The Trouble with Angels (1966)

Director:

Ida Lupino

Writers:

Blanche Hanalis (screenplay)
Jane Trahey (novel)

Release Date:

30 March 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

It's the habit forming comedy the whole family can enjoy!

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Mother Superior | Student | School | Nun | Convent

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Rosalind Russell	...	Mother Superior (Rev. Mother)
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 Devery
Barbara Hunter	...	Marvel-Ann Clancy
Bernadette Withers	...	Valerie

Also Known As:

Life with Mother Superior (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:U | Finland:S | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Eaves Movie Ranch - 105 Rancho Alegre Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The first feature film to be directed by Ida Lupino since The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and The Bigamist (1953) over a decade earlier.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the movie, when the bus is shown en route to the train station, the hubs of the wheels are dirty silver but in the next shot, when the buss is pulling in to the train station, the hubs are black. Not only that but it is not the same train station in the second shot as in the first shot.

Quotes:

Mary Clancy: Rache! I need something to stuff in the window. The snow's coming in.
[Rachel gives Mary a magazine]
Mary Clancy: I can't stuff His Holiness in the window!
Rachel Devery: Well, I'm not going to give you Burt Lancaster!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Kids in the Hall: (#1.3)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Sewing Circle

They don't make 'em like this anymore, alas.

They don't make 'em like this anymore, alas. There was a time when you could see great "B" movies, like this one, in theaters. They were entertaining pieces, produced for less money, but with just as much fun as their "A" siblings. You don't find many "B" movies anymore (at least good ones) and it's a shame. Even cable and tv movies don't live up to some of these classics.

Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell are the two opposing forces in this battle of wills, and they're pretty evenly matched. Russell sees some of herself in young Mills, as she comments to Marge Redmond. Mills comes to realize that Russell represents something she has been looking for, but has been unable to define, a sense of community and purpose. Both are orphans who were raised by relatives, with dreams of fashion and glamour, but longing for something greater.

The film treats the Catholic Church and work of the nuns with far greater respect than most films, particularly more modern examples, like Sister Act. We see the depth of their faith and their commitment to serving their fellow human beings. I was raised Protestant and have little experience with the Catholic Church, but have always found a deeper respect for the less glamorous work that the nuns often carry out, compared to their male brethren.

The film is full of great character moments and some laugh-out-loud gags. It has a warmth and charm that grows with age. It's a shame that Haley Mills didn't perform in more films like this, as an adult; she had a real flair for comedy and could shift to drama just as easily. It's understandable for an actress to want to move into more serious parts, but I really think she passed up some great opportunities.

This was a film that deserved a sequel. Too bad that the one it got didn't live up to it's predecessor. It would be interesting to see Haley Mills return as Mary, carrying on the tradition of Rosalind Russell's Reverend Mother, with some "scathingly brilliant" ideas. Unfortunately, I doubt Hollywood would be up to the task.