The Left Hand of God
Encyclopedia
The Left Hand of God is a 1955
drama film
made by 20th Century Fox
. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk
and produced by Buddy Adler, from a screenplay
by Alfred Hayes
, based on the novel The Left Hand of God by William Edmund Barrett
. It stars Humphrey Bogart
and Gene Tierney
, with a supporting cast including Lee J. Cobb
, Agnes Moorehead
, E. G. Marshall
, and Carl Benton Reid.
Jim Carmody (Humphrey Bogart) is an American pilot in World War II
. After crashing his plane in China
, he was rescued by a local warlord
, General Yang (Lee J. Cobb), and became his trusted adviser. However, after one of the general's soldiers kills a priest, Father O'Shea, Jim decides to desert.
Carmody masquerades as the dead priest and manages to escape to a remote mountain village. There he meets missionaries Beryl (Agnes Moorehead) and David Sigman (E.G. Marshall). Still posing as the priest, he falls in love with attractive mission nurse Anne Scott (Gene Tierney). Scott feels ashamed because she is also attracted to him. Carmody writes to the bishop, confessing that he is an impostor.
Then General Yang arrives, insisting that Carmody rejoin his army or else he will burn down the village. Carmody proposes a game of dice, wagering years of service against his freedom and the safety of the villagers.
1955 in film
The year 1955 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* November 3 - The musical Guys and Dolls, starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, debuts.* June 27 - The last ever Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released....
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
made by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
. It was directed by Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk
Edward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
and produced by Buddy Adler, from a screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
by Alfred Hayes
Alfred Hayes (writer)
Alfred Hayes was a British screenwriter, television writer, novelist, and poet, who worked in Italy and the United States...
, based on the novel The Left Hand of God by William Edmund Barrett
William Edmund Barrett
William Edmund Barrett was an American author.Born in New York City, he studied at Manhattan College. He married Christine M. Rollman on February 15, 1925. He worked as an aeronautics consultant with the Denver Public Library from 1941 on. He received a citation from Regis College in 1956...
. It stars Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
and Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney
Gene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
, with a supporting cast including Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb
Lee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
, Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Moorehead
Agnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. Although she began with the Mercury Theatre, appeared in more than seventy films beginning with Citizen Kane and on dozens of television shows during a career that spanned more than thirty years, Moorehead is most widely known to modern audiences...
, E. G. Marshall
E. G. Marshall
E. G. Marshall was an American actor, best known for his television roles as the lawyer Lawrence Preston on The Defenders in the 1960s, and as neurosurgeon David Craig on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors in the 1970s...
, and Carl Benton Reid.
Plot
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After crashing his plane in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, he was rescued by a local warlord
Warlord
A warlord is a person with power who has both military and civil control over a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. The term can also mean one who espouses the ideal that war is necessary, and has the means and authority to engage in war...
, General Yang (Lee J. Cobb), and became his trusted adviser. However, after one of the general's soldiers kills a priest, Father O'Shea, Jim decides to desert.
Carmody masquerades as the dead priest and manages to escape to a remote mountain village. There he meets missionaries Beryl (Agnes Moorehead) and David Sigman (E.G. Marshall). Still posing as the priest, he falls in love with attractive mission nurse Anne Scott (Gene Tierney). Scott feels ashamed because she is also attracted to him. Carmody writes to the bishop, confessing that he is an impostor.
Then General Yang arrives, insisting that Carmody rejoin his army or else he will burn down the village. Carmody proposes a game of dice, wagering years of service against his freedom and the safety of the villagers.
Cast
- Humphrey BogartHumphrey BogartHumphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
as James Carmody - Gene TierneyGene TierneyGene Eliza Tierney was an American film and stage actress. Acclaimed as one of the great beauties of her day, she is best remembered for her performance in the title role of Laura and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Actress in Leave Her to Heaven .Other notable roles include...
as Anne Scott - Lee J. CobbLee J. CobbLee J. Cobb was an American actor. He is best known for his performance in 12 Angry Men his Academy Award-nominated performance in On the Waterfront and one of his last films, The Exorcist...
as Mieh Yang - Agnes MooreheadAgnes MooreheadAgnes Robertson Moorehead was an American actress. Although she began with the Mercury Theatre, appeared in more than seventy films beginning with Citizen Kane and on dozens of television shows during a career that spanned more than thirty years, Moorehead is most widely known to modern audiences...
as Beryl Sigman - E. G. MarshallE. G. MarshallE. G. Marshall was an American actor, best known for his television roles as the lawyer Lawrence Preston on The Defenders in the 1960s, and as neurosurgeon David Craig on The Bold Ones: The New Doctors in the 1970s...
as Dr. David Sigman - Jean Porter as Mary Yin
- Carl Benton ReidCarl Benton ReidCarl Benton Reid was an American actor. He achieved fame on the Broadway stage in 1939 as Oscar Hubbard, one of Regina Giddens's greedy, devious brothers in the play The Little Foxes, and made his film debut reprising his role opposite Bette Davis in the 1941 film version...
as Father Cornelius - Victor Sen YungVictor Sen YungVictor Sen Yung was an American character actor. He was given billing under a variety of names, including Sen Yung, Sen Young, Victor Sen Young, and Victor Young.- Career :...
as John Wong - Philip Ahn as Jan Teng
- Benson FongBenson FongBenson Fong was a Chinese American character actor.Born in Sacramento, California, Fong was from a mercantile family...
as Chun Tien