Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Betty Comden (screenplay) and
Adolph Green (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 November 1960 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Musical | Romance

Plot:

Ella Peterson is a Brooklyn telephone answering service operator who tries to improve the lives of her...

Plot Keywords:

Playwright | Answering Service | Writer's Block | Police Surveillance | Makeover

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Judy Holliday	...	Ella Peterson
Dean Martin	...	Jeffrey Moss
Fred Clark	...	Larry Hastings
Eddie Foy Jr.	...	J. Otto Prantz
Jean Stapleton	...	Sue
Ruth Storey	...	Gwynne
Dort Clark	...	Inspector Barnes
Frank Gorshin	...	Blake Barton
Ralph Roberts	...	Francis
Valerie Allen	...	Olga
Bernard West	...	Dr. Joe Kitchell (as Bernie West)
Steve Peck	...	Gangster (as Steven Peck)
Gerry Mulligan	...	Ella's Blind Date
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Ames	...	Bernie Dunstock (uncredited)
Suzanne Ames	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Nancy Anderson	...	Actress (uncredited)
Phil Arnold	...	Man on Street (uncredited)
Jan Arvan	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Susan Avery	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Micki Barlow	...	Specialty Dancer (uncredited)
Rayford Barnes	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Irene Barton	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Virginia Bates	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Rodney Bell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Nicky Blair	...	Nick - Hood (uncredited)
Madge Blake	...	Woman on Street (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Ludwig Smiley (uncredited)
Lela Bliss	...	Dowager Art Lover Party Guest (uncredited)
Gail Bonney	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Nesdon Booth	...	Mike - Coffee Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Leonard Bremen	...	Irate Pedestrian (uncredited)
John Bryant	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Robert Cabal	...	Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Aileen Carlyle	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Sue Casey	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Helen Chapman	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Marian Collier	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Richard Collier	...	Peanut Eater (uncredited)
Jimmy Cross	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Lucille Curtis	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Donna Douglas	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Michael Dugan	...	Cop (uncredited)
Joan Dupuis	...	Actress (uncredited)
Tommy Farrell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul Frees	...	Singing Voice of Tommy Farrell (voice) (uncredited)
Leona Gage	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jeanne Gerson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Bill Giorgio	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Jacqueline Green	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Christian Haren	...	Actor (uncredited)
John Hart	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Barbara Hines	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Holland	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Man in Park (uncredited)
Bob Hopkins	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Mark Houston	...	Actor (uncredited)
William Hudson	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Cop (uncredited)
Michael Johnson	...	Actor (uncredited)
Morgan Jones	...	Telephone Man (uncredited)
Sally Ann Jones	...	Actress (uncredited)
June Kirby	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
William Kirschner	...	Man with Kitchell (uncredited)
Marina Koshetz	...	Mme. Grimaldi (uncredited)
Frank Kreig	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Gil Lamb	...	Pratfalling Party Guest (uncredited)
Len Lesser	...	Charlie Bessemer (uncredited)
Buddy Lewis	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Hal Linden	...	Singer of 'The Midas Touch' (uncredited)
Margie Liszt	...	Mrs. Mollett (uncredited)
Donna Lynne	...	Girl Walking (uncredited)
Evan MacNeil	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Man on Street (uncredited)
Paul Maxwell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Eugene McCarthy	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Owen McGiveney	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Joe McTurk	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
John Melfi	...	Actor (uncredited)
Shepard Menken	...	Narrator of Susanswerphone Ad (voice) (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Titus Moede	...	Beatnik Actor (uncredited)
Elizabeth Montgomery	...	Girl Reading Book (uncredited)
Jean Moorhead	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Milton Parsons	...	Pedestrian Next to Barney Lampwick (uncredited)
Robert Patten	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Carole Perkins	...	Girl in Cluttered Room (uncredited)
Ruth Perrott	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Mae Questel	...	Olga (voice) (uncredited)
Frank Richards	...	Barney Lampwick's Friend - Man on Street (uncredited)
Nina Roman	...	Actress (uncredited)
Virginia Rose	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Don Ross	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Frank J. Scannell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Karen Scott	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Pamela Searle	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Maida Severn	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Della Sharman	...	Actress (uncredited)
Olan Soule	...	Nervous Man (uncredited)
Helen Spring	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Tony Springer	...	Chorus Girl (uncredited)
Joan Staley	...	Blonde in Susanswerphone Ad (uncredited)
Steve Stevens	...	Actor (uncredited)
George E. Stone	...	Blind Bookie (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Barney Lampwick (uncredited)
Joseph Vitale	...	Bookie (uncredited)
Nancy Walters	...	Katherine Arnold (uncredited)
Chris Warfield	...	Young Man on Street (uncredited)
Sandy Warner	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Sammy White	...	Vendor (uncredited)
Wendy Wilde	...	Actress (uncredited)
Doris Wiss	...	Actress (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Betty Comden		(screenplay) and
Adolph Green		(screenplay)
Betty Comden		(based on the musical play "Bells Are Ringing") and
Adolph Green		(based on the musical play "Bells Are Ringing")

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Jule Styne

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Adrienne Fazan

Casting by
Don McElwaine		(uncredited)
Bobby Webb		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
E. Preston Ames		(as Preston Ames)
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Henry Grace

Costume Design by
Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator
Jane Gorton	....	hairdresser (uncredited)

Production Management
Dave Friedman	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William McGarry	....	assistant director
Ted Butcher	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Geoffrey Davis	....	prop man (uncredited)
Harry Lazzarre	....	prop man (uncredited)

Sound Department
Franklin Milton	....	recording supervisor
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Conrad Kahn	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects
Lee LeBlanc	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Virgil Apger	....	stillman (uncredited)
Roland Bultken	....	best boy (uncredited)
Henry Forrester	....	grip (uncredited)
Fred J. Koenekamp	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Paul Koons	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Wes Shanks	....	gaffer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Russel B. Caplan	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Evelyn Rickart	....	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Charles K. Hagedon	....	color consultant
Al Wilson	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Betty Comden	....	lyricist
Betty Comden	....	lyricist: musical play
Alexander Courage	....	orchestrator
Adolph Green	....	lyricist: musical play
Pete King	....	orchestrator
André Previn	....	conductor
André Previn	....	music adaptor
Jule Styne	....	music: musical play
Adolph Green	....	lyricist (uncredited)
Roger Spiker	....	pianist: rehearsal (uncredited)

Other crew
Charles O'Curran	....	choreography
Bea Allen	....	dance-in (uncredited)
Jay Gerard	....	stand-in: Dean Martin (uncredited)
Lyn Murray	....	voice coach (uncredited)
Bill Ryan	....	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Emily Torchia	....	publicist (uncredited)
Amalia Wade	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Dominic Williams	....	craft (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (An Arthur Freed Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Other Companies

• Theatre Guild  presented on the stage by (as The Theatre Guild)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

126 min (Turner library print) (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | West Germany:6

Filming Locations:

East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Judy Holliday's last film.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Ella tells Jeff that she used to procrastinate by sharpening her Ticonderoga pencil down to the T (or rather the "tuh"). However, Dixon Ticonderoga say that their pencils have always read from point to eraser, so the T would be the *first* letter to disappear.

Quotes:

Ella:I'm in love with a man - Plaza Oh- Double four- Double Three. What a perfect relationship - I can't see him, he can't see me!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: The Party's Over (#3.8)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Better Than a Dream

A treat for fans of the stars

Fans of Dean Martino and Judy Holliday (né Tuvim) will enjoy this musical. I am a fan of both of them so I could overlook the awkward staging of the Susanswerphone set, the believeability of Maritn as a writer and the dead weight of the subplot involving the racketeers. Still there are some well-sung songs and good, if not great chemistry, between the stars. For non-fans: 6/10. For fans: 7/10.