The Keys of the Kingdom (film)

The Keys of the Kingdom is a 1944 American film based on the 1941 novel The Keys of the Kingdom by A. J. Cronin. The film was adapted by Nunnally Johnson, directed by John M. Stahl, and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. It stars Gregory Peck, Thomas Mitchell, and Vincent Price, and tells the story of the trials and tribulations of a Catholic priest who goes to China to evangelize.

One night during his childhood, Francis father was beaten by an antiCatholic mob during a rainstorm. As his mother attempts to lead her husband to safety, they both die in a bridge collapse, leaving young Francis an orphan. He is raised by his aunt, and the next we see of Francis, he is leaving for the seminary with his childhood friend, Anselm Angus Mealey Vincent Price. Francis studies at seminary for a year, but is unsure about all of the Churchs teachings. He still finds himself in love with Nora, a girl from his home. However, he finds out that after he left, Nora had a child out of wedlock with another man, and she dies before Francis can return to see her. This prompts him to go back to seminary and follow through with his studies, and Francis becomes a priest.Francis first two assignments as a priest are unfulfilling to him, so the Bishop asks Francis to be a volunteer missionary to China. Francis readily accepts the position, even though that means it would take him far from home as well as far from Judy, Noras daughter. Francis arrives in Paitan, Chekhow Province in China to find the mission destroyed by floods, and not rebuilt because the true Christians all left, leaving only those who attended to receive free rice. Because the Church hadnt given the mission money for rice in over a year, the faith left them when the rice gave out. Francis rents a small room in the city to evangelize, but because he has no money or influence, he is attacked by those same rice Christians who were supposed to help him. ........

Source: Wikipedia