I prefer Walter Connolly's characterization of Father Brown more than Alec Guinness' overly eccentric rendition. Connolly's Father Brown is empathetic and spiritual but also has a touch of whimsy and humor about him that is endearing. As a priest he wants to save the soul of a notorious thief, Flambeau (Paula Lukas). Flambeau plans to steal diamonds in order to give them to a woman he is recently smitten with (Gertrude Michael). Four of the diamonds are on Father Brown's cross. Flambeau has notified the police, Father Brown, and the man who he plans to steal the other diamonds from that he will steal their diamonds. The man happens to be both the Police Commissioner and Michael's father. The philosophical discussions between Father Brown and Flambeau are brief and interesting but not preachy or overly done. It's a light hearted and fun movie with a solid cast and well worth a watch. My only quibble with it is that, at 43, Paul Lukas is too old to play Flambeau. However, he does do a good job with the role.
9 Reviews
Enjoyment of this film will depend on how you take to Walter Connolly's titled character, I found him slighting annoying
dbborroughs26 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Walter Connolly plays GK Chesterton's classic character is an okay adaptation of the stories. Following the basic plot used in the better Alec Guiness film Father Brown is attempting to stop the thief Flambeau (Paul Lukas) from stealing a diamond encrusted cross that is in the possession of his Parrish. Actually Brown doesn't care so much about saving the cross as saving Flambeau. Amusing at times with some great discussions between Flambeau and Brown, enjoyment of the film will hinge on whether Connolly's Brown clicks with you or not. I found him okay, but often grating, the result of his trying too hard to be something approximating the character. For me it boiled down to there being more than a few times when he was a collection of ticks and gestures and such that never really jelled as if he felt he had to do X, Y or Z to be the character instead of just being (which he did do in many scenes at which time the film worked). Ultimately its not a bad film, its one that just sort of misses and its easy to see why this isn't as well known as the Guiness film.
Worth a look if you run across it, but not worth searching out. between 5 and 6 out of 10
Worth a look if you run across it, but not worth searching out. between 5 and 6 out of 10
A solid, well made film.
Sleepin_Dragon17 February 2023
Flambeau has stolen ten valuable diamonds, Father Brown is intent on getting them back, and saving the criminal's soul.
Quite a fun adaptation this, I didn't quite know what to expect having watched it directly after the 1954 film starting Alec Guinness.
I quite liked the story, it looked pretty good, and for the most past was well made and well acted. Considering it dates back to 1934, I think it's quite nicely made, it's an attractive looking film, nice costumes and sets.
It's perhaps a little slow in parts, and as a non catholic, I felt it a little preachy at times, but then it was made a long time ago, so I can forgive that.
I rather liked Walter Connolly as the title character, I found him very believable, that right mix of Priest and Amateur sleuth, a good performance.
Paul Lukas, did a fair job as Flambeau, I'm not sure it was for most dynamic interpretation of the great thief.
Pretty good, 6/10.
Quite a fun adaptation this, I didn't quite know what to expect having watched it directly after the 1954 film starting Alec Guinness.
I quite liked the story, it looked pretty good, and for the most past was well made and well acted. Considering it dates back to 1934, I think it's quite nicely made, it's an attractive looking film, nice costumes and sets.
It's perhaps a little slow in parts, and as a non catholic, I felt it a little preachy at times, but then it was made a long time ago, so I can forgive that.
I rather liked Walter Connolly as the title character, I found him very believable, that right mix of Priest and Amateur sleuth, a good performance.
Paul Lukas, did a fair job as Flambeau, I'm not sure it was for most dynamic interpretation of the great thief.
Pretty good, 6/10.
G*d's Certainty
boblipton27 May 2024
Walter Connolly is Father Brown in this version of his duel with Flambeau, played by Paul Lukas. Lukas wants the diamond-encrusted crucifix that Connolly always carries. He wants to give the diamonds to Gertrude Michael, whom he loves. The police, in the persons of Scotland Yard Inspector Robert Loraine, and his sergeant, E. E. Clive, want him for his past crimes. And Connolly wants him for G*d. Because the movie is not so much about Connolly, but about the redemption of Lukas.
It's not the movie. You'd expect a comedy expert like Eddie Sedgwick to direct, but it's the most accurate film version of Brown I've ever seen.... although that is not saying much. Connolly plays the priest with a humility I have not seen before, and Sedgwick manages to get a nice comic sequence when Lukas, disguised as a Portuguese priest, walks with Connolly about London. With Halliwell Hobbes and Una O'Connor.
It's not the movie. You'd expect a comedy expert like Eddie Sedgwick to direct, but it's the most accurate film version of Brown I've ever seen.... although that is not saying much. Connolly plays the priest with a humility I have not seen before, and Sedgwick manages to get a nice comic sequence when Lukas, disguised as a Portuguese priest, walks with Connolly about London. With Halliwell Hobbes and Una O'Connor.
Routine G.K. Chesterton Adaptation
zardoz-1327 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Father Brown, Detective" isn't half as entertaining as director Robert Hamer's film "The Detective" (1954) with Alec Guinness. Character actor Walter Connelly isn't bad as the eponymous protagonist, but he seems a bit too comical. Alec Guinness was much more believable and sympathetic as the cleric. Moreover, the daring thief Flambeau (Peter Finch) in the Guinness film was ingrained with greater depth and background than Paul Lukas's debonair thief. "Father Brown, Detective" comes off sounding more like a Catholic recruiting effort and the filmmakers lay the religion on with a trowel. Generally speaking, the Hollywood Production Code dictated to the studios that good should always triumph over evil. The Guinness version is more credible than frequent Buster Keaton collaborator director Edward Sedgwick's Paramount release. For starters, Flambeau is far too easy to catch. He gives himself up! Furthermore, Connelly's Father Brown is never really in any sort of jeopardy. Comparatively, Flambeau outwitted Guinness' Father Brown and actually stole the church cross. Indeed, both films concern the theft of a valuable religious icon—a cross—and its recovery. The elusive Flambeau is described by the authorities in "Father Brown, Detective" as a master of disguises, but we only see him in one disguise and it is not very convincing. Whereas, Peter Finch's Flambeau dons better disguises. Production values are meager, and "Father Brown, Detective" appears to have been a pilot for a franchise that inexplicably never materialized.
Very close to the original story...and yet not.
planktonrules3 June 2024
In "Father Brown, Detective", Walter Connelly plays the fictional detective and the baddie in this one is Flambeau (Paul Lukas), an international theif who has been able to elude police. This is apparently because Flambeau is a master of disguise (something I would beg to differ with then the great crook is hiding as a priest...as it's obviously Flambeau). But Father Brown is less interested in capturing the crook but reforming him...something which doed differ from the original tale.
The film is talky and I fell asleep several times....a sure sign the movie should have had more zip. Not terrible by any standard, but also a bit of a diappointment.
The film is talky and I fell asleep several times....a sure sign the movie should have had more zip. Not terrible by any standard, but also a bit of a diappointment.
Walter Connolly Makes a Highly Believable Father Brown
JohnHowardReid21 June 2008
It's both interesting and instructive to compare the two movie versions of "The Blue Cross". In the Paramount picture, the writers cleverly preserve the maguffin of the tale, namely the ingenious yet simple way in which Brown outwits his adversary, yet change the character of the priest himself. In the British picture, however, Brown's astonishing ingenuity is completely ignored, other than his re-swapping the parcels (a commonplace feat common to both films); yet, although he indulges in no abstruse theological debates, the Guinness' Brown is far more faithful to G.K. Chesterton's conception.
Frankly, despite Chesterton's disapproval, I prefer Connolly, who makes Brown a believable priest, not an argumentative theology basher lecturing on "the real difference between human charity and Christian charity" and similar peripheral, philosophical subjects ("The Chief Mourner of Marne", page 583 in the Cassell omnibus edition).
Walter Connolly and his scriptwriters imbue Brown with a quality that Guinness and company don't even attempt: Spirituality! The only other movie occasion in which I've seen this essential quality brought into the open was in the character played by Burgess Meredith in The Cardinal (1963). With Connolly, however, this virtue is not drawn to the audience's attention. It's just there! In a gesture, a wink, an attitude or simply part of the actor's charisma. Connolly's performance transcends "acting". He really is Father Brown. On the other hand, with Guinness we always have the impression that here is Guinness again most ably playing his customary screen character, this time under the label, Father Brown.
Although he is not the Flambeau described in the books, Paul Lukas does well in the part and receives excellent support from lovely Gertrude Michael. Hobbes, of course, is his usual aristocratic self. And also much as usual, alas, is Una O'Connor, complete with trademark squawk. Fortunately, her role is small.
Technical credits are first-class.
Frankly, despite Chesterton's disapproval, I prefer Connolly, who makes Brown a believable priest, not an argumentative theology basher lecturing on "the real difference between human charity and Christian charity" and similar peripheral, philosophical subjects ("The Chief Mourner of Marne", page 583 in the Cassell omnibus edition).
Walter Connolly and his scriptwriters imbue Brown with a quality that Guinness and company don't even attempt: Spirituality! The only other movie occasion in which I've seen this essential quality brought into the open was in the character played by Burgess Meredith in The Cardinal (1963). With Connolly, however, this virtue is not drawn to the audience's attention. It's just there! In a gesture, a wink, an attitude or simply part of the actor's charisma. Connolly's performance transcends "acting". He really is Father Brown. On the other hand, with Guinness we always have the impression that here is Guinness again most ably playing his customary screen character, this time under the label, Father Brown.
Although he is not the Flambeau described in the books, Paul Lukas does well in the part and receives excellent support from lovely Gertrude Michael. Hobbes, of course, is his usual aristocratic self. And also much as usual, alas, is Una O'Connor, complete with trademark squawk. Fortunately, her role is small.
Technical credits are first-class.
If the Church Were in Law Enforcement
view_and_review8 June 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Many master thief movies in the 30's came down to the thief and a woman, and "Father Brown, Detective" added itself to the list.
The thief was a man named Flambeau (Paul Lukas) and he wanted to steal ten diamonds known as the "Flying Stars" for a woman named Evelyn Fischer, played by Gertrude Michael. Gertrude Michael was an interesting choice for the movie only because earlier that year she was in a thief movie in which she played the thief Sophie Lang.
*That movie was much better than this one by the way.
Evelyn didn't want the "Flying Stars" nor did she even know Flambeau, he simply saw her and decided that the Flying Stars were the way to her heart.
Four of the diamonds were with Evelyn's uncle, Sir Leopold Fischer (Halliwell Hobbes), and the remaining six were with Father Brown (Walter Connolly).
While the police wanted to arrest Flambeau, Father Brown wanted to save his soul. The priest and the police were in a race and Father Brown was not interested in aiding the police in arresting Flambeau. He was a dogooder who believed his form of redemption was better than the criminal justice system. He figured that with some good religious talk and maybe some talk of love, he could get Flambeau to turn himself in.
Along with aiding and abetting a known criminal, Father Brown was a matchmaker. He wanted to get Flambeau and Evelyn together. Maybe he was a romantic or maybe he thought that a woman would help Flambeau go straight. Either way, he was a meddling priest that I didn't find nearly as charming as they wanted him to be. Honestly, I don't know why they called it "Father Brown, Detective," he wasn't much of a detective at all. He didn't solve any crimes, all he did was make a correct assumption about who Flambeau was and then began his meddling.
"Father Brown, Detective" wound up being a didactic movie emphasizing the power of prayer and the power of the church, as though the church should be in charge of criminal matters and the police there just to do the church's bidding.
Free on YouTube.
The thief was a man named Flambeau (Paul Lukas) and he wanted to steal ten diamonds known as the "Flying Stars" for a woman named Evelyn Fischer, played by Gertrude Michael. Gertrude Michael was an interesting choice for the movie only because earlier that year she was in a thief movie in which she played the thief Sophie Lang.
*That movie was much better than this one by the way.
Evelyn didn't want the "Flying Stars" nor did she even know Flambeau, he simply saw her and decided that the Flying Stars were the way to her heart.
Four of the diamonds were with Evelyn's uncle, Sir Leopold Fischer (Halliwell Hobbes), and the remaining six were with Father Brown (Walter Connolly).
While the police wanted to arrest Flambeau, Father Brown wanted to save his soul. The priest and the police were in a race and Father Brown was not interested in aiding the police in arresting Flambeau. He was a dogooder who believed his form of redemption was better than the criminal justice system. He figured that with some good religious talk and maybe some talk of love, he could get Flambeau to turn himself in.
Along with aiding and abetting a known criminal, Father Brown was a matchmaker. He wanted to get Flambeau and Evelyn together. Maybe he was a romantic or maybe he thought that a woman would help Flambeau go straight. Either way, he was a meddling priest that I didn't find nearly as charming as they wanted him to be. Honestly, I don't know why they called it "Father Brown, Detective," he wasn't much of a detective at all. He didn't solve any crimes, all he did was make a correct assumption about who Flambeau was and then began his meddling.
"Father Brown, Detective" wound up being a didactic movie emphasizing the power of prayer and the power of the church, as though the church should be in charge of criminal matters and the police there just to do the church's bidding.
Free on YouTube.
A Much Too Good Persuasive Priest
pensman8 June 2024
Unfortunate that this is the sole outing of Father Brown with Walter Connolly as the lead. His Father Brown captures the essence of G. K. Chesterton's eponymous detective.
Paul Lukas basically plays Paul Lukas as Flambeau, the master thief who has an ongoing competition with Father Brown. Although Lukas had an expansive and impressive film career, he played the same character whether he was Flambeau or Prof. Pierre Aronnax (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) or Stein (Lord Jim).
In this film Flambeau announces his intention to steal ten diamonds including those on the cross belonging to Father Brown. It's fun to watch Father Brown leave a trail of clues for the police to follow as he leads Flambeau on to a possible repentance. But can Flambeau change into an honest man? I can only hope not as Flambeau is a most interesting thief.
Paul Lukas basically plays Paul Lukas as Flambeau, the master thief who has an ongoing competition with Father Brown. Although Lukas had an expansive and impressive film career, he played the same character whether he was Flambeau or Prof. Pierre Aronnax (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) or Stein (Lord Jim).
In this film Flambeau announces his intention to steal ten diamonds including those on the cross belonging to Father Brown. It's fun to watch Father Brown leave a trail of clues for the police to follow as he leads Flambeau on to a possible repentance. But can Flambeau change into an honest man? I can only hope not as Flambeau is a most interesting thief.
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