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The Bells of St. Mary's
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The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   2,406 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Leo McCarey
Writers:
Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
Leo McCarey (story)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Bells of St. Mary's on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
21 February 1946 (Sweden) more
Genre:
Drama | Family more
Tagline:
The Whole World's in Tune . . . with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best ! more
Plot:
At a big city Catholic school, Father O'Malley and Sister Benedict indulge in friendly rivalry, and succeed in extending the school through the gift of a building. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations more
User Comments:
Clarification of another's comment more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Bing Crosby ... Father Chuck O'Malley

Ingrid Bergman ... Sister Mary Benedict
Henry Travers ... Horace P. Bogardus
William Gargan ... Joe Gallagher, Patsy's father
Ruth Donnelly ... Sister Michael
Joan Carroll ... Patricia 'Patsy' Gallagher
Martha Sleeper ... Mary Gallagher, Patsy's mother

Rhys Williams ... Dr. McKay
Richard Tyler ... Eddie Breen (as Dickie Tyler)
Una O'Connor ... Mrs. Breen
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Leo McCarey's The Bells of St. Mary's (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)
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Runtime:
126 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The production was overseen by a Catholic priest who served as an advisor during the shooting. While the final farewell sequence was being filmed, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman decided to play a prank on him. They asked director Leo McCarey to allow one more take, and, as "Father O'Malley" and "Sister Benedict" said their last goodbyes, they embraced in a passionate kiss, while the offscreen priest-advisor jumped up roaring in protest. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Dr. McKay is showing Father O'Malley Sister Benedict's X-rays, he outlines (with his finger) an area along the heart and lung region and says the problem (tuberculosis) is in the right lung. In reality, he is running his finger along the shadow of the left ventricle which sits up against the left lung. more
Quotes:
Sister Mary Benedict: If we don't fail sometimes, our successes don't mean anything. You must be strong. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The Ultimate Film (2004) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Aren't You Glad You're You? more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
9 out of 9 people found the following comment useful:-
Clarification of another's comment, 29 October 2004
Author: tms1983 from Wisconsin

A previous poster on July 9, 2004 states how she is disgusted that the pledge as recited by the school children in this film omits the line "under God." Please allow me to clarify. This film was made in 1945, and the phrase "under God" was not inserted into the pledge until the mid 1950s under the Eisenhower administration. This was done so as an anti-communist move. It was NOT originally part of the pledge. The producers of this film were by no means trying to be politically correct by not using it, nor was it ever edited out. The phrase simply did not exist in the pledge in 1945. Having been raised Catholic, I too noticed it right away the first time I saw this film, but a little research on my part quickly put that issue to rest.

And, like her, I also notice the grayed out bar at the bottom of the screen during the main title. Looks like something that was digitally superimposed over the film. (The same gray bar also appears at the end of the theatrical trailer.) I assume it's there to cover up a piece of the copyright, but what part and why? Who knows.

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