open, David cold-bloodedly shoots Chris. As they're deciding what to do with the body, Chris' blind friend, John (Sidney Blackmer) comes a' callin'. The couple think they have it made, but there's a shocking surprise waiting for them. Tryon [The Unholy Wife] is fine as the handsome sociopath; McIntire and Blackmer are excellent; and Joan, despite some "actressy" moments, offers a very good performance. The script was by Gavin Lambert. ***.

Joan's final GET appearance was in 1959. "And One Was Loyal" takes place in the tropics where George Manson (Tom Helmore of Shadow on the Wall) asks if he can briefly enjoy the hospitality of Roger (Robert Douglas) and Ann (Crawford) Howard. Roger is a mean drunk whose tormenting actions resulted in Ann becoming mute. Her ability to speak comes back when Roger is murdered, and George begins to wonder about Ann's actions. Crawford looks radiantly beautiful and makes good use of her very expressive face in this story. **1/2.

In 1953 Joan also appeared in an episode of The Revlon Mirror Theater, in a story entitled "Because I Love Him." In this very weird and contrived bit of fiction, a doctor (William Ching) tells Margaret Hughes (Crawford) that her husband, David (I believe this was Philip Dorn), has only a year to live. She is importuned to keep it a secret, and do everything she can to help him achieve his potential in that year. Despite her devotion, however, David falls in love with a colleague, Ann (Virginia Gray). Now what? While the situation is intriguing, this has a final twist that makes virtually no sense at all. Crawford handles the dubious plot turns even better than expected, and is quite good. **1/2.