I really like this movie! It is a little too long and moves a bit slowly at times, and Tom Tryon's performance is uneven (he is very wooden), but the screenplay is very good, the cinematography is lovely, and the other actors are excellent, especially John Huston, who practically steals the movie and received an Oscar nomination for his performance. This film is well worth watching!

This is a 1963 American drama directed by Otto Preminger, based on the novel of the same name (1950) by Henry Morton Robinson.
Robinson's novel was based on the life of Cardinal Francis Spellman, who was then Archbishop of New York.
The Vatican's liaison officer for the film was Joseph Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI.
The story touches on various social issues such as interfaith marriage, sex outside of marriage, abortion, racial bigotry, the rise of fascism and war.
Although the film glorifies the protagonist, it is quite interesting to see the conflict between the Nazis and the Catholic church.

This movie is proof how far and much better movies have become over time. I could only make it through 20 minutes before the ridiculous acting and script did me in! Do not waste your time on it.

This movie was entertaining and interesting but not one of my favorite for this year. Not too bad---good performance. Very predictable but still entertaining. I fast forwarded a lot but not all the way.

I first saw this 1963 movie in London, England with my cousin, then a seminarian. I had forgotten most of the story but was surprised by how good it was. The first half is a little dour and the characters hard to sympathize with, but it picks up in the second half and makes for good viewing. It brings out the fact that life is a serious business, our choices have consequences for good or ill. And it shows very clearly the conflict between good and evil. The treatment of the Church is more realistic and sympathetic than most treatments today. Loved the movie; the "Cardinal's" speech at the end brought tears to my eyes.