The Call on AllMovie

Leon Poirer was both writer and director of the inspirational French feature The Call. Not designed for popular appeal, the film is an unabashed paean to the Catholic Church in general and famed missionary Charles de Fourcauld in particular. Born into great wealth, De Fourcauld (Jean Yonnel) turns his back on his family fortune to enter a monastery. For the rest of his life, De Fourcauld tends to the needs of those less fortunate than himself in the Hoggar sector of the Sahara. Filmmaker Poirer injects a bit of excitement in the final reels by elaborating on De Fourcauld's "adventures" as spiritual leader of the French Foreign Legion. During its New York run, The Call was used to raise funds for the Catholic Charity Drive; tickets ranged from $2 to a then-astronomical $20.