the thesis of father brown be that a good dose of roman catholicism will solve all of life problem . a little proselytizing i do not mind and but this get a bit ridiculous at time . some fine actor have play father brown over the year and kenneth more and barnard hughes be two good example . alec guinness play him in this film and do all right by him and but you do not see any great demand for future father brown film . i suppose if you be a committed roman catholic it all make perfectly good sense . it far more important to catch the thief and convert him to your religion than see he bring to justice . but that what be ask to accept here . in fact there be a preliminary story before the main action of the film . guinness in clerical garb be catch try to put back stolen article that one of his parishioner sidney james have heist during a robbery . that the story he give the local cop and of course this be something that jam have confide in him so he can not break the confessional . now on to big game . master thief flambeau and play by peter finch have steal a cross that be entrust to father brown and be say to belong to st. augustine back in the day . but father brown be more interested in get flambeau to go back to his faith than see him bring to justice . so he mislead the cop so he can accomplish his mission . i be sorry but this whole thing be just too much for me to swallow . father brown i would hate to say it be guilty of obstruction and ought to have be arrest . and he be under no obligation not to reveal anything he know about flambeau and the man have not come to him a a penitent seek absolution and spiritual advice . author g. k. chesterton and a very noted catholic lay person in his day and find all this very reasonable . carry to his logical conclusion we should replace all police force with an army of priest . guinness borrow from his own reverend ascoyne dascoyne from kind heart and coronet and from barry fitzgerald in go my way to create father brown . grant though brown be a lot shrewd than the other two . there also a bit of colonel nicholson in this portrayal . in the bridge on the river kwai and guinness also be play a character who rather weird interpretation of the rule cause him to lose sight of what be important in the situation nicholson be in . father brown an entertaining fellow when he solve mystery and make the authority look foolish . we have enjoy brother cadfael do it in a medieval setting and american audience like father dowling play by tom bosley a few year back . this film should have stick to be entertain .