Bells Are Ringing (1960)

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Approved
2h 6min
Comedy, Musical
Jul 1960 (USA)
Movie

6.9 (3,948)

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A Brooklyn answering service operator becomes involved in the lives of her clients, including a struggling playwright with whom she begins to fall in love.

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Stars:

Awards:

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.
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Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Still of Dean Martin (I) and Judy Holliday (I) in Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Still of Judy Holliday (I) and Bernard West (I) in Bells Are Ringing (1960)

Still of Valerie Allen (I), Suzanne Ames, Nancy Anderson (I), Virginia Bates (I), Aileen Carlyle, Sue Casey (I), Helen Chapman (I), Marian Collier, Lucille Curtis, Donna Douglas (I), Eddie Foy Jr., Barbara Hines (I), John Holland (I), Judy Holliday (I), June Kirby, Gil Lamb, Jean Moorhead, Karen Scott (I), Pamela Searle, Helen Spring (I), Ruth Storey (I), Sandra Warner (I), Susan Avery and Jacqueline Green (III) in Bells Are Ringing (1960)

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19 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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	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:
	Martin Abrahams	...	NYC Kid (uncredited)
	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)
	Doria Avila	...	Carl (uncredited)
	Frank Baker	...	Pedestrian (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)
	Ray Beltram	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
	Arthur Berkeley	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
	Shirley Blackwell	...	Model (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)
	Nina Borget	...	Restaurant Patron (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)
	Mariana Cortina	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Jimmy Cross	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Lucille Curtis	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Donna Douglas	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Alphonso DuBois	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
	Michael Dugan	...	Cop (uncredited)
	Joan Dupuis	...	Actress (uncredited)
	Tommy Farrell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Paul Frees	...	Singing Voice of Tommy Farrell (uncredited) (voice)
	Leona Gage	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Jeanne Gerson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Bill Giorgio	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Joseph Glick	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
	Herschel Graham	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Joe Gray	...	Bartender (uncredited)
	Jacqueline Green	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Christian Haren	...	Actor (uncredited)
	John Hart	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Jack Henderson	...	Restaurant Patron (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)
	Ken Kane	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
	June Kirby	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	William Kirschner	...	Man with Kitchell (uncredited)
	Marina Koshetz	...	Mme. Grimaldi (uncredited)
	Frank Kreig	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Joseph La Cava	...	Pedestrian (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)
	King Lockwood	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
	Donna Lynne	...	Girl Walking (uncredited)
	Evan MacNeil	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	John Marlin	...	Waiter (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 (uncredited) (voice)
	Jim Michael	...	Bookie (uncredited)
	Frank Mitchell	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Titus Moede	...	Beatnik Actor (uncredited)
	Jim Mohlman	...	Cab Driver (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 (uncredited) (voice)
	Frank Richards	...	Barney Lampwick's Friend - Man on Street (uncredited)
	Nina Roman	...	Actress (uncredited)
	Virginia Rose	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Don Ross	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Paul Russell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Frank J. Scannell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Karen Scott	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Pamela Searle	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Bernard Sell	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Maida Severn	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
	Della Sharman	...	Actress (uncredited)
	June Smaney	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
	Mabel Smaney	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
	Stephen Soldi	...	Bookie (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)
	Rodger Terry	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
	Herb Vigran	...	Barney Lampwick (uncredited)
	Joseph Vitale	...	Bookie (uncredited)
	Nancy Walters	...	Katherine Arnold (uncredited)
	Chris Warfield	...	Young Man on Street (uncredited)
	Sandra Warner	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
	Sammy White	...	Vendor (uncredited)
	Luree Wiese	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
	Wendy Wilde	...	Actress (uncredited)
	Doris Wiss	...	Actress (uncredited)
	Wilson Wood	...	Party Guest (uncredited)

Directed by

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Vincente Minnelli

Written by

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Betty Comden	...	(screen play) and
Adolph Green	...	(screen play)

Betty Comden	...	(musical play "Bells Are Ringing") and
Adolph Green	...	(musical play "Bells Are Ringing")

Produced by

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Arthur Freed

...

producer

Music by

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Jule Styne

Cinematography by

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Milton R. Krasner

...

director of photography (as Milton Krasner)

Editing by

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Adrienne Fazan

Editorial Department

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

Casting By

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Don McElwaine	...	(uncredited)
Bobby Webb	...	(uncredited)

Art Direction by

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E. Preston Ames	...	(as Preston Ames)
George W. Davis

Set Decoration by

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F. Keogh Gleason	...	(as Keogh Gleason)
Henry Grace

Costume Design by

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Walter Plunkett

Makeup Department

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Sydney Guilaroff	...	hair stylist
John Truwe	...	makeup artist
William Tuttle	...	makeup creator
Jane Gorton	...	hairdresser (uncredited)

Production Management

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Dave Friedman

...

unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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William McGarry	...	assistant director
Ted Butcher	...	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Geoffrey Davis	...	prop man (uncredited)
Harry Lazzarre	...	prop man (uncredited)
Frank Wesselhoff	...	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department

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

Special Effects by

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A. Arnold Gillespie	...	special effects
Lee LeBlanc	...	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department

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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

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Russel B. Caplan	...	wardrobe: men (uncredited)
Evelyn Rickart	...	wardrobe: women (uncredited)

Music Department

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Betty Comden	...	lyricist / lyricist: musical play
Alexander Courage	...	orchestrator
Adolph Green	...	lyricist / lyricist: musical play
Pete King	...	orchestrator
André Previn	...	conductor / music adaptor
Jule Styne	...	music: musical play
Paul Salamunovich	...	choral singer/vocal contractor (uncredited)
Roger Spiker	...	pianist: rehearsal (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Amalia Wade

...

script supervisor (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (United States) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (France) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (West Germany) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1960) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Metro (1961) (Norway) (theatrical)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1961) (Argentina) (theatrical)
National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (United States) (tv) (original airing) (pan/scan version)
Warner Home Video (2005) (United States) (DVD)
MGM/CBS Home Video (1981) (United States) (video)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1985) (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1986) (United States) (video) (Laserdisc)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (United States) (VHS)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1991) (United States) (video) (Laserdisc)
The Criterion Collection (2021) (United States) (tv) (digital)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Theatre Guild (presented on the stage by)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Ella Peterson is a Brooklyn telephone answering service operator who tries to improve the lives of her clients by passing along bits of information she hears from other clients. She falls in love with one of her clients, the playwright Jeffrey Moss, and is determined to meet him. The trouble is, on the phone to him, she always pretends to be an old woman whom he calls "Mom." Written by Will Gilbert Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	based-on-stage-musical missing-a-telephone-call susanswerphone telephone-switch-board wake-up-call See All (85) »
Taglines	The screen is singing M.G.M. is bringing Broadway's Bell-Ringer of a Musical to the World! See more »
Genres	Comedy Musical Romance
Parents Guide	Add content advisory for parents »
Certification	Argentina:Atp Australia:G Finland:S France:Tous publics Norway:12 Sweden:Btl (cinema rating) United Kingdom:U (cinema rating) United States:Approved West Germany:6

Additional Details

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Also Known As	Un numéro du tonnerre (France) Suena el teléfono (Spain) Susanna agenzia squillo (Italy) Esta rubia vale un millón (Colombia) A Menina dos Telefones (Portugal) See more »
Runtime	126 min
Country	United States
Language	English French
Color	Color
Aspect Ratio	2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)
Filming Locations	West 68th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget	$3,200,000 (estimated)
Cumulative Worldwide Gross	$7,902,500

Did You Know?

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Trivia	Judy Holliday's last film. See more »
Goofs	Ella's red shoes change from 2 inch heels (in the Cha Cha Cha and Just in Time numbers) to 3 inch heels for the non-dancing sequences in between and afterwards. See more »
Movie Connections	Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997). See more »
Soundtracks	Bells Are Ringing See more »
Crazy Credits	Joan Staley in the credits as "Blonde in Susanswerphone Ad". See more »
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! See more »

Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Charles O'Curran	...	choreographer
Bea Allen	...	dance-in (uncredited)
Georges Atlas	...	French voice dubbing: Steven Peck (uncredited)
Roger Carel	...	French voice dubbing: Frank Gorshin (uncredited)
Gabriel Cattand	...	French voice dubbing: Gerry Mulligan (uncredited)
Henri Charrett	...	French voice dubbing: Frank Richards (uncredited)
Gualtiero De Angelis	...	Italian voice dubbing: Dean Martin (uncredited)
Jacques Deschamps	...	French voice dubbing: Dort Clark (uncredited)
Henry Djanik	...	French voice dubbing: Jimmie Ames & John Holland (uncredited)
Françoise Fechter	...	French voice dubbing: Ruth Storey (uncredited)
Ginette Frank	...	French voice dubbing: Jean Stapleton (uncredited)
Yves Furet	...	French voice dubbing: Hal Linden (uncredited)
Gérard Férat	...	French voice dubbing: Oliver Blake (uncredited)
Jay Gerard	...	stand-in: Dean Martin (uncredited)
Claire Guibert	...	French voice dubbing: Valerie Allen (uncredited)
Jean Lagache	...	French voice dubbing: Wilson Wood (uncredited)
Jean-Claude Michel	...	French voice dubbing: Dean Martin (uncredited)
Rina Morelli	...	Italian voice dubbing: Judy Holliday (uncredited)
Lyn Murray	...	voice coach (uncredited)
Roland Ménard	...	French voice dubbing: Shepard Menken (uncredited)
Alain Nobis	...	French voice dubbing: Morgan Jones & Michael Dugan (uncredited)
Jacqueline Porel	...	French voice dubbing: Judy Holliday (uncredited)
Lita Recio	...	French voice dubbing: Helen Spring (uncredited)
Michel Roux	...	French voice dubbing: Bernie West (uncredited)
Bill Ryan	...	assistant to producer (uncredited)
Maurice Sarfati	...	French voice dubbing: Doria Avila (uncredited)
Arlette Thomas	...	French voice dubbing: Barbara Hines (uncredited)
Emily Torchia	...	publicist (uncredited)
Dominic Williams	...	craft (uncredited)