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The Cardinal

The Cardinal

List Price: $26.99
Your Price: $24.29
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: So what happened to Florrie Fermoyle
Review: Having seen the Film The Cardinal, I am left wondering what happened to Maggie McNamara character Florrie Fermoyle we see her in the first part of th movie where she has a fight with her sister
then at her nieces 1st birthday party. in the second part of the film she is missing when the mother,brother and niece meet Stephen Fermoyle in new york and at the end where he is made a cardinal.
So what happen to this Character? it bothers me that she disappeared without a trace. In one review here her character is better, I see her as devotedly moral as she followed the morals of her faith.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An underrated classic from Otto Preminger
Review: "The Cardinal" is an excellent film for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Tom Tryon is perfectly cast as Father Stephen Fermoyle, an Irish-American priest who rises from meager beginnings to the College of Cardinals. Tryon's performance is one of conviction of a man repeatedly put to the test of his own religious convictions. Preminger uses the images on the screen and composer Jerome Moross' effective score to convey the inner turmoil of the stoic Tryon. The film is long and very episodic but is all held together again thanks to Tryon's performance. Raf Vallone is excellent as Cardinal Quarenghi, Fermoyle's mentor. Murray Hamilton also gives a fine performance as Lafe, a bigot with a conscience.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't bother with this movie.
Review: After I read the book by Henry Morton Robinson, I couldnt wait to see the film. What a disappointment! I wonder to this day where Preminger got his ideas for the screenplay,and why he eliminated most of Father Fermoyle's family. Although the acting is good, especially, Tom Tryon ,Burgess Meredith and John Houston, there is just no spark to this film. By using flashbacks, Preminger loses what thread of story that is left.
Its too bad that he wasnt even a pinch more faithful to the book,his cast certainly could have handled it. And why oh why were the characters of Gaetano Orselli,Ghislana Falerni, and Roberto Braggioti in particular eliminated. Did Preminger really
think that the character of Anne-Marie would help the plot?? Sorry Otto, that in itself is enough for a big thumbs down. Add it all up and you still get a big waste of time.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: PRAISE WARNER FOR ANOTHER GORGEOUS TRANSFER!
Review: An intercontinental journey spanning nearly 25 years, "The Cardinal" is a masterfully told saga that plays more like intimate melodrama. Otto Preminger directs with his usual adroit perception of the human condition as he tempts the faith of a Catholic cardinal (Tom Tryon) from Rome to Boston and Vienna. Along the way the film tackles such grandeous social issues as abortion, racism and celibacy. Co-star John Huston was Oscar-nominated for his role as the fiery archbishop. TRANSFER: Warner delivers another wonderful transfer. Though the colors have dated somewhat, this 1963 classic sparkles in a nicely balanced transfer. Over all, colors are vibrant. Blacks are deep. Contrast and shadow levels are fully realized. There appears to be little in the way of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are equally absent. The audio is 5.1 and captures the essence of early stereo recording.
EXTRAS: The masterful feature length documentary on Otto Preminger's life - he was quite the character! Also, a featurette of the same vintage as the film and a theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Cardinal" is an unusual religious epic; legitimate and introspective, bold and magnificent. It is a film of great emotional power and quiet graceful elegance. GET IT TODAY!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: PRAISE WARNER FOR ANOTHER GORGEOUS TRANSFER!
Review: An intercontinental journey spanning nearly 25 years, "The Cardinal" is a masterfully told saga. Otto Preminger directs with his usual adroit perception of the human condition as he tempts the faith of a Catholic cardinal (Tom Tryon) from Rome to Boston and Vienna. Along the way the film tackles such grandiose social issues as abortion, racism, celibacy and Fascism. Co-star John Huston was Oscar-nominated for his role as the fiery archbishop. Catholic priest, Steven Fermoyle (Tryon) returns to his home from taking his vows to discover that his sister, Mona (Carol Lynley) is in love with a Jewish man who is unwilling to give up his faith and that his brother, Frank (Bill Hayes) has abandoned the priesthood. Mona's obsession to marry leads her to a life of wanton debauchery that results in her death. In the meantime, Cardinal Glennon (John Huston) is determined to drive all of Steven's false pride from his soul. To this end he sends the young novice to work in a forgotten, frozen parish presided over by the Rev. Ned Halley (Burgess Meredith). When Halley dies, Steven is recalled to Rome where he meets a black southern priest, Father Gillis (Ossie Davis) who has come to ask for aid in fighting racism in his parish. The Vatican denies Gillis' request but Steven does indeed quietly take a leave to administer aid to Gillis' parish. He is attacked and brutally beaten by a sect of good ol' boys and nearly dies. The plot, from this point forward is rather rushed, unworthy of Preminger's usually sterling attention to pace. One gets the sense that Preminger would have liked another two or three hours to unfold the remainder of his tale which includes having Stephen return to Rome, then travel to Austria to regain is moral center. There he falls in love with Anna Marie VonHartmann (Romy Schneider) who does not know he is a priest. But Steven returns to his love of God, leaving Anna to marry a resistance operator during WWII in Nazi Germany who, unfortunately is discovered and jumps out a third story window to his death. From there Steven barely escapes Nazi persecution to once again return home to his family. Warner delivers another wonderful transfer. Though the colors have dated somewhat, this 1963 classic sparkles in a nicely balanced transfer. Over all, colors are vibrant. Blacks are deep. Contrast and shadow levels are fully realized. There appears to be little in the way of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are equally absent. The audio is 5.1 and captures the essence of early stereo recording.
Extras include the masterful feature length documentary on Otto Preminger, a featurette of the same vintage as the film and a theatrical trailer. "The Cardinal" is an unusual religious epic; legitimate and introspective, bold and magnificent. It is a film of great emotional power and quiet, graceful elegance.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: PRAISE WARNER FOR ANOTHER GORGEOUS TRANSFER!
Review: An intercontinental journey spanning nearly 25 years, "The Cardinal" is a masterfully told saga that plays more like intimate melodrama. Otto Preminger directs with his usual adroit perception of the human condition as he tempts the faith of a Catholic cardinal (Tom Tryon) from Rome to Boston and Vienna. Along the way the film tackles such grandeous social issues as abortion, racism and celibacy. Co-star John Huston was Oscar-nominated for his role as the fiery archbishop. TRANSFER: Warner delivers another wonderful transfer. Though the colors have dated somewhat, this 1963 classic sparkles in a nicely balanced transfer. Over all, colors are vibrant. Blacks are deep. Contrast and shadow levels are fully realized. There appears to be little in the way of age related artifacts. Digital anomalies are equally absent. The audio is 5.1 and captures the essence of early stereo recording.
EXTRAS: The masterful feature length documentary on Otto Preminger's life - he was quite the character! Also, a featurette of the same vintage as the film and a theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Cardinal" is an unusual religious epic; legitimate and introspective, bold and magnificent. It is a film of great emotional power and quiet graceful elegance. GET IT TODAY!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Otto Preminger was most underrated...
Review: Before I comment on the film itself, I must say that I believe film historians have given Preminger a bad rap. His films, even the sweeping epics, were quite personal, and would draw the audience into his own personal world. Preminger's reputation, largely, was due to his desire to confront social issues that often made the audience uncomfortable. Who can possibly forget "The Man with the Golden Arm" (drug-addiction), "Anatomy of a Murder" (rape), and his most cotroversial, "The Moon is Blue" (virginity), a 1954 film condemned by the Catholic Legion of Decency. These were "in your face" depictions of the stuff that is now regarded as "run of the mill". His handlings of Black culture have been immortalized on film in his two musicals, "Carmen Jones" and "Porgy and Bess". Arriving in the states during World War II, a misplaced German facing prejudice, he was well acquainted with alienation and filmed these Black-centered films with great affection. "Exodus" (1960) concerned the plight of the Jews, and "The Cardinal" dealt with the plight of a good Catholic and the many problems facing him (racism, abortion, celibacy, etc.). Preminger was not afraid to tackle a problem facing society, and his films are generally excellent in conveying his desire to expose situations to the world that are ever-present. Preminger's first Oscar nomination was in 1944 ("Laura"), though he stepped in for Rouben Mamoulian after filming had begun. It's the films he made in the 50's, during the McCarthy blacklist period, that made him passionate to move an apathetic public to serious situations. "The Cardinal" is one of his best, in many ways. Not only does it cover a long period of time, but it is coherent and often compelling. It was nominated for 6 Oscars (Director, Supprting Actor, Editing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costumes). I still think John Huston's performance was overdone, but he was a beloved director and this was his first acting role. If any acting awards shoud've been given, it should've been to Burgess Meredith. This was also Romy Schneider's first English-language role. She was a lovely woman and a confident actress. The editing, sets and photography were indeed fine (the 2.35:1 LBX on the DVD show all the glory), but I still believe that Jerome Moross' score is among the finest, though not nominated. Remember, this was up against "Cleopatra" for those technical awards so, though noble and fine, it could hardly compete against "That" budget. It was not nominated for "Best Picture", nor screenplay...I thought the train of events was handled in a literate fashion, from a very long book. I saw this when it came out in 1963, and was quite absorbed by it's message; Preminger's films did that to me (I was 11 when I saw "Exodus" and was speechless afterward. Go figure.) The DVD is very well done, and I'm happy to have it in my collection. Tom Tryon carried the lead role with one facial expression, and, though very good looking, his career didn't last long. He became a best-selling author and I'm sure he's happier. The rest of the acting was OK, but it was really great to see Dorothy Gish as his mother. A class act. Also, Maggie McNamara hadn't had a decent role since "The Moon is Blue", so it was swell of Otto to give her a shot here; very good, too, as the bitter sister. This is not a great film, but Preminger's sure and courageous hand keep this film moving and never boring (at 3 hours). There was also so much anti-Catholic behavior going on within the church that I'm surprised the church didn't try to squash this whole project.Preminger has never failed to impress me. The man and his vision and talent are not to be taken lightly. Not to mention his desire to "tell it like it is".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best films I have ever seen in my life
Review: I first saw The Cardinal at the movies in New York in 1964, and I thought about it for a long time afterwards. This film dealt with historical, religious, and psychological issues which are still controversial in the present day. One of the most powerful, psychological parts of the story was the priest who had really not accommplished, to all outward appearances, very much in his priestly life. However, this priest with his prayerfulness, and humility in some French Canadian fishing village in Massachusetts had a powerful impact on Father Fermoyle, and Fermmoyle's pastor who worked directly with the archbishop of Boston.

The Fermoyle family were so well presented that I came away feeling as though I knew each one of them personally and as friends of mine. There was the realistic approach because the Fermoyles, a staunch Boston Irish Catholic family were not presented as holier than thous, but as human beings with their faults and problems. The way that Mona Fermoyle's birth of the baby was dealt with is still a large concern in our society today.

It is 35 years since I first saw this film, but I remember each and every part of it as if I had only seen it yesterday. Oh, yes my plans are to buy this video, and watch it frequeently, and each time that I watch it, I can see it from a different perspective such as abortion, religious prejudice initiated by the KuKluxKlan, politics within the Catholic Church, and the onset of Nazi invasion in Europe just prior to WWII. I also hope that I will be to share this movie with my family and close friends.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tom Tryon is sexy and handsome
Review: I love this movie because Tom Tryon is sooooooooooo handsome. I like all of his movies, especially Moon Pilot. He's very pretty and sexy in this movie and he's a good actor, too. If you are a woman and have never looked at Tom Tryon, you gotta see him!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the cardinal
Review: i saw this movie year's ago and thought it was very moving. and very true to the thinking of the catholic church. brilliant acting. if you want a good cry, this is the one. and tom tryon is so handsome.


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