Man Called Peter, A (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Jan 16, 2019
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Henry KosterRelease Date(s)
1955 (December 26, 2018)Studio(s)
20th Century Fox (Twilight Time)- Film/Program Grade: B
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: C
Review
From 20th Century Fox in breathtaking CinemaScope, A Man Called Peter is a film adaptation of the 1951 biography of the same name, which is based upon the true life events in father Peter Marshall’s life.
The story begins with his upbringing in Scotland. As a youth, Peter desires to go to America to study, which he eventually does. After his education, a now older Peter (Richard Todd) accepts a position as pastor of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. The film then focuses on his time at a New York seminary, his time in Atlanta churches, his marriage to Catherine Wood Marshall (Jean Peters), and his appointment as chaplain of the U.S. Senate, culminating in an early death at the age of 46.
Veteran director Henry Koster does a superb job with the film, working with the wonderful acting abilities of Todd, Peters, Marjorie Rambeau, Les Tremayne, and others. Alfred Newman’s score is also pleasant and fits the tone of the story perfectly.
Twilight Time brings A Man Called Peter to Blu-ray with a vivid image, courtesy of an HD master provided by 20th Century Fox. The color palette shines during the daytime scenes. Interiors and exteriors look fantastic with great detail and rich textures. Flesh tones also appear accurate. English 4.0 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks are provided with optional subtitles in English SDH. The lossless 2.0 track comes in much stronger with more intensity, but both options have rich dialogue and a potent score.
The special features provide material ported over from the DVD release, including an audio sermon by Peter Marshall, a set of Fox Movietone Newsreels, and the original theatrical trailer. In addition, there’s also an isolated music track, a scroll-through of the current Twilight Time catalogue, and a 8-page insert booklet with an essay on the film by Julie Kirgo.
A Man Called Peter will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you should be willing to give the movie a spin as the presentation of it is simply phenomenal. Once again, kudos to Twilight Time!
– David Steigman