British distributors Odeon Entertainment have revealed that they are preparing a Blu-ray release of director John M. Stahl's
The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), starring Gregory Peck, Vincent Price, and Thomas Mitchell. The preliminary release date set by the distributors is September 10th.
After losing his parents and his childhood sweetheart to tragedy, Francis Chisholm (Peck) joins the priesthood and devotes himself to a life of service and compassion. But Chisholm's unorthodox beliefs raise eyebrows among his superiors, especially Bishop Angus Mealy (Vincent Price). And when he is sent to the farthest reaches of China to rebuild an abandoned mission, Chisholm faces his greatest challenge of all: to tame a hostile land, win over a superstitious people and save his parish from an invading army.
Based on A.J. Cronin's novel and produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (
All About Eve,
Cleopatra), in 1946
The Keys of the Kingdom earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Cinematography (Arthur C. Miller).
Note: In the U.S.,
The Keys of the Kingdom is currently available only on DVD, courtesy of 20th Century Fox Entertainment. (See Blu-ray.com's listing
here).