Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

The Bells of St. Mary's Overview:

The Bells of St. Mary's (1945) was a Drama - Family Film directed by Leo McCarey and produced by Leo McCarey.

SYNOPSIS

The sequel to Going My Way is a sprightly McCarey concoction again featuring the ever-likable Crosby. In this outing, Father O'Malley finds himself at cross-purposes with Bergman's Sister Superior. While helping the nuns educate and discipline the local children, and improving a little girl's unhappy family life, he also finds time to save the school from demolition by a greedy land developer. Bing sings "Adeste Fidelis," "The Bells of St. Mary's," and "O Sanctissima" with a children's choir, and sings "Aren't You Glad You're You" and "In the Land of Beginning Again" solo.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1945 --- Ceremony Number 18 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best ActorBing CrosbyNominated
Best ActressIngrid BergmanNominated
Best DirectorLeo McCareyNominated
Best Film EditingHarry MarkerNominated
Best Music - ScoringRobert Emmett DolanNominated
Best Music - SongMusic by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Johnny BurkeNominated
Best PictureRainbow ProductionsNominated
See More Oscar Winners

The Bells of St. Mary's BlogHub Articles:

On Blu-ray/DVD: The Olive Signature Edition of The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

By KC on Dec 10, 2019 From Classic Movies

I don’t know how I got decades into classic film fandom without seeing The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945). Yes, I thought it seemed like it could be excessively sentimental or cutesy (two things which happen to not be true), but I also love Ingrid Bergman in anything and Bing Crosby has grow... Read full article

Podcast: Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary's

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

Here's a holiday treat! Listen to the latest episode of The Movie Palace Podcast where host Carl Sweeney and I discuss two classics: Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).Happy holidays! Listen to "Going My Way/The Bells of St. Mary's" on Spreaker.... Read full article

Podcast: Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary's

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

Here's a holiday treat! Listen to the latest episode of The Movie Palace Podcast where host Carl Sweeney and I discuss two classics: Going My Way (1944) and The Bells of St. Mary's (1945).Happy holidays! Listen to "Going My Way/The Bells of St. Mary's" on Spreaker.... Read full article

See More The Bells of St. Mary's Articles

The Bells of St. Mary's Quotes:

Mrs. Breen: You've obviously never been neck deep in nuns.
Sister Mary Benedict: If we don't fail sometimes, our successes don't mean anything. You must be strong.
See More Quotes from The Bells of St. Mary's
The Bells of St. Mary's Facts
Many of the original theatrical posters and lobby cards portrayed Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman in non-clerical garb.
Leo McCarey was inspired to write the original story in tribute to his own aunt and childhood counselor Sister Mary Benedict, one of the Sisters who helped to build the Immaculate Heart Convent in Hollywood and who died in a typhoid fever epidemic.
"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on October 6, 1947 with Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman again reprising their film roles.
The song that Ingrid Bergman sings is "Varvindar Friska (Spring Breezes)", a traditional Swedish folk song for Walpurgisnight, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
This was actually written before "Going My Way" (1944) which was originally intended to be a sequel to "The Bells of St Mary's".
See More Facts about The Bells of St. Mary's >>