The Father Brown stories by G.K. Chesterton, Penguin Books edition 1981

Father Brown is a fictional detective created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton, who stars in 52 short stories, later compiled in five books. Chesterton based the character on Father John O'Connor (1870 - 1952), a parish priest in Bradford, Yorkshire, who was involved in Chesterton's conversion to Catholicism in 1922. The relationship was recorded by O'Connor (by then Monsignor) in his 1937 book Father Brown on Chesterton. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centers upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874–June 14, 1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Parish Priest may refer to A parishs assigned clergyman A biography of Fr. ... Location within the British Isles This article discusses the city Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. ... Monsignor, monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. ...

Character

Father Brown is a short, stumpy Catholic priest, "formerly of Cobhole in Essex, and now working in London," with shapeless clothes and a large umbrella, and uncanny insight into human evil. This article is about religious workers. ... For other meanings of Essex, see Essex (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

He makes his first appearance in the famous story "The Blue Cross" and continues through the five volumes of short stories, often assisted by the reformed criminal Flambeau. Father Brown also appears in a story "The Donnington Affair" that has a rather curious history. In the October 1914 issue of the obscure magazine The Premier, Sir Max Pemberton published the first part of the story, inviting a number of detective story writers, including Chesterton, to use their talents to solve the mystery of the murder described. Chesterton and Father Brown's solution followed in the November issue. The story was first reprinted in the Chesterton Review (Winter 1981, pp. 1-35) and in the book ^[1]. The Blue Cross is a short story by G. K. Chesterton. ... Flambeau is a fictional character created by English novelist G. K. Chesterton who appears in the five volumes of in total 48 short stories, of the Father Brown series. ... Sir Max Pemberton (1863-1950) was a popular British novelist, working mainly in the adventure and mystery genres. ...

Unlike the more famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown's methods tend to be intuitive rather than deductive. He explains his method in "The Secret of Father Brown": Gumshoe redirects here. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

You see, I had murdered them all myself.... I had planned out each of the crimes very carefully. I had thought out exactly how a thing like that could be done, and in what style or state of mind a man could really do it. And when I was quite sure that I felt exactly like the murderer myself, of course I knew who he was.

Father Brown's abilities are also considerably shaped by his experience as a priest and confessor. In "The Blue Cross", when asked by Flambeau, who has been masquerading as a priest, how he knew of all sorts of criminal "horrors," he responds: "Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?" He also states a reason why he knew Flambeau was not a priest: "You attacked reason. It's bad theology." And indeed, the stories normally contain a rational explanation of who the murderer was and how Brown worked it out. The title confessor is used in the Christian Church in two separate ways. ...

Despite his devotion, or perhaps, because of it, Father Brown always emphasizes rationality: some stories, such as "The Miracle of Moon Crescent", "The Blast of the Book" and "The Dagger With Wings", poke fun at initially sceptical characters who become convinced of a supernatural explanation for some strange occurrence, while Father Brown, despite, or rather because of, his religion and his belief in God and miracles, easily sees the perfectly ordinary, natural explanation. In fact, he seems to represent an ideal of a devout, yet considerably educated and "civilised" clergyman. This can be traced to the influence of neo-scholastic thought on Chesterton. Rationality as a term is related to the idea of reason, a word which following Websters may be derived as much from older terms referring to thinking itself as from giving an account or an explanation. ... Skepticism (Commonwealth spelling: Scepticism) can mean: Philosophical skepticism - a philosophical position in which people choose to critically examine whether the knowledge and perceptions that they have are actually true, and whether or not one can ever be said to have absolutely true knowledge; or Scientific skepticism - a scientific, or practical... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... Neo-Scholasticism is the development of the Scholasticism of the Middle Ages during the latter half of the nineteenth century. ...

Interpretations and criticism

Father Brown was the perfect vehicle for conveying Chesterton's view of the world and, of all of his characters, is perhaps closest to Chesterton's own point of view, or at least the effect of his point of view. Father Brown solves his crimes through a strict reasoning process more concerned with spiritual and philosophic truths rather than scientific details, making him an almost equal counterbalance with Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, whose stories Chesterton read and admired. Gilbert Keith Chesterton (May 29, 1874–June 14, 1936) was an influential English writer of the early 20th century. ... Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, DL (22 May 1859–7 July 1930) was a Scottish author most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered a major innovation in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger. ... A portrait of Sherlock Holmes by Sidney Paget from the Strand Magazine, 1891 Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who first appeared in publication in 1887. ...

Father Brown in other media

• Walter Connolly starred as the sleuthing priest in the 1934 film Father Brown, Detective, based on "The Blue Cross." Interestingly, Connolly would later be cast as another famous fictional detective, Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe, in the 1937 film, The League of Frightened Men.

• A Mutual Broadcasting System radio series, The Adventures of Father Brown (1945) featured Karl Swenson as Father Brown, Bill Griffis as Flambeau and Gretchen Douglas as Nora, the rectory housekeeper.^[2]

• A 1954, Father Brown (released in the U.S. as The Detective), had a formidable cast, with Sir Alec Guinness playing the part of Father Brown, and is widely regarded as a minor classic. Like the 1934 film starring Connolly, it was based on Chesterton's first Brown short story, "The Blue Cross." An experience while playing the character prompted Guinness's conversion to Catholicism.^{[3] [4]}.

• Heinz Rühmann played Father Brown in two German adaptations of Chesterton's stories, Das schwarze Schaf (The black sheep) (1960) and Er kanns nicht lassen (He can't stop to do it) (1962) with both music-scores written by composer Martin Böttcher. Later the actor appeared in Operazione San Pietro (1967) as Cardinal Brown.

• A German television series superficially based on the character of Father Brown, Pfarrer Braun, was launched in 2003. Pfarrer Guido Braun, from Bavaria, played by Ottfried Fischer, solves murder cases in the (fictitious) island of Nordersand (Northsea-island) in the first two episodes. Later other German landscapes like the Harz, the Rhine or Meißen in Saxony became sets for the show. Martin Böttcher again wrote the score and he got the instruction by the producers to write a title-theme hinting at the theme of the cinema-movies with Heinz Rühmann. To date nine shows have been made, which ran very successfully in German ARD.

• In 1974, Kenneth More starred in a 13-episode Father Brown TV series, each episode adapted from one of Chesterton's short stories. The series, produced by Sir Lew Grade for ATV, was shown in the United States as part of PBS's Mystery!. They were released by BBC America on DVD in 2007.

• An American TV movie, Sanctuary of Fear (1979), starred Barnard Hughes as an Americanized, modernized Father Brown in Manhattan, New York City. The film was intended as the pilot for a series but critical and audience reaction was unfavorable, largely due to the changes made to the character, and the mundane thriller plot.

• An Italian television series entitled I racconti di padre Brown ("The Tales of Father Brown") starred the well-known Italian comedian Renato Rascel.

• A series of 16 Chesterton stories has been produced by the Colonial Radio Theatre in Boston. J.T. Turner plays Father Brown, all scripts are written by British radio dramatist M. J. Elliott.

Walter Connolly (born April 8, 1887 - died May 28, 1940) was an American actor who made almost fifty films between 1914 and 1939. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rex Stout, full name Rex Todhunter Stout, (December 1, 1886 - October 27, 1975) was an American writer best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe. ... Bitter End — Carl Mueller illustrated Rex Stouts Nero Wolfe novella for The American Magazine (November 1940) Nero Wolfe is a fictional detective, created by the American mystery writer Rex Stout, who made his debut in 1934. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The League of Frightened Men is a 1937 film involving the detective Nero Wolfe (Walter Connolly) and his assistant Archie Goodwin (Lionel Stander). ... The Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. ... The Adventures of Father Brown was a 1945 radio crime drama that aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System, adapted from G. K. Chestertons stories of Father Brown. ... Karl Swenson (July 23, 1908) – (October 8, 1978) was an American film, television and radio actor of swedish descent. ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... Father Brown (The Detective in the United States) is a 1954 mystery comedy film. ... Sir Alec Guinness CH, CBE (April 2, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an Academy Award and Tony Award-winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation. ... Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      As a... Heinz Rühmann The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Heinz Ruehmann. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... // Events Dr. No launches the James Bond film series, the longest-running motion picture franchise of all time, running more than 40 years. ... German composer Martin Böttcher - autograph card Martin Böttcher (born June 17, 1927, Berlin) is a German composer and conductor. ... Lauren steiger, born in 1992 at Royal Womens hospital started acting and modelling at the age of 2 and is now currently 15 working in Milan on the catwalks. ... The year 2003 in television involved some significant events. ... For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ... The Harz is a mountain range in northern Germany. ... It has been suggested that River Rhine Pollution: November 1986 be merged into this article or section. ... Meißen, internationally most known for porcelain, is a town of approximately 35,000 near Dresden on the river Elbe in the State of Saxony in the southern part of eastern Germany. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DED Capital Dresden Minister-President Georg Milbradt (CDU) Governing parties CDU / SPD Votes in Bundesrat 4 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  18,416 km² (7,110 sq mi) Population 4,252,000 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 231 /km... Heinz Rühmann The title of this article contains the character ü. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Heinz Ruehmann. ... ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland – the Consortium of public-law broadcasting institutions of the Federal Republic of Germany), is a joint organization of Germanys regional public broadcasting agencies. ... The year 1974 in television involved some significant events. ... Kenneth Gilbert More CBE, (20 September 1914 - 12 July 1982) was a successful British cinema, television and theatre actor. ... Lew Grade, Baron Grade (birth name Louis Winogradsky) (December 25, 1906 - December 13, 1998) was an influential showbusiness impresario and television company executive in the United Kingdom. ... ATV can refer to: All-terrain vehicle, the a personal recreational vehicle normally consisting of a motorcycle-like engine, four balloon tires and a fiberglass body; a four-wheeler. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Mystery! (also written MYSTERY!) is a long-running television series in the USA, which airs on PBS and is produced by WGBH. The show has brought a large number of detective series and television movies - most of them British productions from the BBC or various ITV companies - to air on... BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, which was launched on March 29, 1998, available on both cable and satellite. ... Barnard Hughes (July 16, 1915 – July 11, 2006), born Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes[1], was an American character actor of theater and film. ... For other uses, see Manhattan (disambiguation). ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, and television. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... British writer and member of the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, many of credits are for US radio series. ...

Trivia

While on location in Mâcon, France, filming the Father Brown movie, actor Alec Guinness was approached by a young French boy who, seeing him in costume, exclaimed 'Mon père!' and, hanging on his arm, chatted away in French. Eventually, the boy said goodbye and left. Guinness, amazed and impressed that the cassock of a priest could inspire such trust and happiness in a child for a complete stranger, started to investigate the Roman Catholic faith, and subsequently joined the Catholic Church.^[4] Mâcon is a commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Saône-et-Loire département, in the Bourgogne région. ... Sir Alec Guinness CH, CBE (April 2, 1914 – August 5, 2000) was an Academy Award and Tony Award-winning English actor who became one of the most versatile and best-loved performers of his generation. ... Clergy in Cassocks A Roman Catholic priest from Belgian Congo wearing the Roman cassock. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

Compilation books

References

• Gardner, Martin, The Annotated Innocence of Father Brown, Oxford University Press, 1987, ISBN 0-19-217748-6 (Notes by Gardner, on Chesterton’s stories).

Martin Gardner (b. ... Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ...

Citations

1. ^ G.K.Chesterton [1987]. in Smith, Marie: Thiteeen Detectives. London: Xanadu. ISBN 0-947761-23-3. 
2. ^ Terrace, Vincent [1999]. Radio Programs, 1924-1984:A Catalog of Over 1800 Shows. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9. 
3. ^ How Father Brown Led Sir Alec Guinness to the Church
4. ^ ^{a b} Sutcliffe, Tom. "Sir Alec Guinness obituary", Guardian, 2000-08-07. Retrieved on 2007-02-28. 

For other uses, see Guardian. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Complete Father Brown at Martin Ward's G. K. Chesterton's Works on the Web
• The Innocence of Father Brown at Project Gutenberg
• The Wisdom of Father Brown at Project Gutenberg
• Review of UK DVD of the 1974 TV series