The Trouble with Angels (1966)

Two high-spirited young students at St. Francis Academy For Girls keep things hopping for the challenged Mother Superior and her staff of bewildered Sisters.

Director:

Ida Lupino

Writers:

Blanche Hanalis (screenplay), Jane Trahey (based on a novel by)

Stars:

Rosalind Russell, Hayley Mills, Binnie Barnes

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rosalind Russell	...	Mother Superior
Binnie Barnes	...	Sister Celestine
Camilla Sparv	...	Sister Constance
Mary Wickes	...	Sister Clarissa
Marge Redmond	...	Sister Liguori
Dolores Sutton	...	Sister Rose Marie
Margalo Gillmore	...	Sister Barbara
Portia Nelson	...	Sister Elizabeth
Marjorie Eaton	...	Sister Ursula
Barbara Bell Wright	...	Sister Margaret
Judith Lowry	...	Sister Prudence
Hayley Mills	...	Mary Clancy
June Harding	...	Rachel / Rachel Devery
Barbara Hunter	...	Marvel-Ann
Bernadette Withers	...	Valerie

Storyline

Coming of age story for two girls, Mary Clancy and Rachel Devery, who find themselves as students at the St. Francis Academy, a Catholic boarding school for girls. The story spans three years and follows the girls and their many pranks including setting off fire alarms, smoking cigars in the basement and putting bubble baths in the nuns' sugar bowls. As the girls mature, they gain a greater respect for their teachers and the commitment and devotion required to be a nun, leading one of them to make a life changing decision.

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Plot Keywords:

mother superior | student | school | nun | convent | 

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Taglines:

She'll Try Anything...including the patience of a saint

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Life with Mother Superior

Filming Locations:

Willow Grove Amusement Park, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, William Frye Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Wickes, who was unable to swim, was ordered to take swimming lessons at the YMCA by William Frye, the producer, for the pool scene with Mills and Harding. But for some reason, Wickes didn't take the lessons and wouldn't jump in the pool on the day of shooting. Ida Lupino, furious with Wickes, called Frye and he suggested they hire a stunt double to play Wickes from the back and have the double jump in the deep end of the pool. Wickes is only seen in close-up at the shallow end of the pool and had to be escorted in and out the water by assistants. This incident caused the production several thousand dollars and put them behind schedule.

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Goofs

When Rachel knocks over the bust in the art room, there is already debris on the floor from something else (probably another bust used in a take) and when Rachel goes to pick up the pieces of the newly broken bust, she picks up the stuff that was already there.

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Quotes

Mother Superior: As for the social graces, I'm convinced that your school encourages barbarism and concerns itself only with free thinking, free wheeling and finger-painting.
Mr. Petrie: The finest educational minds in the country happen to be on our side!
Mother Superior: God is on ours!

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Crazy Credits

A halo appears over the A when the Columbia name appears on the torch lady logo. Then, Hayley Mills' "Angel" cartoon appears from behind the A, flies around the screen a bit, then blows out the Columbia torch.

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Connections

Followed by Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! (1968)

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Soundtracks

Angels We Have Heard on High
(uncredited)
Traditional French carol, English lyrics by James Chadwick.
Sung by the nuns at the Christmas service

User Reviews

A Funny Entertaining film!

My family and I have always loved this movie and its sequel.

I was really young when it was being filmed here in Pennsylvania and remember seeing the big Christmas tree in front of the castle in the Winter just as you see it in the movie.

June Harding played a wonderful role in this movie as the clumsy, dim witted Rachel. Too bad that her career didn't go further because she had such good potential doing physical comedy. Hayley Mills was terrific as the rebellious Mary Clancy who always took chances and who always got caught. Harding and Mills together getting into all kinds of mischief was really funny.

We took a tour of the castle and its interior a few years back and it looks exactly the same now as it did in the movie and this movie is 38 years old!! The grounds of it have changed very little over the years and the movie served as a time capsule for it. It was formerly known as Lindenwold Castle and is now known as Mary's Home for Children. You can find more information about the castle on the internet.

In this movie the most believable character was played by Mary Wickes who is the epitome of a Catholic School nun. Those of you who attended Catholic school (againt their will or not) will know what I mean.

She was just too realistic and I got a kick out of her wearing those black high top sneakers! !! It was nice to see her reprising her "Nun Role" again in the "Sister Act" movies.

"The trouble with angels" is a funny entertaining movie good for the whole family.