The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Leo McCarey

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screenplay)
Leo McCarey (story)

Release Date:

21 February 1946 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

The Whole World's in Tune . . . with Bing and Bergman together at their most brilliant best !

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.

Plot Keywords:

School | Catholic | Church | Catholic Church | Catholic School

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations

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

Also Known As:

Leo McCarey's The Bells of St. Mary's (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Old Tucson - 201 S. Kinney Road, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Rainbow Productions

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.

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.

Quotes:

Sister Mary Benedict: If we don't fail sometimes, our successes don't mean anything. You must be strong.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Ultimate Film (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Aren't You Glad You're You?

Clarification of another's comment

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.