The First Legion main backdrop
The First Legion main poster

The First Legion

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6.8/10 • 4

1951-05-041h 26m

Drama

A Catholic priest fights against his colleagues' immediate acceptance of an ambiguous “miracle”.

Directors
Douglas Sirk
Editors
Francis D. Lyon

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Charles Boyer

    Charles Boyer

    Father Marc Arnoux

  2. William Demarest

    William Demarest

    Monsignor Michael Carey

  3. Lyle Bettger

    Lyle Bettger

    Dr. Peter Morrell

  4. Barbara Rush

    Barbara Rush

    Terry Gilmartin

  5. Leo G. Carroll

    Leo G. Carroll

    Father Rector Paul Duquesne

  6. Walter Hampden

    Walter Hampden

    Father Edward Quarterman

  7. Wesley Addy

    Wesley Addy

    Father John Fulton

  8. Taylor Holmes

    Taylor Holmes

    Father Keene

  9. H.B. Warner

    H.B. Warner

    Father José Sierra

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Dec 5, 2024

7/10

"Dr. Morrell" (Lyle Bettger) is adamant that the ageing "Fr. Sierra" (H.B. Warner) will never walk again, until - well, he does. Is this a miracle? There are those amongst this priestly, Jesuit, brotherhood who are all too eager to have it declared one, but "Fr. Arnoux" (Charles Boyer) is a tad more sceptical. His concerns aren't exactly assuaged when the wheelchair-bound young "Terri" (Barbara Rush) hopes that this is but a precursor to her own healing. "Arnoux" is also determined to stop the disillusioned "Fr. Fulton" (Wesley Addy) from abandoning his faith, but with all these shenanigans going on, he perhaps isn't so certain of his own - a fact that hasn't escaped the sagely "Father Rector" (Leo G. Carroll) who has quite a few plates to juggle, or the visiting and rather jolly "Monsignor Carey" (William Demarest). It's quite easy to dismiss this as a dose of Christian hokum, but it's actually quite a bit more of a subtle look at hope and how ready people are to believe in just anything when it is absent. That's well exemplified here by a personable effort from Rush and also from both Boyer and Addy, too. We sense all along that the doctor knows a great deal more than he's letting on, and that also helps create a sense of the perplexing that does raise a few questions about the power of prayer (or not). The photography also adds a bit of richness to the drama, intimate but never intrusive, and complemented by a gently effective score from Hans Sommer that gives this an extra humanity. I haven't a religious bone in my body, and the first half hour did make me wonder what moralising I was to expect, but by the end it proved a more thought-provoking look at belief, instead.

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  • The First Legion poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
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