Story of life of Blessed Pius
A FORMER Colonel in the British Eighth Army, now an English-language commentator on Vatican Radio, is playing
the part of Blessed Pope Pius X in the film " Men Watch the Heavens," which is expected to be completed in March.
He is Andrew Finlay Dunn, from Southern Rhodesia, who arrived in Rome eight years ago as the Germans left the city, and has stayed ever since, to become an artist, writer and actor.
Umberto Scarpelli, the Italian film director, had great difficulty in finding a man to interpret the role of Pope Pius X.
Pierre Fresnay, a French Catholic actor, was approached, but he declined because he was already under contract to play Martin Luther in a French production.
Then Mr. Dunn was found. He bore a striking resemblance to the late Pope, Scarpelli thought, and he was immediately offered the part.
The film is costing some E115,000 to make. It has the approval of the Vatican and Mgr. Adonc Terzariol is ecclesiastical supervisor with the production unit. The script was written by Prof. Eugenio Bacchio.
The film follows the entire religious life of the Pope.
Audiences will see a " reconstruction" of a Conclave at which the Cardinals elect a Pope.
For this film the unit built a magnificent full-size model of the Sistine Chapel in its studio, with 63 thrones for the Cardinals.