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Four Men and a Prayer

  • 19381938
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
756
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
David Niven, George Sanders, Richard Greene, William Henry, C. Aubrey Smith, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
  • Adventure
  • Mystery
The sons of a disgraced British officer try to clear his name.The sons of a disgraced British officer try to clear his name.The sons of a disgraced British officer try to clear his name.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
756
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • John Ford
  • Writers
    • Richard Sherman(screenplay)
    • Sonya Levien(screenplay)
    • Walter Ferris(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Loretta Young
    • Richard Greene
    • George Sanders
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Ford
  • Writers
    • Richard Sherman(screenplay)
    • Sonya Levien(screenplay)
    • Walter Ferris(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Loretta Young
    • Richard Greene
    • George Sanders
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos12

    David Niven and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    David Niven, George Sanders, Richard Greene, William Henry, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    David Niven, George Sanders, Alan Hale, Barry Fitzgerald, Richard Greene, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    Richard Greene and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    George Sanders, Richard Greene, William Henry, C. Aubrey Smith, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    David Niven, George Sanders, Richard Greene, William Henry, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    David Niven, John Carradine, George Sanders, Richard Greene, William Henry, C. Aubrey Smith, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)
    David Niven, George Sanders, Alan Hale, Richard Greene, William Henry, C. Aubrey Smith, and Loretta Young in Four Men and a Prayer (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Loretta Young
    Loretta Young
    • Miss Lynn Cherringtonas Miss Lynn Cherrington
    Richard Greene
    Richard Greene
    • Geoffrey Leighas Geoffrey Leigh
    George Sanders
    George Sanders
    • Wyatt Leighas Wyatt Leigh
    David Niven
    David Niven
    • Christopher Leighas Christopher Leigh
    William Henry
    William Henry
    • Rodney Leighas Rodney Leigh
    C. Aubrey Smith
    C. Aubrey Smith
    • Colonel Loring Leighas Colonel Loring Leigh
    J. Edward Bromberg
    J. Edward Bromberg
    • General Torresas General Torres
    • (as Edward Bromberg)
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Mr. Furnoyas Mr. Furnoy
    John Carradine
    John Carradine
    • General Adolfo Arturios Gregario Sebastianas General Adolfo Arturios Gregario Sebastian
    Reginald Denny
    Reginald Denny
    • Capt. Douglas Lovelandas Capt. Douglas Loveland
    Berton Churchill
    Berton Churchill
    • Mr. Martin Cherringtonas Mr. Martin Cherrington
    Barry Fitzgerald
    Barry Fitzgerald
    • Trooper Mulcahayas Trooper Mulcahay
    Claude King
    Claude King
    • Gen. Bryceas Gen. Bryce
    Cecil Cunningham
    Cecil Cunningham
    • Piperas Piper
    Frank Dawson
    Frank Dawson
    • Mandersas Manders
    John Sutton
    John Sutton
    • Capt. Drakeas Capt. Drake
    Lina Basquette
    Lina Basquette
    • Ah-Neeas Ah-Nee
    Frank Baker
    Frank Baker
    • Defense Attorneyas Defense Attorney
    • Director
      • John Ford
    • Writers
      • Richard Sherman(screenplay)
      • Sonya Levien(screenplay)
      • Walter Ferris(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Once when director John Ford called Loretta Young to the set, the actress refused to leave her trailer until she was happy with her hair. After waiting for her for a while, Ford and several grips went to her trailer and began shaking and rocking it until she came out.
    • Crazy credits
      Manders, the butler, is listed as Mullins in the credits.
    • Connections
      Referenced in 20th Century Fox Promotional Film (1936)
    • Soundtracks
      Londonderry Air (Danny Boy)
      (uncredited)

      Music (17th century) attributed to Rory Dall O'Cahan

      Played on piano by Richard Greene

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Four brothers and one woman on an international search
    Richard Greene, David Niven, George Sanders and William Henry are the four men part of "Four Men and a Prayer," a 1938 John Ford film also starring Loretta Young. Frankly I felt as if I came in at the middle of this film, though I saw the whole thing - but I never actually did figure out the plot. The boys' father (C. Aubrey Smith) has been dishonorably discharged from the army and telegraphs each son that he wants to meet them at the family manse. The discharge was unfair - he was set up - now, I'm guessing here but it had something to do with illegal arms. His sons want to help him, but moments later, he is murdered in his study and his papers stolen. Taking what info they have, they split up and travel to India, South America and Egypt to find the people their father mentioned who can help clear his name. Loretta Young, who plays Greene's madcap girlfriend, chases him shamelessly in a variety of outfits.

    I still can't decide if there was too little or too much fooling around by the brothers. For me the comic stuff never does come off, Niven being the exception. The acting, however, is good. Richard Greene might have been Tyrone Power's only rival at 20th Century Fox, except that he returned to England in 1940 to enter the service. This was his first film under contract to Fox. He was very handsome with a nice screen persona; baby boomers may remember him as television's "Robin Hood." Loretta Young is dazzlingly beautiful - I actually didn't find her annoying as she seemed to fit right into the frenetic energy of the film. Sanders and Niven turned in their usual fine performances.

    There's a nice turn by Lina Basquette, too, as a foreign woman with information. For those who don't know Lina, well, she was a silent screen star and half-sister of dancer Marge Champion. She was married to Sam Warner; after his death, the Warners took her child from her and made sure she never worked again. She eventually went to the dogs - literally - by becoming a breeder and judge at the Westminster Dog Show. In a New Yorker Profile done in the 1990s, she claimed to have been propositioned by Hitler and said she had done work as a spy during World War II. She also declared Eric Braeden of "The Young and the Restless" her favorite actor and ended up meeting him. She appeared at Cinecom when she was in her late 80s, and the audience, used to seeing elderly actresses in wheelchairs, was shocked at the end of "The Younger Generation," one of her early films, when she didn't walk - but ran onto the stage, looking incredible, to answer questions.

    For me, Lina's appearance as Ahnee is actually the high point of "Four Men and a Prayer," featuring some very attractive people in a half-comedy/half-drama and a confusing plot. Thankfully, Ford didn't stick with this genre.
    helpful•14
    2
    • blanche-2
    • Dec 14, 2007

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 29, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • Štirje osvetniki
    • Filming locations
      • La Pastora, Caracas, Venezuela
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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