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43 reviews in total

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24 out of 27 people found the following review useful:
Old-Fashioned (Which Means Pretty Good), 6 March 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from United States

This was a just a plain, nice story, one of those kind I tend favor simply they don't have any "bad guys" in them and still keep the story interesting.

I expected Ingrid Bergman's character, "Sister Mary," from what the liners notes on the video box said, to be a sort-of villain portraying a hard-line rigid nun but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, in her several philosophical disputes the priest "Father Chuck O'Malley" (Bing Crosby) I sided with her because Crosby was a little too liberal regarding punishment. (He never wanted to scold or punish any misbehaving kid., for example. No discipline is not a good idea, as parents know.)

The story is a little unrealistic in that a strong-willed business tycoon would not abandon all his business plans and hand over a brand-new million-dollar (today it would be many millions) building to a church. However, it's nice to see! These kind of old-fashioned films are almost collector's items today but they are pleasant to watch and pretty good entertainment.

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14 out of 14 people found the following review 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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16 out of 19 people found the following review useful:
Dial "O" for O'Malley., 19 July 2004

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

Leo McCarey and Bing Crosby had such a mega-hit on their hands with Going My Way that a sequel in this case really was inevitable. If The Bells of St.Mary's does not quite hit the heights of Going My Way it's got nothing to apologize for. One thing that I do like about it is that you don't have to have watched Going My Way to get into the spirit of this.

Bing repeated his Father O'Malley character and in doing so got a second Oscar nomination. Until Al Pacino was nominated for Michael Corleone in both Godfathers One and Two, Crosby was the only performer ever to have been nominated twice for the same role. Because of Father O'Malley, Bing Crosby became probably the most well known Catholic lay person on the planet. And for better or worse it's the Crosby that is remembered when the knives came out for him after he died.

With Ingrid Bergman the damage was more immediate. Today if you asked the average movie goer to quickly name the part Bergman is best known for it would be Ilsa Lund from Casablanca. Back in the late 40s however the answer would be Sister Benedict. How a Swede who is identified as Swedish in the film could be a Catholic, let alone a nun is a mystery to me. But that's how good an actress Ingrid Bergman was. She became the personification of holiness so when Ingrid Bergman announced she was pregnant with Roberto Rosellini's child the reaction of the public was swift and terrible. Banish her from Hollywood and she was. Such is the power of the mass media. Consider folks like Errol Flynn and Robert Mitchum who had reputations as hell-raisers before scandal hit them. Such is the power of the silver screen and the images it creates.

Bing has some good songs here, he sings the title tune with different lyrics for the screen then for his record. It's the school anthem and he sings it with a chorus of nuns to back him. Those nuns do sing well and in key. I wonder if it was the inspiration for Sister Act.

Crosby also has two of his patented philosophical numbers, Aren't You Glad You're You and In The Land Of Beginning Again. And in keeping with the nature of the film, he sings Adeste Fideles and O Sanctissima.

Among the supporting cast I would single out Joan Carroll as the girl boarding with the convent housekeeper and Martha Sleeper as her mother. Sleeper had both looks and talent, she should have had a bigger career.

The Bells of St. Mary's is what we would deem fine family entertainment. It's also how the Catholic Church likes to see itself. It's a milestone movie for the careers of its stars. But what a cost.

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17 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Good bye Sister Chips, 21 June 2005

Author: jotix100 from New York

Leo McCarey's "The Bells of St. Mary's" was shown recently on TCM, as part of their tribute to Ingrid Bergman. Not having seen it before, we decided to take a look. This film is somewhat dated, but one can see why it was one of the favorite movie it became when it was released. It helped a lot that Mr. McCarey had a pretty decent screen play by Dudley Nichols, but also the two charismatic stars that were at the height of their popularity among movie fans.

The story of what would be considered now, an inner city parochial school, showed how religious nuns dominated that field, as they played a vital role to educate the children of the congregations they were assigned to. Not having had that type of education myself, one can say that what comes across is good solid no-nonsense approach to turning solid citizens out of the children that parents entrusted to those dedicated women. Like them, or not, those nuns have to be credited with whatever success the kids under them went to achieve.

As the Mother Superior at Saint Mary's, Sister Mary Benedit, ruled the school. She had set principles to go by in treating those in the care of the school. Her love for the children is obvious and her desire to get a bigger building in which to expand consumes her throughout the film.

Father O'Malley, on the other hand, looks things in a different way. He clashes with Sister Mary Benedict because in his way of thinking, a little leniency toward the young ones could do much better than with the rigid ways Mother Superior thought was better. Father O'Malley accomplishes more with this attitude than the school director. In fact, it's because his inter action with Mr. Bogardus, the rich man that has bought part of the school to erect a building, that he is able to convince this man to donate it to St. Mary's.

Ingrid Bergman and Bing Crosby worked well together, or that is the impression one gets by watching them on the screen. These two actors were at the pinnacle of their careers and this film solidified their appeal to their adoring fans. The supporting fans are all excellent. Henry Travers makes a good Mr. Bogardus. Joan Carroll is perfect as Patsy Gallagher, and Una O'Connor turns up as Mrs. Breen.

"The Bells of St. Mary's" will bring joy to any viewer that is willing to take a chance with this timeless classic.

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
A slightly sugar-coated impression of Catholic education, but heartwarming, 21 June 2005

Author: DennisJOBrien from Virginia, United States

I had often heard how this film was nominated for Best Picture and other important Academy Awards, so I was glad to see it on cable a few days ago. I was very pleased with it. The film builds up to quite an emotional, dramatic ending. There are some moments when Ingrid Bergman simply shines with a special radiance. Bing Crosby was excellent also, although I think he had many better songs to sing in his long career. The direction seems slow-paced at times, but in a way this measured pacing gives the audience a better chance to focus on the characters on the screen.

The story certainly touched upon some important issues of Catholic education in the 1940's and 1950's. There were always fine attempts to help children from the other side of the tracks to prosper in a private school, with assistance of various kinds. The postwar population boom, however, led to huge numbers of children being educated as cheaply as possible in crowded, old, unsafe buildings. It was not uncommon to have 70 pupils in one classroom. In this film the nuns are relentlessly polite, but in real life they had to be very strict to control large classes. The picture refers to "fire traps" and the fact that St. Mary's School was about to be condemned. How ironic this was, for just 13 years later -- on December 1, 1958 -- a fire swept through the antiquated Our Lady of the Angels elementary school in Chicago, killing 92 children and three nuns. That tragic fire led to sweeping changes in building code laws and the modernization of thousands of schools across America, both public and private.

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9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
Pleasant, Upbeat Movie With a Pretty Good Cast, 4 November 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

As the companion piece to "Going My Way", "The Bells of St. Mary's" shares the same pleasant, upbeat tone, and it has a similar story that, though stylized, has some worthwhile and thoughtful material. Besides Bing Crosby, the cast here features Ingrid Bergman and several solid supporting players such as Henry Travers and Rhys Williams.

As Sister Benedict, Father O'Malley's foil here, Bergman gives this movie its own feel, with themes somewhat different from those in O'Malley's debates with Barry Fitzgerald's character in "Going My Way". Everyone has their own preference between the two movies, but as fine an actress as Bergman is, it's really hard to match - much less top - the dimension that Fitzgerald added in the other film.

Probably each of the two Father O'Malley movies should just be enjoyed for its own merits. While the story here is hardly anything weighty, "The Bells of St. Mary's" offers good entertainment and some worthwhile, positive thoughts.

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7 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Heartwarming & uplifting tribute to parochial school nuns, 1 April 2006

Author: roghache from Canada

This is a classic old holiday favorite, and quite deservedly so. It tells the story of a dilapidated parochial school, St. Mary's, that is facing condemnation. Sister Bendict, the Mother Superior and school principal, is struggling not only to save the school but expand it, with dreams of annexing the neighboring property owned by a shrewd businessman named Mr. Bogardus. She frequently clashes with St. Mary's new pastor, Father O'Malley, who has his own ideas as to how the school should be run and its fate.

First of all, I may make some enemies, however...I love Bing Crosby, but the part of Father O'Malley is not merely to serve as a foil for Sister Benedict, but to act much of the time as a veritable idiot! Likable but possibly a tad too clueless to ever have become a priest. For example, his opening stunt where he declares a holiday, can you imagine any Catholic priest actually doing this without first consulting the sisters? He's unrealistically lenient, apparently seeing no need whatsoever for discipline, and disregards standards, encouraging (with no apparent misgivings at all) Sister Benedict to pass a student who has failed the exams. However, he is kind, well intended, and nonjudgmental, as shown by his touching behavior toward young Patsy and her mother, and does sometimes achieve the desired results, I admit, with his relaxed, easy going, laid back style. Wonderful singing as always, with Bing's magnificent, effortless voice. (I didn't see Going My Way, I confess.)

This is Ingrid Bergman's movie. She gives Sister Benedict a sparkling inner light here as she portrays the devout and dedicated nun, trying to save her school while also ensuring its daily operation with kindness, fairness, and genuine concern but also meaningful standards and expectations. She appears strict at times, but has a genuine love for her students and a concern that they truly learn. She glows with pride at her little first graders' Christmas pageant. I love her method for helping young Eddie protect himself against the school yard bullies! Suffice it to say, if I had a child in a parochial school, I would want it run by Sister Benedict and not Father O'Malley!

Unfortunately, these days it's all the negative tales that draw headlines, but my own husband grew up with nuns as teachers during most of his Catholic school years, and he can't sing their praises enough. This movie is a touching, entertaining, and uplifting tale, something of a tribute to all the hard working, dedicated nuns who have taught in parochial schools through the years.

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
"Just dial O..." this time for Outstanding, 17 April 2005

Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

1944's "Going My Way" was a wispy-thin Oscar winner with only Barry Fitzgerald's adorable curmudgeon-ness to lift it out of sugary banality; this sequel drops Barry, so it shouldn't be of much use. However, director Leo McCarey actually pulls off a winner. Bing Crosby is back as Father O'Malley, and he's more human here than before, and his warm, witty battles with sister Ingrid Bergman are a delight (it helps that Bergman is possibly the most glowing, knowing, embraceable nun in Hollywood history!). Their smooth trials with the students and each other at St. Mary's have a seamless professionalism that, while not especially fresh, works the audience over with sheer good will. A sub-plot involving a troubled young girl (the excellent Joan Carroll) and her mother is a dandy heart-tugger, and the light music involved isn't such an obvious device as it was in "Going My Way"; the songs are there, but they're unobtrusive. A very good film, one that triumphs over its predecessor. Bing proves to be a solid actor here, not just a personality; he makes Father O'Malley a reachable character rather than just a holy rascal. Watch for his hesitation at the very end, and the thoughtfulness he gives to the scene. Admirably, Crosby gives back this time around. ***1/2 from ****

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5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Happy Childhood Memories, 12 September 2000
Author: emmo-4 from Manchester, England

Remember seeing this movie in the Matinee as a teenager, when it was cheap enough to go to the movies every night. My favourite actress was Ingrid Bergman, and still is after all these years. My favourite Bergman film is Casablanca, of which I've seen 74 times :) but this is my second favourite.

Bergman and Crosby are great together.

Winnie Boardman - Manchester, England

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
"The sense to know when to leave", 15 August 2011

Author: Steffi_P from Ruritania

Sequels were not as common in classic Hollywood as they are in the modern era, and when sequels were made it was not to continue an action blockbuster franchise, as now, but usually to resurrect a popular character or set of characters. The 1944 hit Going My Way had created a wonderful character in Father Chuck O'Malley – the young in-touch priest who has unconventional ideas which always prove correct; an ostensibly religious figure yet one who manages to transcend all religious barriers.

And of course there could be no Father O'Malley without Bing Crosby. His performance is a kind of melding of this concept of the perfect priest and Crosby's own laidback, instantly likable persona. This is all done in the tiniest, most introverted gestures and expressions. It's the little moments that bring out his personality, such as the fleeting glance skywards when he tells a little white lie to Ingrid Bergman. Bergman herself is excellent as usual, and this role in particular seems to draw something very natural out of her. Two examples in particular stand out. First is the boxing lesson she gives, which looks as if she is really teaching the young lad. Second is when she sings Varvindar Friska, presumably a song she knew in real life before making the picture, and the final high note turns into a little laugh as Crosby walks in – an endearing and revealing moment. The only problem I have with this cast is seeing sweet old Henry Travers playing the curmudgeonly antagonist. Admittedly, Travers later has a change of heart, but there is still something about his being a baddie in the first place that I find troubling.

The other link in the Going My Way chain to return for The Bells of St Mary's is director Leo McCarey. McCarey again brings his gentle and apparently simple touch to the proceedings. There are some nice examples of here how he will keep two or more characters in the frame at once, rather than cutting between them. Sometimes this becomes fairly elaborate, such as when Bergman is watching the fight going on in the background, and Crosby appears in the doorway behind her. It keeps the scene balanced to just two set-ups back and forth between the fight and the watchers, but still lets us know Crosby is watching without Bergman knowing he's watching. All this means that when McCarey does give us a close-up it really means something, and connects us intimately with that character in that moment.

So really, The Bells of St Mary's ought to be just as good as its predecessor, right? Well, not exactly. The problem lies in its screenplay. Going My Way featured so many charming characters, solid and well-written down to the smallest parts. Good as Ingrid Bergman is, the dynamic her character has with Crosby's is no match for the one of Barry Fitzgerald. Going My Way had many different subplots, but they all seemed of a piece, each flowing naturally into each other. The Bells of St Mary's has far fewer strands, yet seems more disjointed. Character arcs – such as Travers's transition from self-centred businessman to altruistic cheerful chappy – are trite and facile. The result is that, on the surface, The Bells of St Mary's is every bit the gem that Going My Way was, but as a whole experience, it is almost everything the previous picture was not.

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